News
Arab-American Psychologist
Wafa Sultan: There Is No Clash of Civilizations but a Clash
between the Mentality of the Middle Ages and That of the
21st Century
Following are excerpts from an interview with Arab-American
psychologist Wafa Sultan. The interview was aired on Al-Jazeera
TV on February 21, 2006
Wafa Sultan: The clash we are witnessing around the world
is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilizations.
It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It
is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle
Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century.
It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between
the civilized and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality.
It is a clash between freedom and oppression, between democracy
and dictatorship. It is a clash between human rights, on
the one hand, and the violation of these rights, on other
hand. It is a clash between those who treat women like beasts,
and those who treat them like human beings. What we see
today is not a clash of civilizations. Civilizations do
not clash, but compete.
[...]
Host: I understand from your words that what is happening
today is a clash between the culture of the West, and the
backwardness and ignorance of the Muslims?
Wafa Sultan: Yes, that is what I mean.
[...]
Host: Who came up with the concept of a clash of civilizations?
Was it not Samuel Huntington? It was not Bin Laden. I would
like to discuss this issue, if you don't mind...
Wafa Sultan: The Muslims are the ones who began using this
expression. The Muslims are the ones who began the clash
of civilizations. The Prophet of Islam said: "I was
ordered to fight the people until they believe in Allah
and His Messenger." When the Muslims divided the people
into Muslims and non-Muslims, and called to fight the others
until they believe in what they themselves believe, they
started this clash, and began this war. In order to start
this war, they must reexamine their Islamic books and curricula,
which are full of calls for takfir and fighting the infidels.
My colleague has said that he never offends other people's
beliefs. What civilization on the face of this earth allows
him to call other people by names that they did not choose
for themselves? Once, he calls them Ahl Al-Dhimma, another
time he calls them the "People of the Book," and
yet another time he compares them to apes and pigs, or he
calls the Christians "those who incur Allah's wrath."
Who told you that they are "People of the Book"?
They are not the People of the Book, they are people of
many books. All the useful scientific books that you have
today are theirs, the fruit of their free and creative thinking.
What gives you the right to call them "those who incur
Allah's wrath," or "those who have gone astray,"
and then come here and say that your religion commands you
to refrain from offending the beliefs of others?
I am not a Christian, a Muslim, or a Jew. I am a secular
human being. I do not believe in the supernatural, but I
respect others' right to believe in it.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Khouli: Are you a heretic?
Wafa Sultan: You can say whatever you like. I am a secular
human being who does not believe in the supernatural...
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Khouli: If you are a heretic, there is no
point in rebuking you, since you have blasphemed against
Islam, the Prophet, and the Koran...
Wafa Sultan: These are personal matters that do not concern
you.
[...]
Wafa Sultan: Brother, you can believe in stones, as long
as you don't throw them at me. You are free to worship whoever
you want, but other people's beliefs are not your concern,
whether they believe that the Messiah is God, son of Mary,
or that Satan is God, son of Mary. Let people have their
beliefs.
[...]
Wafa Sultan: The Jews have come from the tragedy (of the
Holocaust), and forced the world to respect them, with their
knowledge, not with their terror, with their work, not their
crying and yelling. Humanity owes most of the discoveries
and science of the 19th and 20th centuries to Jewish scientists.
15 million people, scattered throughout the world, united
and won their rights through work and knowledge. We have
not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant.
We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have
not seen a single Jew protest by killing people. The Muslims
have turned three Buddha statues into rubble. We have not
seen a single Buddhist burn down a Mosque, kill a Muslim,
or burn down an embassy. Only the Muslims defend their beliefs
by burning down churches, killing people, and destroying
embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims
must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before
they demand that humankind respect them.
If
you would like to make any comments or contribute to The
Scribe please contact
us.
