GLOBALIA
Magazine
Quarterly | Issue 06 | August 2009 EUR 4, USD 5.5, GBP 3.5, AED 20, MYR 20, ZAR 44
A new focus on the world
Global: Pipelineistan goes Af-Pak. The new ‘Great Game’ is exuberant. Media: Anti-social networking? On the negative effects of Twitter & Co.
Image: EPA/Kerim Okten (c) dpa-Report
Cover story: Where is Turkey going? Reflections on the ascent of Tayyip Erdogan.
Islamic markets: More than just trial-runs, page 10.
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EDITORIAL By Abu Bakr Rieger.
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COVER STORY Where is Turkey going? Reflections on the ascent of Tayyip Erdogan.
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BUSINESS A window of opportunity. Turkey: venture into new markets.
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ECONOMY More than just trial-runs. A return to relevance for the Islamic market.
22
The end of coercion? A growing call for free currency worldwide.
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GLOBAL Pipelineistan goes Af-Pak. The new ‘Great Game’ is exuberant.
CONCEPT AND EDITORIAL
Central versus local. Conflict over solar energy?, page 42.
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ASIA
CHIEF EDITOR Abu Bakr Rieger
Return of a Sultanate. On Personal rule in Malaysia.
38 42
EULEX in Kosovo. Challenges and the unexpected.
PUBLISHER IZ Medien GmbH Beilsteinerstr. 121 12681 Berlin Germany
TECHNOLOGY
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sulaiman Wilms
LAW
Central versus local. Conflict over solar energy?
48
MEDIA Anti-social networking? On the negative effects of Twitter & Co.
50
PORTRAIT Decades of tireless dedication. Turkey honours Professor Nevzat Yalcintas.
52
CULTURE Undiscovered treasure. A look at Muslims in Germany.
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EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL BY ABU BAKR RIEGER
Dear Globalia Readers,
attitude and long silence following the killing are scandalous.
A cowardly attack on a Muslim woman in Germany has left Europe shaken. While
Sulaiman Wilms, our Executive Editor, spoke
attending hearings at Dresden Regional
about the case in detail on Al Jazeera. He
Court, the young Egyptian woman was
summed it up as a one-off case, yet one
stabbed to death by a Russian living in
which is symptomatic of the political sea-
Germany, who had been brought before
change in Europe and the increasingly
the court on charges of verbal abuse. The
racist attitudes that prevail.
woman’s husband, hurrying to the aid of his wife, was then shot and badly
The consequences of the financial crisis are
wounded by a policeman rushing onto
still being felt in Europe as the year wears
the scene. The Egyptian man, employed
on. A dramatic increase in unemployment
at Dresden’s Max Planck Institute, looked
is forecast. It is very important that the
“foreign”, and the German policeman had
Muslims of Europe remain alert and unit-
spontaneously assumed him to be the
ed in these unsettled times.
perpetrator. But this will involve a change of image. While not wanting to over-emphasize this
Islam still carries with it a foreign, threat-
tragic affair, Muslims have nevertheless
ening feel in Europe.The Muslims will have
been complaining for a long time about a
to demonstrate that they are not foreign,
growing animosity towards Islam in
but rather citizens of Europe, and that they
Germany. Much of the media presents
want to make a positive contribution to
Islam in Europe in an intentionally nega-
the continent’s development.
tive light. When it comes to Islam, otherwise isolated incidents are linked to the
Yasin Alder reports on one such contri-
religion and therefore to all Muslims.
bution. Muslims in Europe and elsewhere have been setting up Islamic markets which
The Federal Republic of Germany, usually
augment cultural and economic life in
keen to lecture the world on the rights of
European communities. In the circums-
minorities, continues to refuse German
tances, these free markets are gaining consi-
Muslims legal equality. That is a mistake.
derable significance. Muslims are also
Germany profits considerably from its
contributing intellectually to the public
economic relations with the Islamic world,
discussion on the consequences of the
and thrives from its good reputation
financial crisis, by advocating free trade
abroad.The German government’s passive
and a ban on the taking of interest.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
EDITORIAL
Turkey remains a key element in the Eurasian continent. The fateful position of Istanbul and the old question of whether Turkey belongs to Europe or Asia are still shaping the latest debates on the Turkish state. The unwise rejection of Turkey’s application to join the European Union by European conservatives could soon have the country looking elsewhere for alliances. Among those that beckon are a restart of Turkish-Russian relations, and the option of becoming a major regional power in the Islamic world.Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on whom we report in this edition, will certainly be looking at all his options carefully. In geopolitical terms, the laying of new pipelines across Turkish territory is set to strengthen the country’s role. The old historical link between Turkey and Europe is the Balkan region, an area which faces seemingly insoluble challenges. Kosovo, as our article shows, remains far removed from the national sovereignty it so craves. Other parts of the Balkans still harbour the old potential for conflict: Bosnia-Herzegovina remains politically crippled and Albania’s young population is still awaiting a real economic upswing. These things indicate that real stability cannot yet be expected in the Balkans. And for Globalia it is a good reason to keep reporting on the trends and developments there. We hope you enjoy the latest edition.
Shock in Germany: public event after the murder of a Muslim woman in Dresden.
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COVER STORY
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
COVER STORY
WHERE IS TURKEY GOING? REFLECTIONS ON THE ASCENT OF TAYYIP ERDOGAN
It would be safe to assume that Tayyip Erdogan’s political philosophy, as well as his practical experience, embody a clear awareness that the historical role of a politician does not depend solely on the man or woman concerned. His political career has spawned not only several parties and political triumphs, but also humiliation and even a spell in prison. Erdogan’s political career is one which has since taken on almost legendary proportions. It is a story of social ascent. Instinctive and sharp, the Turkish prime minister always grasped the opportunities that came his way. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Prime
he prefer a dominant position in Central Asia
Minister of Turkey on 11 March 2003, it was
– or to secure Turkey’s friendship with the
the first peak in one of the most unusual
United States for another century? And what
political careers of modern times.A practising
about the Prime Minister’s Islamic tendencies?
Muslim politician, Erdogan had, symbolically
Many observers watch suspiciously as he
at least, come to power in one of the world’s
takes time out on his foreign visits to do his
most important countries.
prayers. His power is in fact dependent on the votes of hundreds of thousands of Muslims.
His conservative AK Party captured 46.7 per cent of the vote at the 2007 parliamentary
These strategic questions are, unsurprisingly,
elections, giving it an absolute majority in
the subject of passionate debate, since they
Parliament. The political event which, would
are also key issues in the destiny of a
have been utterly unthinkable the previous
globalised world and its new power-centres.
century, shook the very foundations of
And the heart of these issues is clear: the
modern Turkey.
long-term geopolitical alignment of Turkey, a NATO country, situated at the pivot of East
There is still much controversy about what this
and West, is without doubt one of the fun-
charismatic man really has planned. Does he
damental geo-strategic questions of our time.
want to lead Turkey into the EU? Or would
Russia and the growing Asian nexus have
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COVER STORY
long represented genuine alternatives to
in which he was born, Recep, the seventh
movements, which, subject to political pres-
Turkey’s traditional ties with the West.
month in the Islamic calendar, and also named
sure, were frequently changing. Educated in
him Tayyip after his grandfather. Erdogan was
Germany, Erbakan dreamed of a renaissance
It would be safe to assume that Erdogan’s
born in the old port quarter of Kasimpasha,
of Islam in Turkey, which he believed could
political philosophy, as well as his practical
growing up there and in Rize together with
be achieved by his ‘Islamic’ party and a
experience, embody a clear awareness that
his three brothers and one sister.
‘modernised’ Islam, which would begin by
the historical role of a politician does not
copying the modern institutions of the West
depend solely on the man or woman concer-
He took what was probably the only real
and then attempt to Islamise them. Erbakan
ned. His political career has spawned not only
opportunity to educate himself: after primary
profited from the financial support of the
several parties and political triumphs, but
school, Erdogan attended the Imam Hatip
millions of Turkish workers who had achieved
also humiliation and even a spell in prison.
Lisesi, one of Turkey’s religious grammar
modest prosperity in the West and who were
The art of politics – and this applies especially
schools. There is no doubt that this school
keen to support their Islamic party back home.
to Erdogan and Turkey – consists of taking a
shaped him for life. It enabled Erdogan to
firm hold of the opportunities which history
What was then known as the Welfare Party, in 1994, nominated – apparently against his
offers, as and when they come along.
“There is still much con-
will – the young Erdogan as its candidate for
The old capital, Istanbul, has been the site of
troversy about what this
the office of Mayor of Istanbul.This selection
many earthquakes, and not just of the
charismatic man really
– and his subsequent surprise victory in
seismographic sort. The sprawling city also symbolises the immense political, cultural
has planned. Does he
and social tensions inside Turkey. Situated
want to lead Turkey into
astride the Bosphorus, Istanbul has both a
the EU? Or would he
European and an Asian face, it is at once Islamic and secular, and it remains one of the
prefer a dominant posi-
Turkey’s largest city – became the key to the Erdogan legend. After some initial difficulties, Erdogan began to align his policies strictly according to the needs of the population. His efforts to
most fascinating urban centres on the globe.
tion in Central Asia – or
modernise the city are still to this day
Everywhere you go you see the traces of its
secure Turkey’s friendship
acknowledged by friends and enemies alike.
Osmanli past. It was against this historical backdrop that
with the United States for another century?”
He repaired electricity and water lines, planted hundreds of thousands of trees, and got the chaotic rubbish collection services
Erdogan built up his political career, one which
working again. The whole city thanked him
has since taken on almost legendary propor-
for it, and in this way Erdogan opened up an
tions. It is a story of social ascent. Instinctive
study Islam while also get what he needed
and sharp, Erdogan always grasped the oppor-
to attend university. The Prime Minister has
tunities that came his way. Yet his chances
shown gratitude ever since to this particular
If it had simply been a matter of the will of
of a great political career cannot have
type of educational institution, which has
the populace, there would have been nothing
seemed all that good early on in his life.
suffered constant disadvantage in Turkey. It
more standing in the way of an auspicious
was these grammar schools which enabled
political career. But in crisis-fraught Turkey,
Erdogan, now 55 years old, came from a mo-
simple believers to better themselves socially.
such thinking is merely theoretical. Erdogan
dest background. His family originated in Rize
After school he studied business science at
was now confronted with his true opponent,
in the north-east of Turkey; fleeing bitter
Istanbul’s Marmara University.
and a powerful one at that: the military.
urban spread of Istanbul. His father was a
From 1969 onwards, Erdogan attached
“Sovereign is the one who decides in excep-
seaman and named his son after the month
himself to Necmettin Erbakan’s parties and
tional cases.” This famous rule of political
electorate spanning all of Turkish society.
poverty, they eventually settled in the growing
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
COVER STORY
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Image: Associate Press/Ria Novosti
COVER STORY
Securing Turkey’s energy in the future: Erdogan, after signing an agreement on natural gas with Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin.
power as formulated by Carl Schmitt is an
most of Erbakan’s followers – founded the
could not really stop his political work. So
appropriate description of the structural
new FP Party.
many visitors came to see him, that the prison authorities had to build a bigger car
limitations on power in Turkish politics. In the
park.
West, political primacy is held by economic
In April 1998, however, the popular
forces, while in Turkey the military, with
Erdogan was sentenced to ten months in
its numerous privileges, postures as the
prison and a lifetime bar from politics by
When the FP Party was banned in June 1999,
“Guardian of the Constitution.” In the
the Diyarbakir State Security Court for
Erdogan founded the AK Party and finally
democratic system, the military feared above
abusing fundamental rights. The apparent
distanced himself more clearly from Erbakan.
all the possibility of a legal Islamic party
cause was a talk he gave at a conference
This splitting of the Muslim movement gave
rising to power.
in the Anatolian town of Siirt. Tayyip
Erdogan the undisputed leadership. The
Erdogan had quoted the poet Ziya Gökalp:
challenge now was to form a party which
The Welfare Party was banned in January
“The mosques are our barracks, the
would not be banned and yet could reach
1998. Erbakan, the head of a coalition govern-
minarets our bayonets, the domes our
out to the Muslim electorate.
ment, upon entering office provoked the
helmets, and the believers our soldiers.” At the centre of the new party was the
establishment by an ‘inappropriate’ journey to Libya, and shocked them by considering a
For a moment it looked as if Erdogan was
demand for the democratisation of Turkey
withdrawal from NATO and the introduction
finished. But the unusual popularity of the
and a positive attitude towards EU member-
of an Islamic currency, the Dinar. Erbakan
man, office or no office, soon emerged as
ship. This new political strategy, largely
was removed from the political landscape
the biggest problem his opponents faced.
supported by its allies in the West, was, as it
by a five-year ban. Erdogan – together with
Keeping Erdogan in a prison in the provinces
turned out, to bring considerable pressure to
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
COVER STORY
bear on the military and the nationalist forces
in 2008 and was received enthusiastically
always hinder the legislative intentions of
inside Turkey – a pressure which Erdogan,
by tens of thousands of his fellow Turkish
the government with his right of veto.
with his pragmatic policies towards the
citizens.
Kurds, knew exactly how to accentuate.
Despite this historic victory, the Muslim His AK Party won a resounding victory at the
electorate seemed somewhat disenchanted.
But the new government policies also made
Parliamentary elections in 2002, but, because
Some of the successes which would have
Europe uneasy. The religious-conservative
he was still banned from politics, he was not
been crucial to the prestige of the Party failed
parties of Europe, which in essence are
able to take up the office of Prime Minister;
to materialise. Efforts to lift the ban on head-
related, presented a conservative front in
where according to the laws of the time, only
scarves failed; even Erdogan’s daughters went
opposition to the European Union member-
a Member of Parliament could be elected as
to America to study because of it. The long-
ship of Islamic Turkey. Erdogan did however
Prime Minister.
awaited equality and funding for the Imam
find support for his country’s bid in the
Hatip schools also failed to come about.
German Social Democrats and former
His deputy Abdullah Gül became Prime
Chancellor , Schröder.
Minister instead. It was not until the
Meanwhile, the final confrontation with the
Constitution had been changed, removing
military apparatus appeared to be brewing.
