The New Nation - Internet Edition

Elham Asaad Buaras

Inclusion not exclusion, that is the verdict on the role of faith groups in the EU at a summit hosted by the UK's Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy.

The seminar on Faith and Culture in modern Europe was organised in association with the Foreign Office on May 2 with the aim of addressing the 'ghettoisation' of faiths and faith groups in the EU.

The discussion held in London was chaired by Labour MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, as part of the Delivering a Global Europe series of seminars and included contributions from a variety of think tanks, interfaith and non-faith organisations.

The topic of the role of faith in Europe arose during talks on the failed EU constitution as Christians in Europe faced huge opposition from secularists in their attempts to see a 'God clause' included in the constitution that would have made reference to the importance of the Judeo-Christian tradition in Europe.

Turkey's EU membership application was also discussed, as its 99% Muslim population would mean it would be the first Muslim-majority country to join the EU. The seminar also centred on faith groups' evolution, concerns and interaction with one another and European society in general.

Guest speakers included Director of Al-Khoei foundation, Yousif Al-Khoei and Christian theologian and broadcaster Dr Elaine Storkey. Other attendees included Canon Guy Wilkinson and Rabbi Philip Carmel from the European Conference of Rabbis.

Non-faith groups were represented by Lord Harrison of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Humanism and the British Humanist Association, who advocated the inclusion of humanism in consultative bodies.

Opening proceedings Murphy said, "Faith has shaped Europe's history and I believe that today faith can and should positively influence our continent and the wider world in a variety of ways. Faith has a power to persuade which can and should be harnessed in support of action against poverty and in favour of responsible environmental stewardship."

He told The Muslim News it was "wrong to say that secular society and faith communities cannot co-exist and I am opposed to the ghettoisation of religious belief. Europe should be both a secular space in which communities of faith can grow and to which they can contribute - and a model power promoting global responsibility in line with the highest ideals, including those inspired by faith."

On the issue of Turkey's EU membership Murphy said, "There are over 50 million Muslims in today's EU and we look forward to Turkey's accession bringing many more citizens into the heart of the European family.

"So the reality is that Europe is a multi-cultural, multi-faith group of states with a large non Christian population and we see that diversity as a major strength in the EU. And as we take a long hard look at this reality, the real question for us and the real question for the European Union: "how can Europe find a space for its religious communities? So how do we together ensure that we are in fact opening that spacetperhaps the strongest reason for opening that space is one of Europe's most important values- that of pluralism."

Representing the Muslim views Yousif Al-Khoei emphasised the need to fight the distorted and overly negative media image of Muslims and Islam which leads a few young Muslims to feel isolated from their society. He said that when the media "focuses on radical groups' presenting them as the face of Islam, young people then see the need to choose between their faiths and society."

Speaking to The Muslim News Al-Khoei said some EU countries had a better model of dealing with their respective Muslim community then others. He also criticised Belgium and France's artificial attempts to assimilate their Muslim communities as bad examples, "I'm not saying we like the status quo in the UK but integration has to be organic. It needs to be achieved within the Muslim community."

(Source: Muslim News, London)