Video

The Heart of Islam: A discussion with Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr Watch Video Connection Speed: High Speed Low Speed Audio    Event Title : SMI- The Heart of Islam: A discussion with Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr Date : 10/31/2002 Duration : 39 minutes Language  : English Country/Region : World Keyword :  Social Development     Presenter : Katherine Marshall Seyyed Hossein Nasr | Related Material | Recommendations |Related B-SPAN Videos |  DESCRIPTION  Katherine Marshall, the Bank s Director of Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics, provided opening remarks about Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an Islamic scholar at George Washington University and author of the Heart of Islam. Dr. Nasr s discussion was part of the Bank s Development and Muslim Societies series. Marshall noted the four freedoms - freedom from hunger and want, and freedom of religion and speech - which were postulated at the end of the second world war, still are a uniting factor in the world today. Social development and justice are the core of what the development community is about, and Marshall suggested much can be learned from the world s great religions. She noted that Dr. Nasr s recent book, The Heart of Islam, touches on the why s and how s of development, and suggested that Islam emphasizes in its teachings and practices the values of compassion and the mutual solidarity that bind rich and poor. Dr. Nasr said the period of not mentioning religion in public has passed. At a UNESCO conference on global ethics, he noted that religion was not one of the issues that was being discussed. From 18th through 20th century, Europe saw the rise of secularism, but with the collapse of communism, religion is back in the public domain. The age of European enlightenment is over. Dr. Nasr suggested the end of the Cold War, necessitate an effort to create a new world villain, and attention turned to Islam. Muslim extremists have only exacerbated these tensions. Dr. Nasr said in the aftermath of September 11th he was surprised to see numerous people claiming to be Islamic experts. He called it a disservice to the American public because of the disinformation and misinformation that was provided. In his book, written following the terrorist attacks, he explored issues such as martyrdom. He also suggested that many Christian radio stations treat Islam in ways comparable to how the Nazis treated Jews. He believes the reason behind this reemerging prejudice can be traced to Islam s origins in the 7th century, when it began to challenge Christianity for supremacy as the dominant world religion. He said hatred of Islam was inbred into the structure of medieval Christianity. At the same time, Christian scholars greatly respected and studied Islam civilization and art. He noted the dialogue of today s Christian right is similar to what was preached in 7th century northern Europe. The Renaissance rejected its own medieval past, as well as Islam. It was during this period hatred spread not just for Islam religion, but its society as well. During the Age of Enlightenment, Islam had its defenders such as Voltaire, and the classics of Islamic thought began to be translated into European languages. Hatred of Islam was no longer fashionable, until recently. Dr. Nasr called the current period of religious exclusivity extremely dangerous and said the Bank needs to focus closely on it. As one who has lived in both worlds, he said he has felt these tensions acutely. The current age is a period where ignorance is combined with immense power. Governments have the power of life and death for people far beyond their borders. He ended his discussion with a plea to US policymakers that their future decision be based on knowledge, not ignorance. He then opened up the discussion to questions from the audience.  RELATED MATERIALS   Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr The Heart of Islam World Bank: Middle East and North Africa Region RELATED B-SPAN EVENTS Social Development (58)