Crosscultural Communication: An Islamic Perspective

Crosscultural Dialogue:
An Interfaith-based
Approach
Emporia, Kansas
Prof. Dr. Abdelilah Salim Sehlaoui
Copyrights © 2016 Sehlaoui

Outline
 Introduction
 What is Islam’s view on Crosscultural Communication and Crosscultural
Dialogue?
 The holistic view of the concept of religion from an Islamic perspective.
 The 3 concepts of Self in Islam from a spiritual and socio-psychological
approach.
 The essential ingredients for achieving balance and peace in the world.
 The role of education in today’s world.
 Clarifying some concepts about Islam to facilitate a productive
crosscultural and intercultural dialogue (e.g. women status, human rights,
jihad).
 Common behaviors and values in three world religions.
 Discuss how Muslim scholars all over the world condemn ISIS and ALL
acts of violence.
 Finally, conclude with the significant contributions of Muslim men and
women in all fields of inquiry to enrich the human civilization and
crossccultural communication.
 Resources

Introduction
 We are living in challenging times.
 A world of social media and information
technology as well as misinformation.
 Our globe has really become a small village.
 People can get impacted by information so
fast and so easy. Hence comes the need for
a critical crosscultural communicative
competence.

Islam Calls for Critical
Thinking
6)
( )
English meaning: O you who believe, when a wrongdoer (also means transgressor or
sinner) comes to you with news, ascertain the truth lest you harm people unwittingly and
then regret what you have done with repentance (Chapter 49, Verse 6).
In other words, use your critical thinking and evaluate the
information you receive before you can use it or share it with
anybody else. This verse establishes the ethics of
communication and emphasizes use of good and reliable
sources when it comes to information.

Critical Crosscultural
Communicative Competence
(CCCCC)
What is culture?
The term culture is defined within its socio-
economic and political context and as part of
such a context. It is viewed as a dynamic process
within a given social context in which individuals
are in a constant struggle for representation and
the need to have an authentic voice (e.g. Sehlaoui,
1999; 2011; Giroux, 1992; Quantz, 1992).

What is CCCCC
CCCCC is a complex competence that
allows an individual to communicate across
cultures critically, i.e., bearing in mind the
power relations inherent in any
crosscultural encounter (Sehlaoui, 2011).
A person who possesses this competence
is able to communicate with diverse
people, regardless of their beliefs, gender,
origin, etc...

Crosscultural Dialogue
 Crosscultural dialogue can only be
successful when based first on sincerity and
honesty and on a critical definition of culture.
 Crosscultural dialogues whether from a
faith-based perspective or any other
perspective must be based on an ethno-
relativist view that is open to and accepting of
the other and their viewpoints. This principle
is also derived from the fact that there is no
compulsion in religion, according to the
Islamic view. Copyrights © 2016 Sehlaoui

A Call for Crosscultural
Dialogue
(Chapter 49: Verse 13)
O people! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into
nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of
you with Allah is that who has piety. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All- Aware.
(Chapter 49: Verse 13)
This verse clearly addresses ALL people with no exception for getting to know
each other and for meaningful crosscultural communication. The criterion and
basic foundation of such communication is piety which is a complex spiritual,
social, and psychological competence and intelligence that encompasses so
many other values such as tolerance, love, peace, respect, etc.…

The Concept of “Deen” in
Islam
Deen in Arabic means all matters related to this life
and the Hereafter. The word “deen” is unfortunately
narrowly translated to mean religion only. Islam is
viewed in much broader terms. Beyond belief in
specific doctrines and performance of important ritual
acts. Islam is practiced as a complete and natural way
of life, designed to bring Allah (God) into the center of
one’s consciousness, and thus one’s life. Essentially,
by definition, Islam is a worldview focused on belief in
the One God and commitment to His commandments.

The Three Concepts of Self in Islam
The Islamic view of peace offers a
critical and holistic approach in
achieving a balanced life that is at peace
with others, the self, the Creator, the
environment, and all other creatures.
Based on this perspective, the concept
of peace is deeply rooted in the three
concepts of self as a social,
psychological, and spiritual whole.

