“Putting out the Fire”
By Clarissa Green and Kaitlyn Krepp
American University
Washington, DC
Just before Thanksgiving, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, the former High Commissioner from Pakistan to the UK and Ireland and the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, was invited by the German Ambassador Emily Haber for a discussion in the Berliner Salon Series at the Ambassador’s Residence.
The topic was his latest book, Journey into Europe, and the event was moderated by the Chief Rabbi of the Washington Hebrew Congregation, Rabbi Bruce Lustig. Lustig is not only a key figure in interfaith in the Washington area, he is also a close friend of Ahmed’s and very well acquainted with Journey into Europe. We joined Ambassador Ahmed as his students and members of his research team.
The evening opened with a brief reception before the discussion began. Haber, who emphasized that she had read Journey into Europe “cover to cover” set the tone for the night in her introduction of the event, discussing the importance of understanding identity politics for Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world. Notably, she mentioned that “there’s a household truth that migration and integration is always about two. For one it’s about the receiving society and its capacity for integration but it’s also about the migrants and the DNA they bring along and their experiences and their identity.” She went on to warn “that if [immigrants] remain secluded or exist in a separate universe...then a society is really in for problems.” Ahmed reinforced this notion throughout the night.
According to Ahmed, the current problem is a combination of the centralized leadership throughout Europe not listening to the immigrants and not providing them the necessary tools to adapt and the immigrants not taking the initiative to become acclimated to their new society. Both of these factors effectively isolate the immigrant populations and allow for the increased incidence of prejudice and discrimination. The longer these populations are ignored, the worse the problem gets because “hatred and violence are like a forest fire, once it starts it’s difficult to put it out.” The sparks have already begun to fly across Europe, a phenomenon that Ahmed calls “the perfect storm” and attributes to the compounding of the economic crisis, increased immigration, acts of terrorism, and the rise of the far right.
Ahmed says there is a direct link between this perfect storm and terrorism - young people feel they are suspended between cultures and have brought a unique tribal mindset to Europe. This new way of thinking has created a rift in Europe because societies do not know what to make of this deviation from the status quo. Immigrant populations, particularly the young, have no direction, and imams in these communities often do not speak the language of the European countries they live in. He feels that if imams and other authority figures in these communities learned the language and made an effort to understand the culture, there would be greater communication between generations and a more cohesive, integrated community. As an alternative, Ahmed gave the example of Jewish immigrants when they first arrived in Denmark. The community opened a high-quality school with the mission of learning about Danish culture and society so they could better integrate themselves into their new home, and to participate in, and contribute to, culture. Ahmed offers this as an example for new Muslim immigrants in America and Europe.
This dialogue comes at a time in history when it is more important than ever. Rising anti-immigrant sentiment, both in America and in Europe, has led to politics being prioritized over humanity, particularly with the rhetoric surrounding the migrant caravan in America and Syrian refugees in Europe. Ahmed noted in particular the strong pluralistic identity in European history and traditions.
One of the most shining examples of this pluralistic identity, according to Ahmed, is Frederick II, an emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, whom he referred to as “the antidote to every hateful thing happening in Europe.” Frederick II spoke Arabic, had Muslim bodyguards, and his mantel featured Arabic inscription. Frederick also acquired Jerusalem from the Muslims “without a shot being fired”, and always kept cordial relations with them.
Ahmed and Haber bonded over their mutual appreciation for Frederick II and lamented that most people, including Europeans, are unaware of these events or even of Frederick himself. They agreed that the truth is that pluralism is neither new nor foreign to Europe, and one of the greatest barriers to understanding is lack of knowledge of this history.
Pluralism, according to Ahmed, is in the interest of all three Abrahamic faiths. The “predator identity” that Ahmed speaks of in Journey into Europe is always “just beneath the surface”, and can manifest itself at any given time in the form of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Germany has taken solid steps to understand Islam better. It has opened dozens of chairs in Islamic studies and has promoted understanding and thorough study of Islam. According to Ahmed, Europe can rediscover its pluralist history if Germany takes the lead.
As students and research assistants of Ahmed’s, it was a wonderful experience to see that the book that we learned about in the classroom applied to practical situations. To see scholars and distinguished diplomats such as Ambassador Haber that have fully engaged with the text is very encouraging because it shows the importance of our lessons and how they translate into an international context. As members of Ahmed’s research team, it was also very encouraging to see the real-world impact of the work we are doing.
While Journey into Europe was completed before we joined the team, we have a strong appreciation for the amount of work that went into preparing and completing the project. Members of the team - both past and present - were in attendance and it was nothing short of inspiring to watch them have their hard work recognized and appreciated by a variety of communities. Ahmed’s Senior Research Fellow and long-time member of the team Frankie Martin conveyed this sentiment, saying "it was a special event, especially considering that Ambassador Haber had read the book closely and greatly appreciated it. Germany plays a large role in the study and it was gratifying to see many of its ideas discussed in the prestigious forum."
The discussion was incredibly well received by the capacity audience and the ambassador. When asked about her reaction, Haber responded that everyone was “taking back a lot to think about.” One of those take aways is that society needs to remember history. Encapsulating the message, Ahmed said that “Europe needs to rediscover its pluralist roots… [and] use it in order to create a new vision of Europe which can incorporate its own sense of pluralist identity, because without that we’re in trouble.”
Almost as we left the embassy, we saw the following two tweets which cheered us up: “Ambassador Ahmed was brilliant as is this sweeping book which is a must read to understand the complex identities that make up Europe today! Rabbi M Bruce Lustig” and Ambassador Haber tweeted, “It was an absolute pleasure to discuss Journey into Europe with author Akbar Ahmed last night at my residence and to hear more about his four years in Europe investigating questions of Islam, immigration and identity.”
Serendipitously following the event, a review of Journey into Europe was published by Hanns W. Maull, a German scholar on the executive board of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, that echoed the themes of the night. He called Journey into Europe "a tremendous accomplishment: a book that provides us with a comprehensive, authentic picture of Islam in European societies... by the leading Islamic thinker Akbar Ahmed. It impresses with its noble spirit and intentions, as well as with its close, unshrinking look at what are often ugly truths."
Our generation faces the challenge of understanding better different cultures and religions. As Americans we need to play our role at this critical juncture in world affairs. That was made clear to us at the Ambassador’s Residence.If we as a society are able to embody pluralism and confront these ugly truths, we will be able to successfully put out the fire.
(Clarissa Green is an undergraduate research assistant with the office of the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and senior at American University School of International Service studying International Relations and Arab World Studies. Kaitlyn Krepp is an undergraduate research assistant with the office of the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and a junior at American University School of International Service studying International Studies, Arabic, and Arab World Studies)
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