Gerhard Schröder’s successor on the other
the ban on his political career, that he became
Erdogan decided to act more forcefully against
hand, Chancellor Angela Merkel, would like
Prime Minister of Turkey on 12 March 2003.
the continuous, paralysing possibility of a
to prevent Turkey from entering the European
Gül remained his deputy and Foreign Minister
coup d’état.
Union, preferring to offer them a ‘privileged
until he in turn was elected President in
partnership’ instead – a proposal which has
August 2007. When Gül took up this highest
The opportunity soon presented itself in the
hurt the pride of many Turks, who, after all,
office of state, it was the first time that a
final months of the ‘Ergenekon’ scandal. -
have been welcomed in the front row of
single party had united both key positions of
Erdogan went on the offensive and publicly
NATO for decades. Erdogan visited Germany
government. Prior to that the President could
posed the question: “Who governs Turkey?”
Erdogan’s challenge to the military: investigations into the ‘Ergenekon’ network are pressurising Turkey’s old powerful establishment.
10
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COVER STORY
According to the bill of indictment from
conservative Islamic government; but the
A few weeks ago, President Abdullah Gül
Istanbul’s General-Attorneyship, Ergenekon
military courts found that the evidence
signed a historically significant law whereby
is a “terrorist association”. According to the
had been falsified, and, as was expected,
members of the armed forces can be brought
press, it has a nationalist character, is active
ceased its investigations. But unlike the
before civilian courts for trial. The govern-
within state structures and the security
countless times before, the military’s
ment was aided in this round of wrestling with
services of Turkey, and is directed in parti-
justice system may not have the final word
the military by the EU, which during
cular against separatist movements and
this time. The AKP have launched a sta-
membership negotiations with Turkey had
supposed traitors to the country. Its members
tutory initiative aimed at removing the
demanded that the political influence of the
are claimed to have carried out political
army’s immunity.
generals be curtailed. The civilian public
murders, assassinations and drug deals, and to have worked hand in hand with organised crime so as to create the kind of chaos
prosecutor’s office has already begun pro-
“If it had simply been a matter of the will of the
conducive to a military coup in order to defend the principles of Kemalism.
populace, there would have been nothing more
Public exposure of the group’s activities caused a political earthquake. Hardly a day now passes without active or former officers
ceedings in the important test case against the rebellious colonel. “Turkey stands at a historical crossroads, and there is a resolve to confront the army,” says human rights activist and opposition MP, Akin Birdal.
standing in the way of an auspicious political
However the case may turn out, the proceedings, which may well go on for years, have
being accused of some kind of crime in the
career. Erdogan was now
seriously damaged the authority and
media.
confronted with his true
reputation of the Turkish army. The times
opponent: the military.
when the generals enjoyed unlimited
An increasing number of public prosecutors and other civil servants have recently emerged
But the unusual popu-
immunity are certainly gone.
from under cover in Turkey, confident of the
larity of the man soon
If Erdogan really does succeed in reining the
support of a government whose chief, Tayyip
emerged as the biggest
power of the military, then the old geopolitical
Erdogan, seems to be gradually gaining the
problem his opponents
question will once again beckon: where is
upper hand in the long struggle for power with the military.
faced. Keeping Erdogan
Turkey going? Given the hostile policies of France and Germany,Turkey’s membership in
in a prison could not
the EU now appears only a remote possibi-
The governing AK Party sought an indict-
really stop his political
lity. Turkey’s strategic interests in the region
ment against an army colonel who called
work.”
for subversive action to topple the
overlap only partially with those of NATO. And Erdogan is already busy with another historic project, that of bringing Turkey closer to Russia. Aside from all that, Erdogan, like so many others in an age of financial crisis, could also be measured against the economic future of his young population. In Turkey, as in other countries, the new power-elite of bankers and media moguls limit whatever political room for manoeuvre remains. Text By Abu Bakr Rieger
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
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BUSINESS
all-encompassing concept.“You eat food and
A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
it enters your body and blood; receiving a
TURKEY: VENTURE INTO NEW MARKETS
vaccine or wearing perfume gives the same result.”
Although one of the leading and influential
“What concerns us the most is that we
Muslim nations worldwide, Turkish export has
consume some products that are prepared in
hitherto neglected – unlike that one of Malaysia
ways which do not conform to our beliefs and culture,” he said, noting that this has
– the conspicuously growing market of the so
been the case for some 100 to 150 years,
called ‘halal industry.’ In recognition of this
dating back to the industrial revolution in the
important global segment, Turkey has instituted
West.
an official body in order to issue reliable certifi-
“Before complex machines were invented,
cation for ‘halal food.’
we had a relatively healthy way of production. Once we switched to mass production, problems emerged. Over time, people started
Following the global trend in the certification
the firm had asked to remain anonymous.
to care less about the production process of
of halal foods, goods prepared in accordance
Underlining that they had been working to
goods than previously,” he opined.
with Islamic law, the Food Auditing and
introduce halal food certification in Turkey
Certification Research Association (GIMDES)
for the past 25 years, Büyüközer said they
Büyüközer emphasized that the Industrial
has become the first body to issue halal
have achieved this goal and were glad to
Revolution, in a way, beleaguered the lives
certificates in Turkey, currently for foodstuffs
have finally made such progress.
of non-Western societies, and for a long time they remained unaware of the threat it posed.
that are being exported outside the country. “Halal, a wide-ranging concept which embra-
“People were deluded by the Western way of
Having gained importance in global markets
ces the entire life of a person, is a sensitive
consumption, and they adopted this way
in recent years, the concept of halal products
issue, and we are trying to ensure people are
which was actually far removed from their
is being adopted by many countries. South
given accurate guidance to this end,”
own customs.”
Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Büyüközer noted, explaining that many
China, Singapore and Thailand have already
Muslims today have started to feel uneasy
However within the past 30 to 40 years
adopted halal standards, and they have
with their contemporary way of consumption.
– a period which he calls “the revival” in
quickly discovered the potential in the halal
“As the religion of Islam places humankind
the Muslim world – people have started
product market; the global halal market is
in the center of the universe, halal stands for
to question their consumption habits, he
worth an estimated 2 trillion US-Dollars in
the well being of all people,” he argued.
said, adding: “Muslims, particularly those living in non-Muslim countries, woke up
trade. “Halal products are in high demand worldwide, and we felt compelled to introduce
He said the halal certificate encompasses
to some disturbing facts which they
a certification system in Turkey as well,”
three major consumer products: foods and
realized were harming their authentic
GIMDES Chairman Dr. Hüseyin Büyüközer said
beverages, cosmetics and drugs. “We have to
lifestyles. This is human nature; you can-
in an exclusive interview with the Turkish
make sure these products are prepared in
not change it.”
daily newspaper Zaman.
line with halal standards. We focus on these products because the human body is directly
The result, Büyüközer went on to explain,
Büyüközer said they have already given a
affected by them,” the GIMDES head ex-
was that people felt compelled to switch to
halal certificate to one Turkish firm, adding
plained, again stressing that the halal is an
a new trend which they thought would be the
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
Image: Associated Press
BUSINESS
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BUSINESS
often deceive people, declining to disclose the ingredients of their products. We have the right to learn what a product is made of. The consumers do not pay attention,” Büyüközer said. Highlighting the use of gelatin – a product made from animal bone and skin, often from pigs – he maintains that it is very widely used in foods and other products. “A German drug firm has included gelatin in the list of ingredients [of its product] but found that the importing firm erased it from the list on the same product in Turkey. Such actions reduce confidence in the market. A halal certification process is capable of solving such problems,” he stressed. This is a major problem. Last year, out of Hopes for growth: Delegates for the second Halal Food Conference in Turkey.
40,000 products in Turkey, only 15,000 were investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture
best course of action: halal production. “The
exceptional examples that can be models
and the rest remained unchecked, but peo-
Jewish people were actually the first to take
for us. Take Thailand, for example; they
ple use these goods. The government fails to
action against mass ‘Westernisation’ when
have thousands of halal products in their
follow movements in the market. “From one
they established kosher rules for food in
stores. Of the 66 million people in Thailand
point of view, however hard the government
accord with halakha [Jewish law], and today
only 8 million are Muslims, yet the govern-
tries, if you do not inform and educate
they eat kosher food wherever they go. Kosher
ment cares a lot about this issue,” he noted.
people about such issues, you cannot escape
standards are protected by laws in the West,” the GIMDES head said.
such problems. The current situation is not Büyüközer said the halal certification will be
hopeless but should be changed. It can be
introduced in stages. “In the first place we
changed. This harms every generation. There
He said, however, the transitory period to a
will issue the certificate for exported goods.
is massive contamination in the domestic
market where people can also consume halal
Firms are not ready to fully engage in halal
market,” he asserted.
products in Turkey will take some time.“Today
standards in the domestic market. Turkish
people will be puzzled if you say that
consumers lack sufficient information on the
Mentioning the conditions firms must meet
overnight we are going to switch to halal
issue. We need to tell people, inform them
to obtain halal certification, he affirmed that
standards.The majority will most likely oppose
about it. Even if they hear about such issues,
production systems must be compatible with
such an idea,” he said, noting there is a well-
they are not interested [yet]; they remain
halal standards. “The entire production
established market system and that people
indifferent. We hope people will start to
process should be in line with Islamic rules.
have no other option but to use the goods
question the production processes of the
This is a very sensitive issue; we send our
currently available in the market. “The
goods they consume. This is mainly a matter
inspectors to the companies. Secondly, if the
transition to halal products will only be
of awareness.”
plant uses imported goods in their pro-
possible if consumers demand it in the first
duction, then we ask for details; and if the
place. Hence, there is no need to move heaven
“On one hand, to make things worse, pro-
supplier has a halal certificate, we also
and earth,” he said. “But there are some
ducers in Turkey are not being honest, and
need to see their documents and make sure
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
BUSINESS
they are in line with halal standards. Finally we send our findings to a council made up of prominent Islamic scholars in Turkey, all competent in their areas, and if they find everything to be acceptable, only then can the firm get the halal licence. The company must sign an agreement saying it is open to investigation at any time and that it will be transparent. Currently, one firm has received a halal certificate and 10 firms – including bakeries and companies in the chicken, meat and milk products sector – have applied for one, and we are working on them,” he said. Asked whether the private sector or the government could better issue halal certification, he said certification should take place in the international arena rather than on a local basis. Making mention of the World Halal Council, established in Thailand, he said some 41 halal certification agencies from various countries are already members of this association. “We have also recently become a member of this council. This is a self-controlling system. The watchdog investigates the producers, and the society is also responsible for closely monitoring the suppliers,” he said. “Establishing a system of mutual standards to unite the Muslim consumers of the whole world under one roof is not a dream. Neither would I call this a ‘utopia.’ Today there are approximately 2 billion Muslims, and they deserve a better system, one that will regulate their way of consumption. The Muslim world has so far failed to protect and treasure its own values. We need to take measures. I am hopeful the new generation will realise the goal of a unified halal market,” he added. (Zaman) Text By Erging Hava
Leading label: until now Malaysia has set the pace for the growth of the Halal Markets.
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ECONOMY
Text By Yasin Alder
The German Muslim Ahmad Gross organises one of the biggest markets in Germany.
One of the alternative, sustainable economic
MORE THAN JUST TRIAL-RUNS
models that have moved back onto people’s
A RETURN TO RELEVANCE FOR THE ISLAMIC MARKET
screens in the face of the latest financial crisis – which is a systematic crisis – is the classical marketplace as opposed to the modern
Because of the current financial crisis, alternative
supermarket or shopping mall.The number of
economic models based on classical, sustainable
small retailers has dwindled over the past three decades, especially in developed
concepts that have functioned for hundreds of
countries, on account of the increasing
years are attracting a new level of interest and
concentration of supermarkets and large
appreciation, after the recent decades of seemingly endless growth and “business as usual”. For several years, Muslims have been organising projects aimed at reviving free markets based on the authentic model of early Madinah, and on Islamic Law’s regulations on trade and markets, in order to demonstrate their benefits to the public. This article touches on some of these projects.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
chains. People no longer buy their bread at the bakery around the corner, they buy it at the supermarket or at the branch of a nationwide chain of bakeries. Similar can be said about most other retail sectors. Similar tendencies can be observed in countries considered less developed, although traditional markets (known in Muslim lands as suqs or bazaars) and country markets held in different towns on different days of the week are still a major feature of the retail landscape.
ECONOMY
Supermarkets and discounters are replacing
Markets of this kind organised around
mosque in the whole of Portugal which
free trade with monopolised distribution,
authentic Islamic tradition are enjoying
remains from that era. Many of the visitors
destroying many jobs and independent traders
growing popularity in many Muslim
were attracted by the colourful atmosphere,
in the process; often their monopolist market
communities throughout the world. There
but many others also wanted to find out more
power enabling them to dictate or at least
have been a number of interesting market
about Islam and the way Muslims live. The
exert enormous pressure on prices. In Germany,
projects, some in Europe, which, presented
traders, many of whom came from Spain,
for instance, dairy farmers can barely recoup
as events, are intended as illustrative
offered their own craft products as well as
their production costs at the prices the super-
examples of what this kind of market could
goods and wares from other parts of the
market groups are paying, which is creating
look like, so that others may replicate them
Muslim world.
severe difficulties for many of them.
elsewhere. Aside from the market, the festival also
Argentina, where numerous traditional open
Pilot projects have already been held this
included two talks which were complimen-
markets have sprung up recently, demon-
year in Norwich in the United Kingdom,
tary to the colourful goings-on in the streets.
strates that they could once again become
Potsdam in Germany, Mértola in Portugal and
These talks covered basic Islamic themes and
relevant in the current crisis.
Bandung in Indonesia.
were attended by several hundred people.