The Three Concepts of Self
in Islam
The self from this perspective is divided into three
levels. The third and highest level is called /annafssu
al mutmainnah/ (the balanced self). The second level
is /annafssu allawamah/ (the self-reproaching critical
self) which uses a critical perspective towards the self
and its relation to its context and one’s behavior. The
role of this critical self is to reach a balance and
harmony in life. The lowest self is called in Islam
/annafssu al-amaratu bissu’/ (the evil self) or
uncritical and the ignorant and crossculturally
incompetent self.

Striking a Balance to
Achieve Peace

The Role of Education in
Establishing Balance and Peace
in the World
From an Islamic perspective, there are 3 major elements that are crucial
in establishing such balance and peace in the world. These include:
The Mind
The Soul
The Body
When our modern schooling systems focus so much on the development
of the mind and the body and ignore the soul, we end up with creating
monsters or robots in societies. When we focus so much on the spiritual
side without developing the mind and body, we end up with unbalanced
and dysfunctional individuals and when we focus on the body and soul
without the mind, we foster ignorance. When we focus on the soul and
the mind, we end up with sick bodies. A holistic and functional approach
to establishing peace in the world will equally focus on the three major
elements.

The Role of Education in Establishing
Balance and Peace in the World (followed)
Based on research in the area of functional medicine
and nutrition, we know that diet besides the
environment also play a crucial role in developing
these three elements or in destroying them. Through a
balanced educational system, we can achieve piece in
the world and the enemies of peace which are:
poverty, ignorance, injustice, discrimination, and
racism.
https://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/whatisfm/

The Meaning of Islam
 Literally the word Islam means Peace, Purity,
Surrender, and Obedience.
 There are over 1,619,314,000 Muslims and
that number is growing every day.
– Arabs constitute only 10%-15% of this
population.
 The Qur’an is the Holy book of Islam. It has
114 chapters. Some of them are entitled
“Mary (PBUH)”, “Women”, “Prophet Ibrahim”,
“Prophet Joseph”, “The Family of Imran
(Mother Mary’s family)”, etc…

The Word Salaam
The Arabic word salaam) ) means peace, secured,
pacified, balanced, submitted which has the same root as
the word Islam. In Islam, the individual personal peace is
attained by completely submitting to the Creator. The
greeting "As-Salaamu alaykum", used by Muslims, has the
literal meaning "Peace be upon you".
This daily greeting itself has a great significance for peace
in our lives. The Muslim scholars explain, when understood
correctly by Muslims and non-Muslims, this greeting is a
verbal contract or covenant that states that “you and I are
in a state of peace. I will not harm you neither in your
presence or behind your back. I will not backbite you, cheat
you, or hurt you in any form or shape.”

Women in Islam
 Islam liberates the human being from all
kinds of persecution and injustices.
 All men and women are equal in front of the
Creator.
 Al-Muhˆaddithaat is an encyclopedia of 40 volumes by
(Indian Scholar) about 8,000 women Muslim
religious scholars. Check it out!

Human Rights in Islam
 Security of life and property,
 Security of private life,
 Security of personal freedom,
 Freedom of religion and expression,
 Protection from arbitrary imprisonment,
 Equality before the law,
 Rulers are not above the law,
 The right to participate in the affairs of state,
etc… Copyrights © 2016 Sehlaoui

The concept of Jihad in Islam
 A Linguistic/semantic Analysis
/Jiha:d/ “struggle, hard work, ...”
/Ja:hada/ “to struggle, to work hard,…”
/mujtahid, muja:hid/ “hard-working
person,...”

Jihad as a Struggle against
Evil
 At the personal or community levels
- Perfecting one’s behavior is a type of jihad.
-Studying and seeking knowledge wherever
it may be is jihad.
-Providing and earning one’s living from
“halal” lawful means is jihad.
-Refraining oneself from doing evil deeds is
jihad and is a great type of jihad.
-Doing righteous deeds is jihad, etc…

At the Social Level
 Establishing Social Justice is jihad.
 Establishing Shura (Islamic
democracy) is jihad.
 Respecting Human Rights in Islam is
jihad.
 Fighting oppression is a type of jihad,
etc…
 Spreading the word of tolerance, unity,
and peace is jihad!

