"The West should objectively realize the great favor done by Islam to the European civilization," Schwab

By Khaled Schmitt, IOL Germany Correspondent

BONNE, June 22 (IslamOnline.net) – The World Economic Forum (WEF) President Klaus Schwab urged the West to acknowledge the mounting "geo-strategic" importance of the Islamic world, calling for opening a candid and all-inclusive dialogue to reach a just peace in the world.

"The world Muslim population, 1.9 billion Muslims and the distinguished geographical position of the Islamic world, extending from west Africa and reaching out to the remotest point in southeast Asia, underscores the importance of the Muslim countries as an economic ally and partner that abounds in natural resources," Shwab wrote in the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper Saturday, June 21.

The West is in "a dire need to hold an international dialogue with the Islamic world, based on new visions that cover political, religious and scientific fields, to exchange expertise and to link economic bodies with civil institutions," he added.

Schwab hailed the Muslim community in the West along with leading Muslim bodies operating in the Islamic world as the most appropriate partner for holing a dialogue with the West.

Respecting Islam

The head of the extraordinary annual economic form further said that if the West "objectively" gives its policies a second reading and realizes the great favor done by Islam to the European cultural, philosophical and scientific culture, it will definitely assert its respect to this religion and accept it as a key partner.

Schwab cited the Umayyad caliphate in Cordoba as a classic example of tolerance and coexistence between different communities under the umbrella of one society, where Muslims, Christians and Jews were living alongside in peace.

"A lot of people nowadays are working without tiring to stereotyping the Islamic world and the West as two enemies lurking for one another politically, culturally and religiously.

"This stereotype led some segments of the West to believe as if the social values and political culture in Islam was a fertile ground for conflicts, which runs against the western values. In return, many Muslims see the West as a peril that jeopardizes Islam," he added.

'World Disaster'

Schwab said it would be "a blunder" that could spark off "a world disaster" that could spin out of control if people believed that the clash between the Islamic and western civilizations was inevitable.

"Majority of Muslims and westerners share the common desire of living in peace, security and freedom," he said.

"To that end," he continued, "common denominators between Islam and the West should be boosted and feelings of hatred should be rooted out to rebuild bridges of confidence, tolerance and mutual respect."

Schwab further said that rooting out terrorism needs, alongside police and military efforts, "a courageous and far-fetching political policy that would re-draw the landscape of the Middle East ."

The World Economic Forum (WEF) opened in the Jordanian capital Amman  Saturday, June 21, with the participation of around 1,900 world leaders, politicians, businessmen, religious figures and academics will take part in the event, half of them from the Middle East.