And among the Muslims there are many who
An ‘Islamic Festival’ was held in the
One of them was an in-depth analysis of the
would like to revive what was originally free
Portuguese town of Mértola from 21 to 24
current crisis in the financial system, and
trade on free market-places, where anyone,
May and was the fifth in a series of similar
presented the answers and alternatives
without distinction, could offer their goods
events. Organised by the town’s municipal
offered by Islam.
without being forced out by monopolies,
authorities in collaboration with the Islamic
without paying fees for the space, and without
Community of Spain, the festival is held every
While the market was being held in the old
being tied down to any particular site. Markets
two years, and this year as before it attracted
quarter of Mértola, the call to prayer rang out
of this kind originate directly from the example
large numbers of visitors. The market offered
over the town and market stalls closed during
of Madinah in the time of the Prophet and
a colourful array of Muslim craftsmanship,
the prayer, which was held in the central
the first generations of Muslims, and pre-
providing an attractive canvas of Islam and
square. The Islamic Community also ran an
dated the subsequent suqs and bazaars which
the Muslims. The town of Mértola has a long
information stall offering books, audio-visual
had already begun to include permanent
history and was part of the Muslim civili-
materials and other media. The festival
shop sites.
sation of Al-Andalus and is home to the only
concluded with an evening of recitation and
18
19
ECONOMY
land ownership. A Muhtasib was appointed to oversee the market and to ensure that its activities did not contravene the regulations and laws of Islam. “The market may have been relatively small,” says Zaim Saidi, one of the organisers, “but it was intended merely as the first in a series of events which are to be held regularly in a number of Indonesian cities such as Bandung, Jakarta and Jogyakarta.”The overwhelmingly positive response by market visitors, who Modern supermarkets are quite the anthithesis to the idea of the free market.
were delighted to re-discover the original market and currency traditions, has provided
remembrance followed by a discourse and
regions, open markets used to be common-
extra impetus, according to Saidi. “We have
an open meal. This event was also attended
place, moving around each district from one
waited eight years for this market to happen,”
by many non-Muslims.
town to the next through the week, and
comments Sufi Sophia, one of the market
named after the days of the week on which
traders, who enjoyed takings of several
Also worthy of mention were the authentic
they were held. The Monday Market would
Dirhams. Organisers JAWARA and WIN hope
Islamic currencies of the gold Dinar and silver
be held in town A, the Tuesday Market in
that the bi-metallic coinage, in particular the
Dirham which were presented and traded on
town B and so on. But more recently, super-
silver Dirham, will see increased circulation
the market.
markets and malls have destroyed most of this
through the markets.
traditional market structure – especially in These coins were also the key theme of a
Indonesia.
Right next to the market-place is the Daarut Tauhid mosque, where a public seminar was
market held in Bandung, the capital of West Java in Indonesia, where the “1 Dinar Dirham
Approximately 35 traders were involved in
held on the global financial crisis and the
Market Day Festival” was held on 10 May.
the Dinar and Dirham Market in Bandung,
Dinar and Dirham as a solution. WIN also
Indonesia and Malaysia have shown a
offering diverse products that included
announced a new minting of the gold Dinar
particularly keen interest in the Dinar and
clothing, toys, books, gifts, food, and
to coincide with the market. One side of the
Dirham as an alternative Muslim currency for
medicinal herbs. All of the prices were listed
coin shows an image of the Masjid Agung,
several years. At the market, shoppers could
in Rupiahs as well as silver Dirhams, and
the Great Mosque of Demak, which was the
convert their Rupiahs into Dirhams and Dinars
wherever necessary, combined payments in
first large mosque to be erected in Java and
and make purchases with them; many such
both currencies were accepted. One- and five-
which is of great symbolic importance.
transactions took place on the day.The market
Dirham coins, as well as one-Dinar gold coins,
was organised by JAWARA (Dinar Dirham
were available for exchange at the market.
In the British city of Norwich, a group of active
Users Network of Nusantara) in collaboration
Its organisers were pleased with the response
Muslims known as the Open Trade Network
with Wakala Induk Nusantara (WIN) and
from visitors, who purchased and transacted
were given the opportunity in May this year
Wakala Sauqi of Bandung. This market also
with several hundred Dirham and Dinar coins
to organise a two-day open market along
aimed to provide an example for the revival
on the day. This market also featured other
Islamic principles in the centre of the city, as
of the Islamic open market and the use of the
characteristics of an Islamic open market in
part of the annual Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
silver Dirham and gold Dinar as a means of
the tradition of the Messenger of Allah, may
There, as in Portugal and also in Germany, one
exchange. Markets of this kind are a rarity in
Allah bless him and grant him peace: there
of the major achievements of the market was
Indonesia nowadays.There, as in other Muslim
was no rental fee, no taxation, and no private
to improve relations with local authorities,
st
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ECONOMY
municipal administrators and prominent local figures.The Norwich market attracted around 20 retailers, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and once again the silver Dirham and gold Dinar were used. The market was also connected with an Open Day at a nearby mosque, as well as an exhibition about the local Muslim community and a series of talks and workshops. Again, it was a symbiosis of market and mosque.The Open Trade Network in Norwich is also keen to work more closely with other market organisers and traders. These markets were all significant for another reason: although markets are held in many European towns and cities such as Brussels and Liège in Belgium and numerous large Germany towns, and although these also involve a large number of Muslim traders as well as Muslim and non-Muslim shoppers, they are generally not run by Muslims, and are certainly not organised according to Islamic regulations. The presentation and choice of products at these existing markets are often at a quite low-level and therefore hardly comparable with these new projects. Nevertheless, they do represent a certain potential, illustrating that open markets are still alive and can succeed if different approaches which are of a specifically Islamic origin, are applied. Relatively small projects such as those described may appear insignificant in the face of the seemingly all-powerful global corporates.They are, however, seedlings which serve to show that something else works and that a sustainable alternative is feasible, especially as more people get involved in it. And after all, if there is one thing which the current crisis has shown all too clearly, it is this: change can often come sooner than expected.
The concept of the Islamic market is a vitalisation for Europe’s inner city zones.
20
21
ECONOMY
The presidents of the BRIC states want to break the dominance of the US Dollar.
Admittedly this is not a subject which can
THE END OF COERCION?
claim any kind of global consistency; the -
A GROWING CALL FOR FREE CURRENCY WORLDWIDE
context and motivations involved are too diverse.A representative of traditional mone-
The symptoms of the global predicament are well
tary liberalism cannot consider himself in the same boat as a traditional Muslim jurist. Yet
known. From the struggle to dominate contest-
the question of money affects everybody on
ed regions and their energy routes, to the anarchic
a daily basis.
privatisation of violence, and the blatant crisis
The key question is one of freedom. No matter
of the current financial order – all these are
which system or culture you find yourself in,
frequently evoked. But beyond all that, on a quite
the contemporary discourse on freedom nearly
different plane, alternative models are appearing
always pertains to the political or private realm; only seldom is a connection perceived
and gaining wider recognition. And at their heart,
between freedom and the individual’s ability
however differently formulated, is the desire for
to choose the means of payment he or she uses. While “civil rights and liberties” are
monetary freedom.
supposedly being defended vigorously (or imposed by force) in the Hindu Kush, in the
What do financial executives, Muslim jurists,
awareness of the defectiveness of the domi-
chaotic suburbs of Baghdad and Falluja, in
small retailers and the leading Eurasian
nant financial order, coupled with a desire for
the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, the
politicians all have in common? On the face
new reserve currencies, local money-flows,
personal and social right to choose a means
of it, nothing at all. And yet through this
and the freedom to choose a preferred mode
of payment is severely limited wherever you
unlikely cross-section there is a growing
of payment.
are in the world.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ECONOMY
Think globally, act locally
the retailers then pay their suppliers using
globalisation – part of which is the domi-
Confronted by a financial economy which has
the Chiemgauer.
nation of retail chains over local traders.
growth its raison d’être, people in North
Werner Zimmermann and his funding
“Regional currencies allow the regions
America and Western Europe – and elsewhere
association in the east German town of
concerned to solve many of their problems
– began to experiment with alternative
Ludwigsfelde are also involved in a local
themselves,” believes regional money expert,
currencies long ago. Their interest has not
currency. This Christian group is looking for
Professor Margrit Kennedy. Proponents of
been of an academic nature, rather they have
a gate through which they can escape the
Regiogeld do not want to abolish their
wanted to strengthen local, ecologically
financial collapse which appears imminent.
national currency, but, as economist Professor
sustainable money circulations designed to
To them the way out of the dilemma is quite
Scheiper points out, “The Euro is a world
counteract the capital drainage brought
clear. “The solution is called Regiogeld, one-
currency and does not take account of
about by globalisation. Even functionaries in
to-one with the Euro,” explains Zimmermann,
regional specifics nor of the general well-
local banks consider complementary curren-
“anyone who is a member of a Regionalgeld
being of the region.” Kennedy advises any-
cies as one means of tackling the problems
funding association can make payments to
one who intends to set up a new com-
faced by local communities and the way their
other members with it.”All that has to happen
plementary currency: “Don’t promise too
money circulates.
is for the principle to be accepted more widely.
much – explain the pros and cons clearly in
made ecological destruction and profit-driven
advance. It is a good idea to have the whole According to the E.F. Schumacher Society,
Inhabitants of the American town of Berkshire
experiment evaluated by a scientific institu-
regional currencies existing in the USA include
can purchase a Berkshare for 95 cents at any
tion. Regional currencies are after all a new
the Humboldt Community Currency in Eureka,
of five participating banks – and in return they
approach, and certain prejudices must first be
Berkshare in the Berkshire Region, Ithaca
receive a five per cent discount over the dol-
overcome in people’s minds in order to earn
Hourse in Ithaca, and many others. Canadian
lar by spending their Berkshares at any of
the necessary credibility.”
local currencies are to be found in Calgary,
400 participating local businesses instead of
Salt Spring Island,Tamworth and Madawaska
using dollars. For every transaction they make,
SCO wants a new reserve currency
Valley. Across the Atlantic there are similar
they save five per cent. Shop-owners may
To look at the matter from a completely
projects in the United Kingdom, Switzer-
lose five cents whenever they have to
different perspective, the search for alter-
land, Germany and France. In Germany, the
exchange their Berkshares for dollars at the
natives to the spiralling dollar as a reserve
largest regional currency is known as the
bank (which they may have to do if they want
currency is well underway at a Eurasian level.
Chiemgauer, which is used successfully in
to buy something which is not produced
The current shift of power towards Asian
parts of the country’s south. This currency
locally), but nevertheless they are normally
power blocs has of course given life to a
gets its name from the region around
happy to be able to retain their loyal local
critique of the existing reserve currency.While
Chiemsee lake, and it has played a pioneer-
customers, whom they might otherwise lose
typically distancing themselves from the
ing role in Germany.
to chains like Wal-Mart, Starbucks and Barnes
foreign policies of Washington, the big Eura-
& Noble.
sian powers have now also begun to criticise the existing dollar-dominated financial order.
The Chiemgauer is already well developed and has proven itself in practice. Many
“Local currencies help educate people on the
Russia and China especially are interested in
producers and service providers have joined
importance of independent businesses.
an alternative to the existing system. They,
in the Chiemgauer scheme, and two agri-
They bring people away from the Internet
after all, have so far never benefited from
cultural economic cycles have emerged.
and back on to the high street,” explains
fluctuations in the value of the dollar and the
These include a cheese dairy which pays the
Susan Witt, the founder of Berkshares.
quantity of dollars in circulation.
which these shepherds use in turn to pay for
Common to all these currencies is the attempt
On 16 June 2009 the leaders of the countries
the goods they purchase from local retailers;
to provide an answer to the pressure of
belonging to the Shanghai Cooperation
shepherds who supply it in Chiemgauers,
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23
ECONOMY
the last minute, France) wanted to put the
constitute what is known as the BRIC nations)
issue of new reserve currencies onto the
has genuine prospects of success in the future.
agenda of this year’s G8 summit which was held from 8 to 10 July in Italy. French Finance
Most observers must by now realise, accor-
Minister Lagarde declared prior to the sum-
ding to Ralf Streck, that there is no getting
mit: “We ought to discuss a better coordina-
around the BRIC countries any more. With
tion of exchange rate policies.” Also in this
around 40 per cent of the world’s population,
context, at a meeting in Aix-en-Provence,
they generate approximately 15 per cent of
France, the minister said that the member-
global output, and own almost half of the
countries should talk about the roles and
world’s foreign currency reserves.
weighting of the various currencies, since these have changed as a result of the crisis.
For the “privatisation” of money Many people now recognise that the
Observers were hardly surprised when the
foundational reality of modern economics is
summit organisers risked a spat with Moscow
that we transact and pay using easily
Organisation put their weight behind a
and Peking in the run-up to the event, by not
reproducible paper money. Recent extreme
Russian proposal involving the use of national
placing the explosive theme on the agenda.
monetary policies – especially in the USA and
currencies for international settlements, as
Aside from generalised formulations like
Western Europe – have taught us that the
well as introducing a common currency for
“global imbalance”, the paper presented to
amount of paper money in circulation
the region. This means of payment is to be
Reuters in advance of the event contained no
basically knows no limits. This leads to the
the equivalent of the ECU (European Currency
reference to the subject at all.
recurrence of dangerous “bubbles”. And yet only by increasing the quantity of money can
Unit) which the European Community used before the Euro was introduced. At the sum-
In a review of the goings-on at the Summit,
mit, Russia’s president, Dimitri Medvedev,
Gerald Celente, founder and director of the
said, that “The current structure of reserve
Trend Research Institute, told Russian TV
The question which has to be asked is quite
currencies and the most important reserve
station Russia Today that new reserve curren-
obvious:What can be done about this Bubble
currency – the US dollar – have not worked
cies represent a threat to the American
Economy? In a society which prides itself on
as they were supposed to,” and that the
economy. He explained how the USA would
its freedoms, it is inevitable that sooner or later
Russian rouble “would hopefully become a
lose with a new reserve currency, since at the
people will begin to question the state’s
reserve currency in the foreseeable future.”
present moment most of the world’s trade is
monopoly on money. In a ground-breaking
conducted in dollars. If parts of the world
article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
German journalist, Ralf Streck, believes that
were to stop using the dollar, this would cause
on 12 June 2009, authors Thorsten Polleit,
China’s and Russia’s strategy is aimed at a
the currency to lose value steadily. In de
Michael von Prollius and the liberal Bundestag
“gradual disempowerment of the dollar.”
facto terms, he says, US consumers are
member, Frank Schäffler, asked openly and
Arkadi Dvorkovitch, financial advisor to the
“borrowing” money from foreign suppliers
without any ideological blinkering: “What if
Russian President, has announced that
like China, who in turn would like to free
money were a private commodity which had
Moscow will be investing a proportion of its
themselves from dependency on the dollar.
to assert itself among rivals just like any
reserves in Brazil, China and India, and that
US journalist Nicole Kardell described the
other kind of goods?”