Islam: A Religion of
Peace
1) Peace is the Cornerstone of Islam
The word “Islam” is derived from the word meaning “peace” in
Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention
of presenting a peaceful life where the infinite compassion and
mercy of God manifests on earth. Allah calls all people to live by
the moral values He sets so that compassion, mercy, peace and
love can be experienced all over the world.
“O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace. Do not
follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to
you.” (Holy Quran: 2, 208)
In the verse above, Islam intrinsically calls for peace and fosters
a life in absolute sincerity and honesty before Allah. Therefore, it
is vitally important for an individual to believe in Allah with his/her
own will and aspiration, and observe Allah’s commands and
advice through personal conscientious contentment.

Islam: A Religion of Peace
2) Compete with each other in doing good
Muslims who share these basic values believe in the need to act
together with Christians, Jews, and other faiths. Therefore, they strive
to eliminate prejudices stemming from provocations by fanatics. Jews,
Christians and Muslims should strive together to spread moral virtues
across the world.
Allah explicitly states that the existence of people from different faiths
and opinions is something that we have to acknowledge and welcome
whole-heartily, for this is how He created and predestined
humankind in this world:
“We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had
Allah willed, He would have made you a single community, but He
wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete
with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to Allah
and He will inform you regarding the things about which you
differed.” (Surat al-Ma’ida, 48)
“God does not love corruption”. (Chapter Al-Baqara, Verse 205)

Quran Forbids The Killing
of Innocent People
“On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any
one slew a person, it would be as if they slew all humans: and if any
one saved a life, it would be as if they saved the life of all humans.
Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs,
yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit sins in the
land” (Chapter 5: Verse 32).

Islam, Christianity,
and
Judaism
Do Islam, Christianity And
Judaism Have Different
Origins?

NO!
The original, unchanged
revelations given to Abraham and
other prophets reaching back to
Adam all came from the One True
God, Allah. This common origin
explains their similarities in many
beliefs and values.

Abraham is mentioned in the
Qur'an as one of the great
Prophets and was honored with
the title, "Friend of Allah."
Abraham and his eldest son,
Ishmael, were commanded by
Allah to build a place of
worship, the Ka'bah, in what is
today the city of Makkah in
Saudi Arabia.

Religious tolerance and freedom
cannot be built on ignorance but
rather on the understanding of
commonalities and differences
among world religions. Hence
comes the need for initiatives
such as DRAW THE CIRCLE
WIDE Speaker Series and United
for Peace programs that were
initiated in Emporia, Kansas.

Common Behaviors and Values
in the three religions
 Truthfulness and honesty
 Kindness to others, including
neighbors, family members,
parents, etc.
 Giving charity/alms-giving to the
poor
 Social justice
 Tolerance

Common Behaviors and
Values in the three religions
(followed)
 Avoiding consumption of harmful stuff
such as drugs, alcohol, etc.
 Prohibition of fornication/adultery
 Prohibition of ususry (dealing with
interest)
 Respect of creation and preservation and
protection of the environment

Jesus Christ (PBU) is the
perfect example of teaching
love for one's neighbor
despite religious differences
(see The Parable of the Good
Samaritan).

Mohammed (PBU) was a perfect
example of honesty (he was called
al-amin (the truthful). He was also a
perfect example of tolerance and
love. He was the one who said that
“The believer is the one who cannot
hurt people with his/her tongue or
hands”. Reported by Bukhari and
Muslim.

