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| About AWF > European Parliament |
European Parliament
Members of the European Parliament for Euro-Middle Eastern Dialogue
Many politicians speak about intercultural dialogue but what counts are deeds, not words. We are therefore proud that the long-standing AWR reader and supporter Rena Netjes is running for a seat in the European Parliament elections on June 4. We interviewed her in our Cairo office in December 2008 which resulted in an article about her ideas that was published in Arab-West Report [AWR, 2008, week 52, art. 3]. We also would like to refer you to her websites and hyves page: www.renanetjes.eu, www.renanetjes.eu/blog, renanetjes.hyves.nl (with Egyptian panel discussion)
 Rena Netjes
The Arab-West Foundation is not linked to any religious denomination or political party and explicitly wants to keep that independence. We have decided to create a section on our website for members of the European Parliament who are, regardless of the political party they represent, actively involved in intercultural dialogue between Europe and the Middle East. We hope that Rena's presence in the European Parliament will help to build a network of MPs that are actively involved in such dialogue which in turn will help address the most important issues the region is facing:
Peace building:
For decades and centuries the Middle East has been characterized by conflict and confrontation which has resulted in death, displacement and the waste of economic resources. A long-term sustainable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be hard to obtain but is urgently needed. In the Middle East the world's largest fuel reserves are to be found which has led to outside interference which has, in turn added to instability and antagonism in the Arab world. The Middle East needs peace, justice for all, stability and economic development.
Islamism:
Continued injustice and violence has greatly contributed to the growth of Islamic movements which are strongly antagonistic toward the West. Strong Islamic movements have been established in the past decades that have confronted and challenged the United States in particular. Several regimes in the Middle East but also intellectuals from these countries struggle against radical Islamic forces which have strong support from large sections of the population. Several countries in the region are threatened by terrorism as a domestic phenomenon. Many Islamophobists argue that this violence is inherent in Islam which is an argument we strongly reject. Islamic scriptures are, just as scriptures in other religions are, interpreted in multiple ways: in ways that suit militant groups but also in ways that show openness to other cultures and beliefs. Falsely claiming that Islam is inherently violent only strengthens the feeling that Islam is under attack which turns Muslims toward extremists.
Political openness:
Many regimes lack transparency, decisions are made without providing their populations with reasons. This is changing. In some places the media is gaining ground and some signs of political openness can be seen. Those in power may be criticized in the press. This development toward greater openness should be encouraged.
Economic and social development
Economic and social development in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region has stagnated. Government services for their populations have declined. Religious groups have stepped in to provide these services largely along religious lines and often missionary oriented, aimed at making people belonging to their own religion more religious. This has strengthened religious groups in society but weakened national social cohesion.
Emigration of Christian minorities:
The percentage of Christians is declining in all Middle Eastern countries. Some countries that had large Christian populations only one hundred years ago today hardly have any Christians left at all. This trend is the consequence of violence and poor economic and social progress. The growth of Islamism has resulted in discrimination against Christians and fears among Christians over what would happen to them if Islamists came to power.
Members of the European Parliament who actively support changes to address the above mentioned issues will be listed here and will obtain full access to our database without cost. We welcome European Members of Parliament and hope they will join us.
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