Moscow is “expecting its partners to invest
G8 statements on the subject as “very weak.”
in Russian portfolios.”
Kardell believes it highly likely that the
“The first financial crisis of the 21st century
proposal tabled by the Russian President and
was caused by bad money.” However,“today’s
G8 nations remain uninterested
supported by the presidents of Brazil, India
methods of counterfeiting money are much
As it happens, Russia and China (and also, at
and China (who together with Russia
more sophisticated than those of the 14th
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
bankrupt banks be kept alive at all.
ECONOMY
century.” To make things more complicated,
authors of the FAZ article. People in the market
commercial banks are allowed to “carry on
would then have “a free choice as to their
the counterfeiting of money in the form of the
means of payment.” But, as well as gold it
A dialogue of facts
creation of money and credit,” claim Polleit,
would be conceivable that other goods such
Contrary to the notion of a Clash of Civili-
Von Prollius and Schäffler, “and indeed are
as silver, copper, platinum, wheat and shares
sations, it would seem that, even if only
encouraged to continue doing so in order to
in property could acquire the status of money.
subconsciously, an awareness is developing
stimulate the economy and growth as the
In such a system, the clear-sighted analysis
at different levels not only of the importance
state demands.” The consequences of all of
states commercial banks could still issue
of monetary issues but also of the necessity
this are quite obvious: “The loss of trust in
credit in relation to their deposits, yet they
for new solutions.
money as a means of exchange, and the
would no longer be allowed to create money
destruction of the global pricing system by
and credit out of nothing.
the end come out on top in a free market.”
The fact that criticism is coming from so many sides – as with the desire for alternatives –
bad money, lead to a decline in economic cooperation, a decline in individual trans-
“Free Banking promises not only better money
is testimony to the boundary-breaking,
actions, and therefore a reduction in global
than the paper money issued by the state
connective nature of the question of money.
social prosperity.”
and effectively based on coercion, it could
It may sound sloganesque, but it does come
also ensure that the economy is less prone
down to a question of sustainability and
The solution, they say, is to privatise money.
to fluctuation, since free-market currency
freedom – not the freedom we might have
“The privilege of corrupting the creation
counteracts mis-investment and therefore
imagined, but a new, exciting kind.
of money and credit must be taken away
economic crisis. (...) Good money would in
Text By Sulaiman Wilms
from central and commercial banks.” And part of this process, they explain, should
A reality in Germany: paying with the Chiemgauer at a local market.
be to assess whether gold might be helpful in overcoming the crisis and creating “good money”. The German authors espouse a system of “free banking” in which a “free market currency” would offer an alternative to the means of payment proliferated coercively by the state’s monopoly on money, and which, they say, are “adrift” and “unsecured”. No-one will choose bad money willingly if they can get good money on the market, say the authors. The first step, as also proposed by the economist, Murray N. Rothbard, would be to bind banks’ liabilities to money at a fixed rate of exchange. Simultaneously – and this would affect people directly – the banks’ deposits ought to be convertible into a corresponding quantity of gold. In a second “decisive step”, the monetary system could then be privatised, say the
24
25
Image: Associated Press
GLOBAL
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
GLOBAL
and nearly 50 per cent of its gas reserves. It’s
PIPELINEISTAN GOES AF-PAK
little wonder that, for the leadership of both
THE ‘GREAT GAME’ IS EXUBERANT
countries as well as China’s, the idea of Asian integration, of the Grid, is sacrosanct. If it ever gets built, a major node on that Grid will
We’ve already seen Pipelineistan wars in Kosovo
surely be the prospective 7.6 billion US-Dollar
and Georgia and we’ve followed Washington’s
Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline, also known
favourite pipeline, the BTC, which was supposed
as the ‘peace pipeline.’ After years of wrangling, a nearly miraculous agreement
to tilt the flow of energy westward, sending oil
for its construction was initialled in 2008. At
coursing past both Iran and Russia. Things didn’t
least in this rare case, both Pakistan and India
quite turn out that way, but we’ve got to move on, the New Great Game never stops. Now, it’s time to grasp just what the Asian Energy Security
stood shoulder to shoulder in rejecting relentless pressure from the Bush administration to scotch the deal. Pakistan, after all, is an energy-poor and
Grid is all about, visit a surreal natural gas republic,
desperate customer of the Grid. One year
and understand why that Grid is so deeply
ago, in a speech at Beijing’s Tsinghua
implicated in the Af-Pak war.
University, then-President Musharraf did everything but drop to his knees and beg China to dump money into pipelines linking
As Barack Obama heads into his second
all, it’s time to check out the most recent
the Persian Gulf and Pakistan with China’s Far
hundred days in office, let’s head for the
moves on the giant chessboard of Eurasia,
West. If this were to happen, it might help
tumultuous rush towards a new, polycentric
where Washington wants to be a crucial, if
transform Pakistan from a near-failed state
world order. In its first hundred days, the
not dominant, player.
into a mighty ‘energy corridor’ to the Middle
Obama presidency introduced us to a new
East. If you think of a pipeline as an umbilical
acronym, OCO for Overseas Contingency
Every time I’ve visited Iran, energy analysts
cord, it goes without saying that IPI, far more
Operations, formerly known as GWOT (as in
stress the total “interdependence of Asia and
than any form of U.S. aid (or outright
Global War on Terror). Use either name and
Persian Gulf geo-ecopolitics.”What they mean
interference), would go the extra mile in sta-
what you’re really talking about is what’s
is the ultimate importance to various great
bilising the Pak half of Obama’s ‘Af-Pak’
happening on the immense energy battle-
and regional powers of Asian integration via
theater of operations, and even possibly
field that extends from Iran to the Pacific
a sprawling mass of energy pipelines that
relieve it of its India obsession.
Ocean. It’s there that the Liquid War for the
will someday, somehow, link the Persian Gulf,
control of Eurasia takes place.
Central Asia, South Asia, Russia, and China.
If Pakistan’s fate is in question, Iran’s is
The major Iranian card in the Asian integra-
another matter.Though currently only holding
It all comes down to black gold and ‘blue
tion game is the gigantic South Pars natural
‘observer’ status in the Shanghai Cooperation
gold’ (natural gas), hydrocarbon wealth
gas field. It is estimated to hold at least 9 per
Organization (SCO), sooner or later it will
beyond compare, and so it’s time to trek back
cent of the world’s proven natural gas
inevitably become a full member and so enjoy
to that ever-flowing wonderland – Pipeline-
reserves.
NATO-style protection. Imagine the cataclys-
istan. It’s time to dust off the acronyms,
mic consequences of an Israeli preemptive
especially the SCO or Shanghai Cooperative
As much as Washington may live in perpetual
strike (backed by Washington or not) on Iran’s
Organization, the Asian response to NATO, and
denial, Russia and Iran together control
nuclear facilities. Iran’s relations with both
learn a few new ones like IPI and TAPI.Above
roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil reserves
Russia and China are swell. China desperately
26
27
GLOBAL
needs Iranian oil and gas, has already clinched
states that ‘Chinese interests’ will not be
China badly needs not just Turkmen gas, but
a 100 billion US-Dollar gas ‘deal of the
‘threatened from [Turkmenistan’s] territory
Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG). It remains
century’ with the Iranians, and has loads of
by third parties.’ In translation: no Pentagon
to be seen how the Obama national security
weapons and cheap consumer goods to sell.
bases allowed in that country.
team decides to counteract the successful
No less close to Iran, Russia wants to sell
Russian strategy of undermining, by all
them even more weapons, as well as nuclear
China’s deft energy diplomacy game plan in
possible means, a U.S.-promoted East-West
energy technology.
the former Soviet republics of Central Asia is
Caspian Sea energy corridor, while solidifying
a pure winner. In the case of Turkmenistan,
a Russian-controlled Pipelineistan stretching
And then, moving ever eastward on the great
lucrative deals are offered and partnerships
from Kazakhstan to Greece that will mono-
Grid, there’s Turkmenistan, lodged deep in
with Russia are encouraged to boost Turkmen
polise the flow of energy to Western Europe.
Central Asia, which, unlike Iran, you may never have heard a thing about. Let’s correct
“Every time I’ve visited
that now.
Iran, energy analysts
The Real Afghan War In the ever-shifting New Great Game in Eurasia, a key question – Why Afghanistan
Gurbanguly Is the Man
stress the total ‘inter-
matters? – is simply not part of the discussion
Alas, the sun-king of Turkmenistan, Sapar-
dependence of Asia and
in the United States. In part, this is because
murat ‘Turkmenbashi’ Nyazov, ‘the father of
Persian Gulf geo-ecopo-
the idea that energy and Afghanistan might
all Turkmen’ (descendants of a formidable
litics.’ What they mean
race of nomadic horseback warriors who used
have anything in common is verboten. And yet, rest assured, nothing of significance takes
to attack Silk Road caravans) is now dead.
is the ultimate impor-
place in Eurasia without an energy angle. In
But far from forgotten. The Chinese were
tance to various great
the case of Afghanistan, keep in mind that
huge fans of the Turkmenbashi. And the joy
and regional powers of
Central and South Asia have been considered
was mutual. One key reason the Central
Asian integration via a
Asians love to do business with China is that
by American strategists as crucial places to plant the flag; and once the Soviet Union
the Middle Kingdom, unlike both Russia and
sprawling mass of ener-
collapsed, control of the energy-rich former
the United States, carries little modern impe-
gy pipelines that will
Soviet republics in the region was quickly
rial baggage. And of course, China will never
someday, somehow, link
seen as essential to future U.S. global power.
carp about human rights or foment a color-
the Persian Gulf, Central
coded revolution of any sort. The Chinese are already moving to success-
It would be there, as they imagined it, that the U.S. Empire of Bases would intersect
Asia, South Asia, Russia,
crucially with Pipelineistan in a way that
and China.”
would leave both Russia and China on the
fully lobby the new Turkmen president,
defensive.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, to speed up the construction of the Mother-of-All Pipe-
gas production. There are to be no Russian-
Think of Afghanistan, then, as an overlooked
lines. This Turkmen-Kazakh-China Pipeline-
Chinese antagonisms, as befits the main part-
subplot in the ongoing Liquid War. After all,
istan corridor from eastern Turkmenistan to
ners in the SCO, because the Asian Energy
an overarching goal of U.S. foreign policy
China’s Guangdong province will be the
Security Grid story is really and truly about
since President Richard Nixon’s era in the
longest and most expensive pipeline in the
them.
early 1970s has been to split Russia and
world, 7,000 kilometers of steel pipe at a
China. The leadership of the SCO has been
staggering cost of 26 billion US-Dollars.When
By the way, elsewhere on the Grid, those two
focused on this since the U.S. Congress passed
China signed the agreement to build it in
countries recently agreed to extend the East
the Silk Road Strategy Act five days before
2007, they made sure to add a clever little
Siberian-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline to China
beginning the bombing of Serbia in March
geopolitical kicker. The agreement explicitly
by the end of 2010.After all, energy-ravenous
1999. That act clearly identified American
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
GLOBAL
geo-strategic interests from the Black Sea to
build a long-dreamt-about 7.6 billion US-
would not only rid his country of millions of
western China with building a mosaic of
Dollar pipeline, whose acronym TAPI combines
land mines along TAPI’s route, but somehow
American protectorates in Central Asia and
the first letters of their names and would also
get rid of the Taliban in the bargain.
militarizing the Eurasian energy corridor.
someday deliver natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India without the
Should there be investors delirious enough
Afghanistan, sits at the crossroads of any
involvement of either Iran or Russia. It would
to sink their money into such a pipeline,
new Silk Road linking the Caucasus to western
cut right through the heart of Western
Afghanistan would collect only 160 million
China, and four nuclear powers (China, Russia,
Afghanistan, in Herat, and head south across
US-Dollar a year in transit fees, a mere ba-
Pakistan, and India) lurk in the vicinity.‘Losing’
lightly populated Nimruz and Helmand
gatelle even if it does represent a big chunk
Afghanistan and its key network of U.S.
provinces, where the Taliban, various Pashtun
of the embattled Karzai’s current annual
military bases would, from the Pentagon’s
guerrillas and assorted highway robbers now
revenue. Count on one thing though, if it
point of view, be a disaster, and though it
run rings around U.S. and NATO forces and
ever happened, the Taliban and assorted -
may be a secondary matter in the New Great
where the U.S. is building in Dasht-e-Margo
warlords/highway robbers would be sure to
Game of the moment, it’s worth remembering
(‘the Desert of Death’) a new mega-base to
get a cut of the action.
that the country itself is a lot more than the
host President Obama’s surge troops.
A Clinton-Bush-Obama Great Game
towering mountains of the Hindu Kush and immense deserts: it’s believed to be rich in
TAPI’s rival is the already mentioned IPI, also
TAPI’s roller-coaster history actually begins in
unexplored deposits of natural gas, petroleum,
theoretically underway and widely derided
the mid-1990s, the Clinton era, when the
coal, copper, chrome, talc, barites, sulfur, lead,
by Heritage Foundation types in the U.S., who
Taliban were dined feted by the California-
zinc, and iron ore, as well as precious and
regularly launch blasts of angry prose at the
based energy company Unocal and the
semiprecious stones.
nefarious idea of India and Pakistan importing
Clinton machine. In 1995, Unocal first came
gas from ‘evil’ Iran. Theoretically, TAPI’s
up with the pipeline idea, even then a product
U.S. Marines and poppy fields
construction will start in 2010 and the gas
of Washington’s fatal urge to bypass both
And there’s something highly toxic to be
would begin flowing by 2015. (Don’t hold
Iran and Russia. Next, Unocal talked to the
added to this already lethal mix: don’t forget
your breath.) Embattled Afghan President
Turkmenbashi, then to the Taliban, and so
the narco-dollar angle – the fact that the
Karzai, offered assurances last year that he
launched a classic New Great Game gambit
global heroin cartels that feast on Afghanistan only work with US-Dollars, not Euros. For the
The new NATO? SCO summit in the Russian town of Yekatarinenburg.
