Muslims in the west need legal protection

The cartoons circulated in several papers in different European countries prompted Muslims to contemplate their future when residing outside the Arab and Muslim world. A long time ago, Muslims came to Europe as scholars, tourists and patients and stayed for varying lengths of time.

 Nowadays, Muslims are settling in the west for good and doing their best to understand the host culture and to integrate. However, from time to time, they face provocations in the name of western values and different scenarios of a clash of civilizations are imagined. Muslims in the west and in their original countries have always reacted to these provocations on a one by one basis. This has landed them in more trouble and caused greater problems than the original provocation, thus achieving nothing. 

I think the best course of action is to try to solicit legislations in western countries so as to guarantee their rights and to defend them and their religion. They also need to fight on the intellectual front to develop concepts and ideas that will find for them a special, if not a normal place, in the countries they reside in.

It is important to realise that cultures should come together and not fight each other. We in Islamic Tourism magazine believe there are lots of positive points we should build on. We all share a common element of thinking and experiences. Tourism, as we understand it, is one of the important means of discovering these common elements.

The publication of the cartoons is a work in the opposite direction - a work well planned to highlight the negative and dividing factors. It sought to overturn the historical trend towards tolerance and understanding in the age of multi-culturism and globalisation.

But all this should increase our trust in the future and decency of humanity to shine through the crisis and lead to a better world; a world of respect for people’s beliefs and sensitivities.

Now, we move to the news of our magazine. We are pleased with our German edition which was launched with the last issue. We are glad that it was favourably received and that we are attending ITB exhibition for the first time with a German version of ITM.

We have decided to stop selling the magazine through outlets and to concentrate on subscriptions only. For a subscription, please visit our website (www.islamictourism.com) or write by e-mail to (post@islamictourism.com) or to any one of our offices on the addresses shown on this page. The magazine will still be distributed to interested individuals and organisations in tourism and travel exhibitions throughout the world.

Dr. Abdul-Rahim Hassan
Editor-in-Chief