Unfortunately, some of the
followers of these three
religions do sometimes the
opposite.
Loving and being kind to the
person is possible even if one
rejects his or her religious
convictions.
The Quran emphasizes the concept of
tolerance in many verses as follows:

English Meaning: If it had been the Lord’s will, they
would all have to believe – all who are on Earth!
Will you then compel mankind against their will to
believe? Quran: Chapter Yunus, Verse 99)
This is a fundamental principle in Islam. So why are
their some so-called Muslims who practice something
different than this? The answer is lack of education
and ignorance.

English Meaning: There is no compulsion in religion.
Surely truth is clear from error. (Quran, Chapter al-
Baqarah, Verse 256)
This verse establishes the freedom of religion in Islam.
There are other verses that establish other freedoms that
are parts of human right in Islam and explain the
obligations and responsibilities that come with those.

ISIS is NOT Islamic and is
NOT a state
According to ISIS, failure to believe in Islam is a crime
deserving of death, mutilation, or slavery, in contrast to
the Qur’anic injunction that “There is no compulsion in
religion…” (2:256) and killing of innocent people is
forbidden and is a great sin (Chapter 5: Verse 32).
All actions of terrorism are anti-Islamic. Therefore,
these few thousands are rejected by the one point
six billion Muslims and DO NOT represent them.
The same way, Robert Lewis Dear, Timothy McVeigh
or others when it comes to Christianity or
other faiths.

Muslim Scholars All over
the World Condemn ISIS
and ALL Acts of Violence
The following link contains a
summary of an open letter by
several hundred World Muslim
scholars and leaders to ISIS
leader al-Baghdadi, found at:
http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com

The Facts About
Terrorism
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil by Group, From 1980 to 2005, According to FBI Database

In other words,
Ninety four percent (94%) of terrorist attacks were
conducted by non-Muslim groups or individuals.
Approximately only 2.5% of all terrorist attacks on
U.S. soil between 1970 and 2012 were carried out
by the so-called Muslims. This is a tiny proportion of
all attacks.
Between 1970 and 2011, 32% of the terrorist
groups were motivated by ethno-nationalist,
separatist agendas, 28% were motivated by
single issues, such as animal rights, or
opposition to war, etc… Only 7% were motivated
by religious beliefs.

Where Do we Go From
Here?
 Draw The Circle Wider and United for Peace initiatives for
Emporia, Kansas, other cities in the USA, and surrounding
communities.
 Educate people about the evil of extremism, fanaticism, and
terrorism of all kind.
 Unify efforts to confront fear and all kinds of phobia.
 Build bridges through interfaith dialog and effective
crosscultural communication.
 Engage the youth from all faiths and cultures in civic society.
 Support civic organizations that build communities for a better
world.
 Most importantly, teach our children love, tolerance, self-
respect, respect others, and equip them with skills, resources,
and strategies that promote peace.

Historical Development of
Muslim Life in America
 Mohammad Alexander (1893) is
the first American Muslim to come
to America
 Muslim came to America from all
over the world.
 Islam contributes to the US
civilization in all fields.

Muslims in Americahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Tk8k16tFI

Muslims Contributions
to Human Civilization
http://www.Muslimheritage.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDe9DCx7Wk

Muslim Associations and
Organizations
 The Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA) http://www.isna.net/
 The Association of Muslim Social Scientists
(AMSS)
 The International Institute of Islamic
Thought
 The Council on Islamic Education
www.CIE.org
 Council on American-Islamic Relations
http://www.cair-net.org/

Resources and Credits
 Sehlaoui, A. S. (2011). Developing ESL/EFL teachers’ crosscultural communicative
competence: A research-based critical pedagogical model. LAP Lambert Academic
Publishing.
 Toronto Symphony welcomes Syrian Refugees with an Islamic song as background
music in this presentation: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qs5ZJKAXsI)
 www.assehlaoui.com
 http://www.cair.com/
 http://www.muslimheritage.com/
 http://www.isna.net/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_violence
 Quran
 Hadiths/Sunnah/Sahih Bukhari and Muslim
 Bible
 Torah
 https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-
2005/terror02_05#terror_05sum
 http://www.businessinsider.com/these-9-famous-americans-are-all-muslim-2014-10
 http://www.1001inventions.com/media/video/library

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