SCO, the top security threat in Afghanistan isn’t the Taliban, but the drug business. Russia’s anti-drug czar Ivanov routinely blasts the disaster that passes for a U.S./NATO antidrug war, stressing that Afghan heroin now kills 30,000 Russians annually, twice as many as were killed during the decade-long U.S.supported anti-Soviet Afghan jihad of the 1980s. And then, there are those competing pipelines that either would or wouldn’t exclude Iran and Russia from the action to their south. In April 2008, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India actually signed an agreement to
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29
GLOBAL
Another danger out of Afghanistan: Australian soldier in a poppy field.
that has yet to end and without which you
already developing the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan
of those pesky transit fees the Taliban
can’t understand the Afghan war Obama has
(BTC) pipeline, now became the major player
demanded. Beware the Empire’s fury. At a
inherited.
in what had already been dubbed the Trans-
Group of Eight summit meeting in Genoa in
Afghan Pipeline or TAP. Inevitably, Unocal and
July 2001, Western diplomats indicated that
A Taliban delegation, thanks to Unocal,
BP-Amoco went to war and let the lawyers
the Bush administration had decided to take
enjoyed Houston’s hospitality in early 1997
settle things in a Texas court, where, in
the Taliban down before the year’s end.
and then Washington’s in December of that
October 1998 as the Clinton years drew to
Pakistani diplomats in Islamabad would
year. When it came to energy negotiations,
an end, BP-Amoco seemed to emerge with
later confirm this to me. The attacks of
the Taliban’s leadership was anything but
the upper hand.
September 11, 2001 just slightly accelerated
medieval. They were tough bargainers, also
the schedule. Nicknamed ‘the kebab seller’
cannily courting the Argentinean private oil
Under newly elected president George W.
in Kabul, Hamid Karzai, a former CIA asset
company Bridas, which had secured the right
Bush, however, Unocal snuck crept back into
and Unocal representative, who had enter-
to explore and exploit oil reserves in eastern
the game and, as early as January 2001, was
tained visiting Taliban members at barbecues
Turkmenistan.
cosying up to the Taliban yet again, this time
in Houston, was soon forced down Afghan
supported by a star-studded governmental
throats as the country’s new leader.
In August 1997, financially unstable Bridas
cast of characters, including Undersecretary
sold 60 per cent of its stock to Amoco, which
of State Richard Armitage, himself a former
Among the first fruits of Donald Rumsfeld’s
merged the next year with British Petroleum.
Unocal lobbyist.The Taliban were invited back
bombing and invasion of Afghanistan in the
A key Amoco consultant happened to be that
to Washington in March 2001 via Rahmatullah
fall of 2001 was the signing by Karzai, Pakis-
ubiquitous Eurasian player, former national
Hashimi, a top aide to ‘The Shadow,’ the
tani President Pervez Musharraf and Turk-
security advisor Zbig Brzezinski, while another
movement’s leader Mullah Omar.
menistan’s Nyazov of an agreement commit-
such luminary, Henry Kissinger, just happened to be a consultant for Unocal. BP-Amoco,
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ting themselves to build TAP, and thus was Negotiations eventually broke down because
formally launched a Pipelineistan extension
GLOBAL
from Central to South Asia with brand USA
natural gas, Turkmenistan promptly grabbed
mistake “is proving to be a misconception of
stamped all over it.
second place in the global gas reserves
Himalayan proportions.”
sweepstakes, way ahead of Iran and only 20 Russian President Vladimir Putin did nothing
per cent below Russia. With that news, the
In fact, it’s as if the New Great Gamesters had
– until September 2006, that is, when he
earth shook seismically across Pipelineistan.
just discovered another Everest. This year, Obama’s national security strategists lost no
delivered his counterpunch with panache. That’s when Russian energy behemoth
Just before he died in December 2006, the
time unleashing a no-holds-barred diplomatic
Gazprom agreed to buy Nyazov’s natural gas
flamboyant Turkmenbashi boasted that his
campaign to court Turkmenistan. The goal?
at the 40 per cent mark-up the dictator
country held enough reserves to export 150
To accelerate possible ways for all that new
demanded. In return, the Russians received
billion cubic meters of gas annually for the
Turkmeni gas to flow through the right pipes,
priceless gifts.The Turkmenbashi turned over
next 250 years. Given his notorious mega-
and create quite a different energy map and
control of Turkmenistan’s entire gas surplus
lomania, nobody took him seriously. So in
future.Apart from TAPI, another key objective
to the Russian company until 2009, indicated
March 2008, our man Gurbanguly ordered a
is to make the prospective 5.8 billion US-
a preference for letting Russia explore the
GCA audit to dispel any doubts. After all, in
Dollar Turkey-to-Austria Nabucco pipeline
country’s new gas fields, and stated that
pure Asian Energy Security Grid mode,
become viable and thus trump the Russians.
Turkmenistan was bowing out of any U.S.-
Turkmenistan had already signed contracts to
In that way, a key, long-term U.S. strategic
backed Trans-Caspian pipeline project.
supply Russia with about 50 billion cubic
objective would be fulfilled:Austria, Italy, and
meters annually, China with 40 billion cubic
Greece, as well as the Balkan and various
meters, and Iran with 8 billion cubic meters.
Central European countries, would be at least
Thus, almost five years later, with occupied Afghanistan in increasingly deadly chaos,TAP
partially pulled from Gazprom’s orbit.
seemed dead-on-arrival. The star of what
And yet, none of this turns out to be quite as
would later turn into Obama’s ‘good’ war
monumental or settled as it may look. In fact,
IPI or TAPI?
was already a corpse. But here’s the beauty
Turkmenistan and Russia may be playing the
Gurbanguly is proving an even more riotous
of Pipelineistan: like zombies, dead deals
energy equivalent of Russian roulette. After
player than the Turkmenbashi. A year ago he
always seem to return and so the game goes
all, virtually all of Turkmenistani gas exports
said he was going to hedge his bets, that he
on forever. Just when Russia thought it had
flow north through an old, crumbling Soviet
was willing to export the bulk of the eight
Turkmenistan locked in…
system of pipelines, largely built in the 1960s.
trillion cubic meters of gas reserves he now
Add to this a Turkmeni knack for raising the
claims for his country to virtually anyone.
A Turkmen Bash
stakes non-stop at a time when Gazprom has
Washington was – and remains – ecstatic.At
They don’t call Turkmenistan a ‘gas republic’
little choice but to put up with it: without
an international conference in Ashgabat,
for nothing. I’ve crossed it from the Uzbek
Turkmen gas, it simply can’t export all it needs
Gurbanguly told a hall packed with Americans,
border to a Caspian Sea port named – what
to Europe, the source of 70 per cent of
Europeans, and Russians that “diversifica-
else – Turkmenbashi where you can purchase
Gazprom’s profits.
tion of energy flows and inclusion of new
one kilo of fresh Beluga for 100 US-Dollars
countries into the geography of export routes
and a camel for 200 US-Dollars.That’s where
Worse yet, according to a Gazprom source
can help the global economy gain stability.”
the gigantic gas fields are, and it’s obvious
quoted in the Russian business daily
Inevitably, behind closed doors, the TAPI maze
that most have not been fully explored.
Kommersant, the stark fact is that the Russian
came up and TAPI executives once again
company seriously thought it controlled all of
began discussing pricing and transit fees. Of
When, in October 2008, the British consul-
Turkmenistan’s gas exports; yet the newly
course, hard as that may be to settle, it’s the
tancy firm GCA confirmed that the Yolotan-
discovered gas mega-fields turn out not to be
easy part of the deal. After all, there’s that
Osman gas fields in southwest Turkmenistan
part of the deal. As my Asia Times colleague,
Everest of Afghan security to climb, and some-
were among the world’s four largest, holding
former indian ambassador to Islamabad M.K.
one still has to confirm that Turkmenistan’s
up to a staggering 14 trillion cubic meters of
Bhadrakumar put the matter, Gazprom’s
gas reserves are really as fabulous as claimed.
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31
GLOBAL
Imperceptible jiggles in Pipelineistan’s tec-
already signed a groundbreaking gas agree-
tribal villages monopolize the headlines, the
tonic plates can shake half the world. Take,
ment with RWE from Germany and sent the
shady New Great Game slouches in under-
for example, an obscure report in the
Russians scrambling. If the Turkmenistani
the-radar mode toward the immense, under-
Balochistan Times: a little noticed pipeline -
leader opts for TAPI as well, it will open
populated southern Pakistani province of
supplying gas to parts of Sindh province in
Washington to an ultimate historical irony.
Balochistan.The future of the epic IPI vs.TAPI
Pakistan, including Karachi - was blown up.
After so much death and destruction,
battle may hinge on a single, magic word:
It got next to no media attention, but all
Washington would undoubtedly have to sit
Gwadar.
across Eurasia and in Washington, those
down once again with the Taliban! And
analyzing the comparative advantages of
we’d be back to July 2001 and those pesky
Gwadar Port
TAPI vs. IPI had to wonder just how risky it
pipeline transit fees.
Essentially a fishing village, Gwadar is an Arabian Sea port in that province. The port
might be for India to buy future Iranian gas
was built by China. In Washington’s dream
via increasingly volatile Balochistan.
“And there’s something
scenario, Gwadar becomes the new Dubai of
And then in early April came another
highly toxic to be added
South Asia. This implies the success of TAPI.
mysterious pipeline explosion, this one in
to this already lethal
For its part, China badly needs Gwadar as a
Turkmenistan, compromising exports to Russia. The Turkmenis promptly blamed the
mix: don’t forget the
Russians (and TAPI advocates cheered), but
narco-dollar angle – the
nothing in Afghanistan itself could have left
fact that the global
them cheering very loudly. Right now, Dick Cheney’s master plan to get those blue rivers
heroin cartels that feast
node for yet another long pipeline to be built to western China. And where would the gas flowing in that line come from? Iran, of course. Whoever ‘wins,’ if Gwadar really becomes part of the Liquid War, Pakistan will finally
of Turkmeni gas flowing southwards via a
on Afghanistan only
become a key transit corridor for either Iranian
future TAPI, as part of a American grand
work with US-Dollars,
gas from the monster South Pars field heading
strategy for a ‘Greater Central Asia’, lies in tatters.
not Euros. For the SCO,
for China, or a great deal of the Caspian gas from Turkmenistan heading Europe-wards.To
the top security threat
make the scenario even more locally mouth-
Still, Zbig Brzezinski might disagree, and as
in Afghanistan isn’t the
watering, Pakistan would then be a pivotal
he commands Obama’s attention, he may try
Taliban, but the drug
place for both NATO and the SCO.
to convince the new president that the world needs a 7.6-plus billion US-Dollar, 1,600-km
business.”
Now that’s as classic as the New Great Game
steel serpent winding through a horribly
in Eurasia can get. There’s NATO vs. the SCO.
dangerous war zone. That’s certainly the gist
With either IPI or TAPI, Turkmenistan wins.
of what Brzezinski said immediately after the
As it stands at the moment, however, Russia
With either IPI or TAPI, Russia loses. With
2008 Russia-Georgia war, stressing once again
still dominates Pipelineistan, ensuring Central
either IPI or TAPI, Pakistan wins. With TAPI,
that “the construction of a pipeline from
Asian gas flows across Russia’s network and
Iran loses. With IPI, Afghanistan loses. In the
Central Asia via Afghanistan to the south [...]
not through the Trans-Caspian networks
end, however, as in any game of high stakes
will maximally expand world society’s access
privileged by the U.S. and the European Union.
Pipelineistan poker, it all comes down to the
to the Central Asian energy market.”
This virtually guarantees Russia’s crucial
top two global players. Place your bets: will
geopolitical status as the top gas supplier to
the winner be Washington or Beijing?
Washington or Beijing?
Europe and a crucial supplier to Asia as well. Pepe Escobar is the correspondent for Asia
For the time being, our man Gurbanguly may have snatched the leading role in the New
Meanwhile, in ‘transit corridor’ Pakistan,
Times and analyst for the Real News. Parts
Great Game in this part of Eurasia. He’s
where Predator drones soaring over Pashtun
of this article draw on his new book.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
GLOBAL
32
33
Image: Minaq Jinggo
ASIA
Raja Dr Nazrin ibni Sultan Azlan, crown prince of the Malaysian state of Perak.
by the prime minister and the rest of par-
RETURN OF A SULTANATE
liament. On the state level, the head of state
ON PERSONAL RULE IN MALAYSIA
(ruler) is the Sultan, Raja or Yang di-Pertuan Besar, while the chief ministers (Menteri
The Sultans in Malaysia still retain the ability to
Besar/Ketua Menteri) are the heads of government. However, the state, in instances
act independently within the legal framework of
where there is no ruler, will be lead by the
individual states. The crown prince of Perak sets
Yang di-Pertua Negeri instead.
an example in helping to stabilise social and political problems.
A. Kadir Jasin (editor-in-chief of Berita Publishing) mentions in his online article Perak Crisis: The Constitution Is Supreme: “In
As a result of the 2008 elections, the oppo-
people by rejecting three proposed chief
the constitution, after an election, the party
sition party won many seats in parliament
ministers, something very much out of the
that won the majority of seats will approach
resulting in a change of power in several
ordinary.
the Sultan for his consent to form the government. The party may nominate a candidate
states, once under the control of the ruling party.This created a change in the Malaysian
In Malaysia, the government is based on
as Menteris Besar (MB). But the choice
political system evidenced by the appoint-
constitutional monarchy and parliamentary
whether to accept the candidate or not is the
ment of the chief ministers.
democracy on both the federal and state
prerogative of the ruler.After the last general
levels.At the federal level, the Yang Di-Pertuan
election, the rulers of Perlis and Terengganu
Agong is the supreme head of state, followed
rejected the BN’s choices of MB; the rulers
The Sultan caused confusion among the
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ASIA
having the right to reject the candidates of
difficult unless the person in question is
change in the government through the
the party that won the election. It is in the
Muslim. Therefore a Muslim candidate from
newly elected representative in parliament.
exercise of their prerogative.”
PAS, where all the members of the party are
A similar event happened in the states of
Muslim, was the more likely to be selected.
