Syrian-born
Bagaghati said Muslims in Europe should not sit on the fence, but
engage heavily in the political, economic and social landscapes of
their new societies.
“Success
stories of Muslims in Europe occur, thanks to this three-component
recipe,” he said. “It won’t work if you lack one of the
three.”
Bagaghati
further said Muslims in Austria are juggling between the three roles.
“Take
Mr. Omar Al-Rawi; who is a Member of Parliament, the Islamic
Authority; which frequently make headlines, and I myself in my
capacity as ENAR’s deputy chairman and an official with the Islamic
Initiative Society, which caters for Muslims, not only in Austria but
across Europe,” he said.
Established
in November 1999, the Initiative is focusing now on the second
generation as it tries to cement its bonds with Islam, he added.
“Through
the Initiative, we explain to the younger generations Islam’s stance
on the cons of the western societies, address some thorny issues
considered by the West as Muslims’s weak points and educate them on
how to face the daunting challenges ahead.”
Language
classes, he added, are also given due attention, noting that Muslims
should be fully aware that German is their sharpest weapon in their
dialogue with the other.
Reaching
Out
Bagaghati
said the Initiative, realizing the great effect of media, is marketing
its ideas and agenda through leading newspapers.
“We
often write in newspapers to express our opinion on world events, in
general, and Muslim issues, in particular,” he said.
The
rights activist further explained that his society has made friends
with different political and religious currents in Europe, and is
working in tandem with rights organizations and NGOs.
“We
feel for their issues the way we want them to feel for ours,” he
said.
“Immediately
after the Initiative had been launched, we received an invitation from
ENAR to attend a Brussels meeting in which I made sure that we, as
minorities, didn’t want to clash but rather to act in unison to
reach common grounds.”
On
his hopes as ENAR’s deputy chairman, Bagaghati said he hopes that
the Network will play a political role in coordinating with EU
parliaments and the European Union.
“We
have been pressing for ‘positive discrimination’ in favor of
minorities like hijab-clad women and people with dark complexion,”
he said.
“They
must be represented in the ministries, police and government
entities.”
Bagaghati
also said despite the domino effect produced by the 9/11 attacks and
the killing of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, they; nevertheless, have
some pluses.
“Lay
people in Europe have become curious to figure out how Muslims think
and what Islam is all about,” he said.
