On Saturday 8th, 2011, IA-P2P again had the honor to have a fruitful discussion with a distinguished American scholar. This time with Prof. John L. Esposito, PhD, director of Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington DC.
Esposito expresses his serious concern on the continuing instability in the Mideast and the failure of the US government to pressure Israel to respect international law. He admits that the continuing Palestinian problem and the uneven handedness of the US policy in the region in favor of Israel have continued to become the core of the problem in improving relations with the Muslim world. He personally does not see that successive US presidents including president Obama will be able and willing to change its position in the Middle East. Esposito also expresses his concern on the increasing role and clout of right wing Christian activists in the US politics that has resulted in increasing Islamophobia cases in the country. More and more of those belonging to this group are recruited in the US Administration, driven by short term domestic politics.
Prof Esposito at FISIP UI, 8 January 2011, receiving gift from the dean, Prof Bambang
Before this limited discussion with IA-P2P, Esposito gave an enlightening public lecture on multiculturalism at the Faculty of Political and Social Science, University of Indonesia; and also gave lectures at two conferences in Jogjakarta – one at the State Islamic University Kalijaga and the other at Gadjah Mada University . Both of events were packed with enthusiastic audiences from the academia.
One important conclusion from these series of Esposito’s lectures was his views on multiculturalism, tolerance, and religious pluralism: All these concepts don’t mean that we have to give up who we are, but humbly admitting that maybe we can also learn something from others. Regarding religious pluralism, it doesn’t mean saying that all religions are the same (because in fact they aren’t!), but admitting that truth can be found even outside one’s own religion.
And for Muslims in Indonesia , this conclusion simply confirmed what Prophet Muhammad pbuh once said, “Wisdom is a lost treasure belonging to believers. Anywhere he finds it, he’s most entitled to it”.
Kudos Professor Esposito !
indonesiaamericap2p 