Terengganu and Perlis. In Terengganu, Sultan
Since it is the first time the opposition
However, to oppose the decision of the Sultan
Mizan who is also the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
managed to win so many states from the
is impossible since it is the prerogative of the
decided to choose Ahmad Said as chief
ruling party, the people are closely following
ruler as stated in the Constitution.
minister and reject the candidate proposed by the ruling party who had managed to
the question as to who will be the next chief minister. In Perak, the largest majority of
Indeed, the representatives themselves have
seats were won by the Pakatan Rakyat
agreed in writing to respect the Sultan’s
coalition of the Democratic Action Party
decision with regards to who would be the
to choose a candidate from one of the three parties as chief minister. Usually, the representative from the party with the most seats would be elected, which would mean the DAP representative would have been the first non-Malay chief minister if he had been selected. However, the Sultan chose the candidate from PAS instead, who had won the least seats in Perak, a decision that puzzled the public. According to the Constitution of Malaysia article 181: “The Eight Schedule, (2) The ruler may act in his discretion in the performance of the following functions (in addition to those in the performance of which he may act in his discretion under the Federal Constitution) that is to say - (a) the appoint-
The emergence of sultanate is proving a solution to Malaysia’s current social and
(DAP), Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Therefore the Sultan will have
retain his seat.
“For any country it is better to have a monarch than an elected president of the republic (...) Monarchies provide the continuity of states, while prime ministers come and go. Elections are all very well for the designation of the prime minister or of the party, which should take power, but not for the Head of State, who should be above party. [...] in all probability the monarch who succeeds to the throne has been trained for this exalted post by having spent many years by the side of his predecessor.”
political problems and is gaining more
George Brown (Foreign Secretary under Wilson)
archipelago as the centre of the world, where
attention from the media and Malaysian people. It therefore begs the question as to whether Malaysia could revert to a sultanate as the solution to its economic, social and political instability in the future? The Sultanate of Malaysia is one of the oldest sultanates and one of the few that managed to withstand global change and preserve its throne through democracy and constitutional monarchy. Even Indonesia, formerly famous for its Majapahit, Sriwijaya and Acheh empires turned sultanates, has now adopted a republican model resulting in a sultanate that appears to have lost its shine compared to the golden age that once put the Malay even the Malay language was the lingua franca.
ment of a Menteri Besar (chief minister)...” appointed chief minister, remembering If we take a closer look at the decision, it is
perhaps the well known Malay custom that
Historically, the Malaysian sultanate began
possible to see why the Sultan chose the
if one were to oppose the Sultan, one would
with the founding of the Malacca Sultanate
candidate he did – namely Datuk Seri
be considered derhaka or ‘traitor.’
by Parameswara from Palembang, a descen-
Muhammad Nizar – who was educated as an
dant of Raja Suran who fled from from
engineer and the more experienced in admin-
This is a critical test for the opposition party
Majapahit attacks. Raja Suran who founded
istrative affairs. As the chief minister is the
wishing to run the government without
the Kingdom of Sriwijaya (now Sumatera),
head of religious and Islamic affairs in the
causing riots, as was previously claimed in the
which was conquered by Majapahit, is said
state it is crucial for the sultan to ensure that
mainstream media. As such, any attempts to
to be a descendant of Alexander the Great
the candidate he chooses is someone who
protest will only raise doubts on the choice
or Iskandar Zulkarnain. Parameswara later
has an understanding of Islam, obviously very
made by voters who clearly wanted a
embraced Islam and took the fashionable
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35
ASIA
Persian title Shah, calling himself Iskandar
and Terengganu, with the exception of Perak
Shah due to his marriage to a princess from
and Negeri Sembilan which modified it
Pasai – a sultanate that already had trade
according to their customs. The sultanates of
relations with Arab merchants coming from
Malaysia are historically related through
the Osmanli Empire.
marriage.
Scholars appointed as advisors to run matters
The Perak Sultanate on the contrary was quite
like the collection of Zakat as well as the
different. One of the two sons of the last
setting up of Muslim Madrassas and military
Malacca Sultan was sent, after receiving a
support were reportedly provided by the
request from the people of Perak, to govern
sultanates in Indonesia and the Osmanlis.
their state since it didn’t have a ruler. This
However, by the time Malacca was attacked
supports the claim that the Sultanate played
by the Portuguese, military assistance could
an important role generation after generation,
not be sent since the Osmanli Sultanate was
even before the emergence of constitutional
already collapsing. As a result of his accept-
monarchy. What makes the model of consti-
ance of Islam, Malacca became the centre of
tutional monarchy practiced in Malaysia so
Islam in the Malay Archipelago and a lot of
unique is that the selection of Yang Di-Pertuan
Madrassas, mosques and other facilities were
Agong is conducted every 5 years through the
built. Gold and silver coins were minted and
Majlis Raja-Raja or council of the Kings, where
used as official currency.
the sultans from each of the nine states take turns to act as Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
Glossary of Malay terms
Many scholars from the Osmanli Sultanate
through consensus among themselves. This
and the nearby sultanates were invited to
process was originally set up during Malay-
teach Islam to the Sultan and the people of
sia’s independence, emerging by popular
Malacca, while voyages were sent as far as
consensus of the rakyat or peoples of Malaysia
Java, Borneo and Philippines in order to
demanding a restoration of the Sultanate.
spread Islam either through conquest, inviYang Di-Pertuan Agong - Supreme head of state.
tation or protection through payment in the
This was to ensure that the rights of the
form of Bunga Emas (gold flower), a yearly
Sultan would not be violated by the British
tax paid to the Malacca Sultanate. Islamic
government which took over most of the
Menteri Besar or Ketua Menteri - Chief ministers, head of a state government.
law was evident in the Malacca Sultanate, for
administration that was once administrated
example, Undang-Undang Melaka (Malacca
by the Sultanate. The sultans from each of
Yang di-Pertua Negeri - Regent in the absence of a ruler.
law), also known as Hukum Kanun Melaka
the sultanate states united and signed a
Bunga Emas - ‘Golden flower’, used by the Sultanate of Malacca for the payment of tribute.
or Risalat Hukum Kanun and Undang-Undang
treaty forming the council of the kings to
Laut Melaka (the maritime laws of Malacca).
make sure that the rights of the people, and
Sultan, Raja or Yang di-Pertuan Besar Ruler on state level.
Undang-Undang Melaka - Malaccan law; also known as Hukum Kanun Melaka or Risalat Hukum Kanun. Undang-Undang Laut Melaka - The maritime laws of Malacca.
in particular the Malays and Islam were The law was well designed in respect to the
protected in the process of the Independence,
functions of the different government posts.
at which Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj,
It also showed similarities to the modern
the son of Kedah Sultan was elected as the
form of government. The law designed by
first Prime Minister.
Majlis Raja-Raja - Malaysia’s Council of the Kings.
the Malacca Sultanate was applied by later sultanates after the Portuguese conquered it.
Ever since, the Sultanate has continued its role
Rakyat - The peoples of Malaysia.
For example the sultanates in Johor, Pahang,
on various matters. The Sultan’s approval is
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ASIA
required before any decision relating to religion or the law can be made. It is for this reason that the issue as to who would become be the next chief minister after the 2008 election was followed with such interest, precisely to see how the Sultan would handle the issue. One of the royals who has been receiving attention from the Malaysian media is none other than Raja Dr Nazrin ibni Sultan Azlan
Britain’s Commissioner and the Malay Sultans prior to the abrogation of the protectorate.
Muhibbuddin Shah, the crown prince of Perak who sensibly handled the Perak crisis in order
Malay Sultanate as its core has been in place
globalisation that threaten to break down
to stabilise the social and political problems
for over 600 years and has succeeded in
cultural walls and will possibly erase national
there. Raja Dr Nazrin, 52, the eldest child of
developing a great culture and civilization.
history. The younger generation, which was
Sultan Azlan Shah and Tuanku Bainun, was
The Malay Rulers are the symbols of sover-
hit by these waves, would be wise to bal-
proclaimed the Raja Muda of Perak on April
eignty, the symbol of citizens strength and
ance claims of tradition and demands of
15, 1984, about two weeks after Sultan Azlan
the umbrella for the country’s crown. The
modernity. There were some who believed
Shah was installed as the Sultan of Perak
Malay Rulers give identity to the nation.
that to progress, focus must be on a
before being appointed Regent of Perak on
People who understand the culture of
progressive culture, saying that traditions and
27th January 2008.
monarchy will understand the philosophy
history would cause backwardness in a static
of royal administration, the role of rulers, -
culture.
Born in Penang on November 27, 1956, the
especially the role and responsibility of
Globalisation actually brings waves of new
Crown Prince of Perak received his early
holding up national identity. The insulting
colonialism which drown the traditions of a
education at St John’s Institution in Kuala
and ridiculing of institutions, fermenting of
country, wiping out its original identity. People
Lumpur. He holds a B.A. (Hons) degree in
hatred towards institutions are early steps in
must be aware that not all that is traditional
Philosophy, Politics and Economics from
the movement towards abolishing the insti-
hinders progress, as tradition interpreted
Oxford University, a Masters in Public
tutions therefore abolishing the original
wisely and intelligently can function to bring
Administration from the Kennedy School of
identity of the country’s race.
progress. The cultural elements that have
Government, Harvard University, and a PhD
During the Cold War, such actions came from
been factors of unity till this day are priceless
in Political Economy and Government from
groups who held left wing political doctrines
social capital that should be defended.”
Harvard University.
and were categorized as subversive. In the name of the Cultural Revolution in China and
The speech clearly reflected the Prince’s
In his speech during the 81 birthday
communist indoctrination in Cambodia and
knowledge of the problem not just with-
celebrations of Sultan Perak, crown prince
Vietnam, children were incited to extreme
in Malaysia but globally. As previously
Raja Dr Nazrin ibni Sultan openly reflected on
levels, hating and making enemies of their
said by the prince in a separate event, the
the role of sultanate as a response to the
own parents; religious leaders were criticized
role of sultanate is definitely the ‘umbrella’
continuous economic, political and social
and places of worship were destroyed; some
or protector of the country’s economy, as
instability that Malaysia is facing today,
places of worship turned into places to breed
well as political and social stability. The
especially in Perak:“the Malay Sultanate was
animals. This leads to anarchy that was paid
Prince’s efforts to ensure that the institu-
not just a symbol in the country but has an
for with lives and blood; and the social fabric
tion of Sultanate is protected should be
important role as the centre of strength for
being destroyed.
applauded.
the people.The administrative system with the
The world now is faced with waves of
st
Text By Sakiinah Hakimi
36
37
LAW
Text Dr. Agim Zogaj
Former french general and now head of EULEX in Kosovo, Yves de Kermabon.
assembly had to come to pass, then those
EULEX IN KOSOVO
laws would have to be accepted by
CHALLENGES AND THE UNEXPECTED
the SRSG. However, from the earliest days of EULEX
The legal state of Kosovo – ten years after the begin-
operations in Kosovo, high level officials from
ning of the UNMIK mission - is still being debated.
the International Civilian Office, lead by the
One of the unresolved questions concerns the future
EU, clearly emphasised that the next international mission would not be similar
role of the ’international community.’ The EULEX
to UNMIK. Thus, in December 2006, a distin-
mission, which has far reaching powers and uncon-
guished European diplomat, Torbjorn Sohlstrom, announced, “The first is that the
trolled executive freedoms.
international community’s engagement will be very different from what it is today, and
For ten years, UNMIK were the international
sentative and for the chief of EULEX. In the
from what it has been over the past seven
administrators in Kosovo and it appears that
Constitutional Framework for Provisional
years. It will no longer seek to govern Kosovo
during those years, the international concerns
Self-government, it was clearly stressed,
(…) and the responsibility to administer
failed to realise that they should have had
“Regardless of what powers UNMIK trans-
the affairs of Kosovo will be the responsi-
mechanisms that would ensure democracy
ferred to Kosovar institutions – from the
bility of the elected representatives (...)”2
[after they left].
police to border control- [they would] always
Torbjorn Sohlstrom emphasised again, “the
remain subject to the full and final autho-
role of the international community will be:
rity of the SRSG.”
to assist, in a multitude of ways, [and] to
On the other hand, Marti Ahtisaari’s
1
agreement foresees uncontrolled executive powers for the International Civil Repre-
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
ensure that a status settlement is correctly So, if the approved laws by the Kosovar
implemented.”
LAW
Similarly to Diplomat Sohlstrom, Peter Feith,
authorities that the ICR deem to be a breach
comes to the limits of power, overseeing
Head of the Office of the European Union
of this settlement, or seriously undermine the
mechanisms and overhauling processes, the
Special Representative has reaffirmed, “Our
rule of law, or to be otherwise inconsistent
paragraphs of Ahtisaari’s settlement are
philosophy is that the Kosovo government is
with the terms or spirit of the settlement.”
5
guous.6
in control; we are not here to lead, we are here to support and advise.”3
evidently inarticulate, confusing and ambi-
So judging by this, there appears to be a completely separate paradox. Because of the
In the context of the IRC’s extraordinary and
But if we take a careful look at Ahtisaari’s
mandate of the ICR, which literally means
unlimited powers, the only international
document, we will find there that it gives
that an unelected international official retains
mechanism that has control, overseeing the
powers and broad privileges to the Head of
unmatched powers - he has complete free
actions and authority of the IRC is the
the International Civilian Office in order to
reign ceded by the assembly of the Republic
International Steering Group (ISG). Thus, in
ensure that the status agreement is
of Kosovo to expel Kosovar officials (regard-
future it is expected that Peter Feith, according
implemented
less of their positions in the institutions in
to the mandate of the IRC, will have to report
question), who, once expelled will have no
to the International Steering Group and to act
rights of redress.
under its instruction.
ensuring respect for the rule of law and the
This kind of paradox, both judicial and legal,
The International Steering Group (under sig-
effective protection of minorities. This is
comes as a result of the fact that when it
nificant Russian pressure) was, according to
correctly
and
without
obstruction. Such freedoms will not be limited to only
because the International Civilian Representative, who doubles as the European Union
Riot in the seperated town of Mitrovica.
Special Representative, will be the ultimate, supervisory authority over other fields of government, including the rule of law; the judiciary, the police, border control, customs and corrective services. The International Civilian Representative has a mandate to assign high level officials to important institutions, e.g. the AuditorGeneral, international judges and prosecutors, the Director-General of Customs Services, the Director of Tax Administration, the Head of the Treasury, international members of the Board of Directors of the Privatisation Agency of Kosovo, as well international members of the Board of Directors of the KTA.4 In fact, according to his mandate as the final authority in Kosovo, regarding interpretation of the civilian aspects of this settlement, the International Civil Representative has the right to:“take corrective measures to remedy, as necessary, any actions taken by the Kosovar
38
39
LAW
Representative and the EULEX mission. This
although even on this issue, the plan has its
means that in future, in Kosovo, even with the
flaws and is hardly precise. It does not, for
EULEX mission, there will be two centres of
example, include provisions for the coope-
influence, both with international political
ration of Serbia and of Serbian minorities in
support and both able to act according to
Kosovo in implementing the settlement.
their mandate, as if they alone are leading
The extent to which the Kosovar Serbs
Kosovo towards a future in Europe. The
depend on Serbian policy is known. So, even
paradox is that they both have broad exe-
for EULEX there will be a lot of challenges
cutive powers, they both report to an inter-
ahead in leading Kosovo towards Europe.
national body and yet they will both receive instruction from the same international body,
The author is head of the department of polit-
which represents different countries.Will the
ical sciences at Pristina University, Kosovo.
cooperation and coordination of international bodies and elements of the EULEX mission be sufficient? It is anticipated that: “The Commander of Civil Operations and the Special Representative of the European Union
Footnotes:
the initial agreement in February 2007,
(PSBE) will consult each other as necessary.”9
1
expected to include representatives of
Yet clearly, the international presence in
2
Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Great Britain,
Kosovo, even with EULEX will not be an “easy
the USA, the European Union, the European
presence,” as was admitted in Brussels.
Commission and NATO, but the actual make up is in fact somewhat different to the one
Therefore, the question is rightly, “How can
initially proposed.
the self-governing institutions of Kosovo be expected to cope, whilst under such constant
It should be stressed that the self-governing
pressure?” Ahtisaari anticipated that “... The
authorities of the Republic of Kosovo are
mandate of the ICR shall be terminated when
subject to the control, intervention, meddling
the International Steering Group determines
and probing of an international group, whose
that Kosovo has implemented the terms of this
7
structure, rules and procedures are obscured.
settlement.”10
Not only that, but even EULEX has far reaching
He even took it a step further by stressing that,
powers and uncontrolled executive freedoms.
in his opinion, “...despite the energetic inter-
Just to mention Article 3(b) of the Council
national engagement, Kosovo’s authorities
UNMIK Regulation No. 2001/9, Chapter 12.
Torbjorn Sohlstrom Personal representative of High Representative/Secretary General Javier Solana, speaking at a roundtable discussion organised by Forum 2015, entitled ‘Post-Status Status’, held on 14 December 2006)
3
Peter Feith ICR/EUSR, March 17, 2008. ‘Kosovo’s Civil Society in the European Era’, ICR meeting Civil Society, organized by University of Pristina.
4
Comprehensive proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement, Annex in the Report of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Kosovo’s future status. United Nation Security Council, S/2007/168/ Add.1.Annex IX, Article 2.2 and Annex VII, Article 2 and Article 4 5
Ibid. Annex IX, Article 2.1.c
6
Ibid. Annex IX, Article 4.6
7
‘Who’s The Boss?’ Kosovar Stability Initiative (KSI), 3 December 2008. Delivered to the participants of the round-table meeting organised by the KSI.
Joint Action, which specifically states that
are responsible for implementing the pro-
EULEX personnel have the authority: “as
posed settlement.”11 Without any doubt, there
necessary, in consultation with the relevant
are and will be limitations of all kinds but
international civilian authorities in Kosovo,
Kosovo’s Institutions will all do their best to
8
Ibid. Pg. 16
implement the settlement.
9
Ibid.
to reverse or annul operational decisions
10
8
taken by the competent Kosovar authorities.”
Ahtisaari’s plan seems to intentionally place It’s clear that there is no central point of
the responsibility to cooperate on both sides
command between the International Civilian
– international and local respectively;
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
Comprehensive Proposal For the Kosovo Status Settlement, see the Deputy Special Envoy’s letter to the Secretary- General, 26 March 2007, Pg. 4
11
Ibid. Pg. 4
40
41
TECHNOLOGY
Scientists like Hans Müller-Steinhagen,
CENTRAL VERSUS LOCAL
Director of the Stuttgart Institute of Technical
CONFLICT OVER SOLAR ENERGY?
Thermodynamics, have assessed the feasibility of the project on behalf of the German Aerospace Centre.Their findings were positive
The future of the world’s energy supply tends to
– and Greenpeace agrees with them, “This
be described using a spread of ambivalent
corporate initiative is one of the most intelligent answers so far to global environmen-
scenarios. Aside from fossil fuel and nuclear
tal and economic problems,” claims Andree
power, alternative sources of energy have been
Böhling, one of the conservation organisa-
evolving all over the world for some decades. Although renewable energy is no longer considered exotic in Western Europe, many people still assume it is suited only for use in isolated or quite specific situations.
tion’s energy experts.
A chance for “low tech” Areas of the Sahara have been earmarked for large-scale plants designed to generate transcontinental electricity. According to Desertec’s information, the project will utilise solar thermal energy, which is more suitable than photovoltaics, the more common process
Recent reports in the German media have
transported to Europe? Samer Zureikat is the
which, used centrally or decentrally, converts
indicated a new dimension to alternative
founder of the company Mena Cleantech
solar energy directly into electricity. Solar
energy, with concrete plans afoot to project
GmbH. Speaking about the existing use of
thermal power stations already exist in Spain.
the use of solar power on to a previously
solar power in North Africa and the Middle
undreamed-of scale.
East he says: “There is a lack of awareness
The mega-project takes what is, compared to
in the MENA countries about what it is
other models, a low-tech approach.Any child
Ironically enough, the project involves a region
capable of. If you talk to people about solar
who has burnt a hole in a piece of paper
which cosseted northern Europeans equate
energy, they imagine little solar panels
using a magnifying glass can understand the
with conflict: North Africa and the Middle
powering street-lamps – and not enormous
principle. The sun’s rays are focused using
East, also known as the MENA region. And
power stations providing whole nations with
concave parabolic mirrors. This concentrated
this is all the more remarkable, because it is
electricity.”
light heats up water, producing steam which drives turbines to generate electricity. It works
precisely the geopolitical struggle for the control of energy resources and transport
The Desertec project – one of its names – has
at night too: heat generated in the day can
routes which has been at the root of conflicts
become the darling of politicians in Europe
be contained for a number of hours using
in the region.
and Middle Eastern figures like the Crown
salt storage, which means the turbines can
Prince of Jordan, and is also liked by
keep running to generate electricity even
The potential of a neglected region
corporations, scientists, and even Greenpeace.
when the sun is not shining.
The project looks simple yet promising: Europe
Yet there are still questions hanging over it.
needs electricity but doesn’t have much sun.
Large-scale power generation in the Sahara
The Spanish company Abengoa utilises this
The countries of the MENA region have lots
is certainly a different kettle of fish from fossil-
‘Concentrated Solar Power’ (CSP) concept,
of sun and don’t need much electricity – yet.
fuel power, but it may be just as dependent
and a second CSP power station in southern
But the next question is: the South can
as any other project on centralised structures,
Spain was connected up to the mains grid
produce electricity for the North, but how
enormous financial injections and political
in April of this year. Zureikat believes that it
should electricity generated in the Sahara be
intervention.
is essential to switch over from photo-
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
TECHNOLOGY
A megalomanic project? Vision for a new energy grid of the EUMENA Region.
42
43
TECHNOLOGY
voltaics to solar thermal energy. Furthermore, the latter approach also helps facilitate the desalination of sea water which is needed in the dry MENA region.
Scientists give the green light The authors of a survey conducted by the German Aerospace Centre are convinced that solar thermal power stations in the Sahara could generate more than half of the electricity required by the EUMENA Region (Europe, Middle East, North Africa), sustainably and economically, within 40 years. The scientists say that new power line technology (HDVC) could enable solar thermal energy from desert areas to cover basic demand as well as peak power requirements, and could also prevent the power loss which makes transporting electricity over long distances
Jordan’s prince Hasan bin Talal (left) is one of the projects’ supporters.
uneconomical. The sun is the “hidden resource of North
They aim to find partners in Europe and North
Just three thousandths of the world’s
Africa” and the Middle East – so says Gerhard
Africa to complement Germany’s global
approximately 40 million square kilometres
Knies, spokesman of the Trans-Mediterranean
players. “We are very optimistic about Italy
of desert would have to be fitted out with
Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), a
and Spain, and we have also received very
mirrors or collector fields in order to satisfy
network which brings together international
positive feedback from North Africa.”
today’s global electricity demand of 18,000
scientists who would like to see the
TWh/year. That means only 20 square metres
continent’s future supply of energy established
of desert are needed to cover each person’s
on a sustainable basis.
electricity requirements day and night, without any carbon dioxide emissions.
The struggle for influence in a global growth industry While Europe’s big corporations search for a
Münchner Rück, the world’s largest rein-
way to implement the Saharan project, a
surance company, is optimistic about the
secret international battle is going on for
Who are the potential investors?
feasibility and success of the project. The
solar power primacy. Germany and the Gulf
A consortium of future investors believe that
group, whose industry has suffered in recent
Emirate Abu Dhabi have been vying to host
there is a solution to the enormous infra-
years from the damage caused by climate
the International Renewable Energy Agency
structural and financial challenges involved
change, has issued press statements claiming
(IRENA); in light of the influence the institu-
in the transcontinental generation and trans-
that electricity generated by Desertec could
tion exerts on the introduction of new envi-
port of electricity. According to the German
be competitive “in 10 to 15 years”.
ronmental technologies around the world,
media, the group includes the insurance giant
Berlin has been demanding that it base itself
Münchener Rück, Siemens, Deutsche Bank,
“We want to found an initiative which
in Germany, close to the booming Germany
various electricity generating companies,
allows us to come up with concrete imple-
eco-industry.
corporations from Southern Europe, and
mentation plans within the next two to
politicians from Germany, the European Union
three years,” explains Torsten Jeworrek, who
The capital of the United Arab Emirates
and the Middle East.
is on Münchener Rück’s Managing Board.
collaborates with the United States in the
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
44
45
TECHNOLOGY
field of environmental technology, and has
electricity grid? To whom will the new network
In an interview with Germany’s biggest news
launched a model project – the construction
belong, and how much will markets in the
magazine Der Spiegel, North Africa specialist
of a town powered by solar energy alone. By
recipient nations have to pay for the
Wolfram Lachner stated that the Saharan
employing highly developed recycling
electricity?
project in the continent’s volatile north would be “terror resistant”, but at the same time
concepts, Masdar City, about 30 kilometres east of Abu Dhabi, will be almost waste-free
Then for the countries earmarked to host the
he believes that the EU Commission is unlikely
and will emit no carbon dioxide at all.
generators there is the fundamental question
to fund it, despite verbal endorsement. “The
Electricity will be generated by the sun.
of whether or not they want to make
EU may have a strategic interest in obtaining
Around 50,000 people and 1,500 eco-
themselves dependent on a project which
energy from as many sources as possible,” he
companies are due to settle in Masdar City
will, first and foremost, be dedicated to
says, “but it will probably step up its support
starting in 2016, along with the world’s first
supplying Europe with power. In polemical
of solar power in Europe first. There is still a
university dedicated exclusively to ecological
terms, Desertec may mean a change of
lot of untapped potential in Southern Spain
subjects (Masdar Institute of Science and
technological mode, but the fact remains that
and Greece.”
Technology, MIST).
Europe will continue to cover its energy needs from the MENA area – and that means no
German NGO Solarenergie Förderverein
According to an analysis by the independent
change to the unbalanced economic and geo-
Deutschland e.V. (SFV, the German Solar
survey group German-Foreign-Policy.com,
political relationship between the two regions.
Power Association) approves in principle of
the German government’s motivation is the
In this model, the Middle East and North
projects involving the generation of electric-
boom in German companies involved in
Africa will continue to supply Europe with
ity using alternative methods in the MENA
exporting environmental technologies, a
energy – in exchange for money whose value
region, pointing out that every ton of carbon
sector which by 2020 could rival the tradi-
they have no control over.
dioxide saved there by employing solar power will help people in the world everywhere.
tional export leaders – the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. But Abu
Why not decentralise?
Therefore,“the demand for electricity in cities
Dhabi won the contest on 29 June in Sharm
Others criticise the super-sized approach of
like Tangiers, Oran,Tunis,Alexandria, Cairo and
el-Sheikh, Egypt, ahead of Bonn and Vienna.
mass solar thermal generation. Only a small
even Dubai, with all their millions of power-
Abu Dhabi has announced plans to provide
percentage of the people in sub-Saharan
hungry aircon units,” should be supplied as
more than 100 million US dollars during the
Africa – who Desertec claims will benefit from
soon as possible using solar power – which
initial period.
the project by being connected up to the grid
should be generated on location, near to
– have any access to electricity whatsoever,
where it is used.
Future or past?
especially rural dwellers. For them it would
With the outcome of the financial crisis still
be better to build decentralised units.
uncertain, it is worth asking whether a
In its paper, the NGO poses the key question: “So where is the desert electricity to be used?
transformation towards sustainable energy
Solar expert Fabio Longo of EUROSOLAR, the
It is to be used in Germany’s houses and
can take place on the foundation of the same
European Association for Renewable Energy,
factories, which if combined, have enough
megalomaniac financial system which lies at
is sceptical about the project: “These regions
roofs and facades to meet almost half of the
the very root of the ecological and power-
could easily be supplied locally with renew-
country’s power needs if fitted out with
politics crisis. Instead of looking at decen-
able energy, a supergrid isn’t needed.”
photovoltaic systems.” Furthermore, Germany
tralised solutions involving smaller, relatively
Eurosolar promotes decentralised power
(and surely the rest of Europe) has enough
low-investment units, the Saharan project
production, in Europe and in other parts of
space to generate many times its own
comes with a gargantuan need for finance.
the world. A technology transfer aimed at
electricity demand using wind power.
building up decentralised networks would One of the unanswered practical questions
make much more sense for Africa, claims the
The spokesman of the DESERTEC Foundation,
is: who is to pay for the transcontinental
organisation.
Michael Straub, defends the project’s
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
TECHNOLOGY
approach, saying that centralised and decentralised concepts are not mutually exclusive but could complement one another. “A further consideration is the enormous growth in power demand outside of Europe, in places like the Middle East, North Africa itself, India and China, for industry, air conditioning and sea water desalination. Desert electricity could satisfy this need without harming the environment.” Straub adds that his foundation’s approach is “a relatively decentralised grid with sufficient reserves to cover the failure of power lines and power stations.”
Looking backwards A look back in time may help give perspective on large-scale plans like the one to generate electricity for Europe in the Sahara. In spite of the operators’ best intentions, negative factors have often ended up outweighing the benefits. Take reservoir projects for instance, whose completion has been made possible only by international banking institutions such as the World Bank. Given the collapse of the existing currency system and the world economy’s susceptibility to crisis, even optimists ought to ask whether a project whose investment volume has been estimated at 400 billion euros is financially and politically feasible at all. Uncertain geopolitical deliberations aside, it would seem sensible for those responsible across the EUMENA region to push local alternative energy in parallel with expensive, centralised mega-projects, since local solutions not only require much less finance, they are also free from the political and social tensions to which big projects are prone.
Text By Sulaiman Wilms
46
47
MEDIA
Proctor&Gamble and Coca Cola are also
ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING?
companies which have created dedicated
ON THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TWITTER & CO.
social media departments. If we think about it, Facebook, with its 200
The emergence and popularity of social
million users can give companies information
networking sites has been seen as a triumph of
that advertising agencies could only dream
the technological age – but what does it tell us about the world in which we live?
about. Using the transparent information, companies can target customers in ways never seen before. Facebook knows who your friends are, where you live, what you are interested in, where you go on holiday and
First thing’s first – social networking is here
This sensation has more than just changed
the groups and networks you belong to. This
to stay. Yesterday it was Myspace; today it’s
the way in which individuals communicate,
is where the problems become apparent.
Twitter.Almost fifty per cent of all online users
but has also revolutionised the way in which
are involved in such activities. The question
a growing number of companies are con-
Users are often unaware of the level of vul-
is what does the popularity of such sites tell
ducting their business. Whilst the majority of
nerability at which they are putting them-
us? A recent survey carried out in the United
companies are trying to come up with new
selves the minute they sign up to such net-
States shows that the amount of time spent
and more cost effective ways of stopping
works and begin to update their personal
by people on such websites has risen by a
their employees from logging on to such sites,
information.
meteoric 83 per cent since this time last year
an increased minority of chief executives are
– users spent almost 14 billion minutes in
using the social networking phenomenon to
New plans drawn up by the UK’s home office
April on such sites in the US alone.
connect with their customers on a level
outline the intention to allow security servi-
beyond the traditional customer surveys and
ces to monitor and store the private corres-
complaints forms.
pondence of the millions of people who use
There is certainly a positive side to this
social networking sites. Ministers revealed
phenomenon.A recent study suggests that the ‘moderate’ use of such sites can help to
Some big businesses are recognising the value
that they were considering policing messages
increase productivity in the workplace.
of social media by employing dedicated
sent via sites such as Facebook and Myspace,
According to the Consumer Internet
employees to handle their interaction with
alongside plans to store information about
Barometer, a Conference Board quarterly sur-
these communities. The American company,
every phone call, e-mail and Internet visit
vey based on 10,000 US households, more and
Ford, appointed Scott Monty as its head of
made by everyone in the United Kingdom.
more people are logging on to Facebook and
social media and he has already amassed
such like from their place of work.
almost 20,000 followers on Twitter.
This is not the only thing that users have to be concerned about, as was highlighted in
“Online social networks are more than just
“We’re increasing brand awareness and
March when unidentified hackers gained
a fad among the younger generation,” said
changing perceptions, even if just one person
access to the social networking site, Facebook,
Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board
at a time.We’re also humanising the company,
using legitimate accounts to contact other
Consumer Research Centre in a statement.
allowing people to connect directly with the
users who were then re-directed to sites con-
“They’ve become an integral part of our
people of Ford and we’re giving consumers
taining harmful malware.
personal and professional lives. They’re an
the ways to interact with each other about
effective way to keep in touch with people,
our products. The end result is that people
Greg Day, the principal security analyst for the
connect with friends and family, and network
begin to see that Ford is different,” Monty
Internet security company McAfee, said
with colleagues.”
said, in an interview with The Times.
“When I was a child, the watchword was
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
MEDIA
‘stranger danger’, but social networking is all about making new friends. The downside of this is that we can no longer be sure that an electronic communication really came from our friend. We now need to treat the funsounding stuff we receive from people we know with the same degree of caution as we do from someone we don’t.” The dangers of such platforms go beyond just viruses and such like. Minor social networking site Faceparty, announced that it had deleted “a huge number of accounts” of users over the age of 36 in a bid to cut down on the number of sex offenders misusing the site. By way of explanation for the deletion of accounts, the site released the following statement: “We understand that only a minority of older users are sex offen-
John Mangelaars, vice president of Microsoft
in 2006 to 28 per cent last year. The report
ders, but you must understand that we cannot
EMEA said, “Today’s ‘web generation’ are
also showed in the same time period, the
tell which.”The site went on to add; “having
increasingly living out their lives in the digital
amount of time families spent together each
discussed the use of our website with the
arena.The advent of social media has helped
month fell from an average of 26 to 17.9
Home Office and the police, and some pretty
our children become sophisticated web users,
hours. Studies conducted both in the US and
serious crimes caused by older users, we
but they still need help and guidance on how
the UK showed that students who use
were left with no option but to terminate a
to tackle emerging issues such as online
Facebook achieve on average a grade lower
huge amount of accounts without notice
bullying.The findings reveal worrying gaps in
than their peers who don’t.
immediately.”
their Internet education.” Do the advantages of this new virtual world,
The European Online Safety Survey, conducted
The fact of the matter is that increasing
to which almost all of us have or have had
for Microsoft by the independent market
numbers of both young and older people are
some experience with, outweigh the disad-
research agency Cross Tab, polled more than
living in a virtual world, devoid of real human
vantages? Is the opportunity to forge new
20,000 people in Denmark, Finland, Italy,
interaction, to the detriment of actual personal
business relations and friendships worth the
Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain and
relationships. Researchers at the Annenberg
sacrifice of real human relationships? Is a
Switzerland.
Centre for the Digital Future at the University
minor increase in productivity in the work-
of Southern California report that an increa-
place worth the grave dangers in which
The figures showed that Great Britain had
sing number of people say their use of the
people are putting themselves, their children
the biggest problem with online bullying,
Internet, including social networking sites, is
and their personal information? I think most
with 4 in 10 of those polled being affected.
eroding away the time they spend with their
would agree that at the moment the answer
In countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal,
family.
is probably no. People, particularly young people, need to be made aware of these
almost 9 in 10 young people said they had never experienced any problems from their
The percentage of people who reported
dangers and taught the best ways in which
peers as they used social networking
spending less time with their families because
to avoid them.
platforms.
of the Internet nearly tripled from 11 percent
Text By Adil Morrison
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PORTRAIT
Faculty in Caen in 1957. There followed a
DECADES OF TIRELESS DEDICATION
range of academic jobs, positions in the
TURKEY HONOURS PROFESSOR NEVZAT YALCINTAS
Turkish media, and even political offices. This latest event in Istanbul provided an opportunity for people to learn more about
Professor Dr. Yalcintas’ whole biography is a story
the recent academic and political activities
of ceaseless service to his community. As a
of the former AK Party delegate, and to understand the importance of his work.
politician, Yalcintas has worked throughout his life – with a good deal of diplomatic ingenuity – for the cohesion of Turkish society, and for the protection of minorities and the rights of Muslims in Turkey and in other countries.
As a politician,Yalcintas has worked throughout his life – with a good deal of diplomatic ingenuity – for the cohesion of Turkish society, and for the protection of minorities and the rights of Muslims in Turkey and in other countries. He has always been strongly opposed to any division or conflict inside
Gül spoke about the extraordinary intel-
Turkey, especially as an MP of a conservative
honoured in Istanbul in April this year. On the
lectual breadth and energy of Dr. Yalcintas.
Islamic party. Yalcintas served as an MP for
invitation of the City Council, a range of guests
“It was an honour to be his student,” said
two terms in Ankara, where he drew on his
paid tribute to the life’s work of Professor Dr.
Gül, adding that Yalcintas “shares his know-
far-reaching social contacts for the benefit
Nevzat Yalcintas and his fifty years in teaching.
ledge with others, tirelessly and wherever he
of the whole of the country.
His political and academic work is recognised
finds himself.”
One of Turkey’s most famous citizens was
Yalcintas had an early interest in foreign
not only in Turkey but all over the world. Indeed, Dr. Yalcintas’ whole biography is a
policy, the relationship between Islamic coun-
The climax of the event was a unique
story of ceaseless service to his community.
tries, and the possibility of Turkey’s member-
encounter between the teacher and his
Yalcintas was born in Ankara in 1933. He
ship in the European Union. During his time
students. The current President of Turkey, Dr.
graduated from Istanbul University of
in Ankara, Yalcintas was the Chairman of the
Abdullah Gül, was the guest of honour, and
Economics and Commerce in 1954. Soon he
Turkish-Russian Parliamentary Group, and for
as a former student of Professor Dr. Yalcintas
was getting to know the rest of Europe,
many years was the Parliamentary Vice
at the Istanbul University Faculty of Econo-
learning to speak French and English fluently
President of the OSCE Conference. Having
mics, he was keen to pay tribute to the
in the process. He completed his Doctorate
held a critical intellectual stance vis-à-vis
Professor in person.
at the French Legal and Business Studies
communism for decades, once the Wall fell and the communist epoch came to an end,
At a mosque in Berlin: Professor Yalcintas is also admired by Turkish immigrants in Germany.
Professor Nevzat Yalcintas began working steadily towards the improvement of relations between Turkey and Russia. The prospect of a partnership between Moscow and Ankara is to him an important historical vision, as well as a key to the economic future of both countries. To many of Russia’s politicians, as well as those of the new Central Asian states,
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
PORTRAIT
Istanbul: Turkey’s president, Abdullah Gül, honours his former teacher, Professor Nevzat Yalcintas (middle), for his life’s work.
dropping in on Professor Yalcintas remains
continent. It contains a lecture which he
international conferences, Yalcintas is wont
an important item on the agenda of any visit
delivered in Potsdam in 2000, at which he
to point out that while there are unfortuna-
to Turkey. He receives a steady stream of
stated that “the foundation of our Deen in
tely a small number of Muslim terrorists, there
visitors to his office in Istanbul, and it is these
the realm of Iman is Tawhid, while justice
can never be such a thing as ‘Islamic terror-
cross-cultural human encounters which
provides the foundation in every realm of
ism.’ On the invitation of the EMU, Yalcintas
provide constant material for his popular
social relationship.”
has joined delegations to Bosnia, Russia, Tatarstan, France and Germany.
columns in the Turkish press. Yalcintas has been the honorary President of As author of several books, Yalcintas publi-
the European Muslim Union since 2005. The
Abu Bakr Rieger, the President of the EMU,
shed one on Islam in the age of globalisation
EMU, an independent network of European
thanked Professor Yalcintas for his ongoing
in 2004. It was translated into numerous
Muslims, communities and NGOs, was foun-
commitment and support. “In these difficult
languages including Albanian, Russian and
ded upon his initiative in Istanbul. He believes
times,” says Rieger, “Professor Yalcintas has
German. In the book, Yalcintas investigates
it necessary to show solidarity with the
demonstrated true solidarity with the Muslims
the historical roots of Islam in Europe, as well
Muslims of Europe in view of wider-Europe’s
of Europe.”
as the future role of Muslims on the Eurasian
critical stance towards Islam. Speaking at
Text By Khalil Breuer
50
51
CULTURE
ample points of reference from which to
UNDISCOVERED TREASURE A LOOK AT MUSLIMS IN GERMANY
view the subject.
The link with Germany’s history The beginning of genuine relations between
The Muslim presence in Germany has not received
Germany and the Muslim world can be taken
the attention it deserves. Fringe aspects have
as 1731.That year the Prussian King Friedrich
surfaced in connection with racist attacks and
Wilhelm I recruited Turkish soldiers into his personal guard. In 1732, the first mosque on
dubious terrorist threats, but beyond that lies a
German soil was erected for them. Under his
past and a present that can contribute to the
successor Frederick the Great, the number of
development of German society in the wider sense.
Muslim soldiers in Prussian employ – Tartars, Bosnians,Albanians – reached approximately a thousand, so that an Imam had to be appointed. The oldest Muslim cemetery in
Compared to other European states with a
the Habsburgs against the Osmanlis in
Germany (in Berlin) dates from the second half
colonial past, Germany’s Muslim history is
south-eastern Europe, German travellers in
of the 18th century.
not widely documented, but nonetheless it
the Orient, the German philosophers who
constitutes a rich and complex landscape.
delved into the world of Islam, and the
An organised community over and above
Harun ar-Rashid’s embassy, the Crusades,
connection between Germany and the Kha-
commercial interests, diplomats and Muslim
cultural exchanges with Muslims, the war of
lifate up until the First World War – there are
soldiers can be traced back to the end of the
Potsdam: a German family embraces Islam in the Islamic Centre.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
CULTURE
First World War in the capital city, Berlin. It
Gastarbeiter or ‘guest workers’, they came
course integral to the education of the next
was founded by refugees and exiles from
first from the former Yugoslavia and then
generation, as shown by Sayyidetuna ‘Aisha,
Muslim countries, as well as certain indige-
later from Turkey and, in smaller numbers,
one of the wives of Prophet Muhammad. If
nous Germans who had found their way to
from Morocco and Tunisia.
this is to happen, women need to be a
Islam during and between the World Wars
dynamic part of society otherwise they will
and up until the 1950s. Mosques that now
It was those workers, together with students,
not be equipped to pass on to their children
exist in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin attest
refugees and the then few Germans, who
the knowledge they need to understand the
this early community.
formed the basis of today’s community. Since
world they live in.
then, the first generation of immigrant
Model of scientific curiosity
Muslims has aged and passed on their
The state of affairs
In the 18 century, but especially during the
responsibilities to the second and third
At the moment, Germany’s Muslim organisa-
19 century, German orientalists earned
generations. One might add that the descrip-
tions are concentrating on gaining political
themselves an outstanding reputation; unlike
tion ‘immigrant’ is expiring. That is, the first
recognition from the authorities and providing
Lawrence of Arabia, these scientists never
generation’s orientation towards their home-
‘pastoral’ services to their members and their
saw themselves, nor acted as, agents of colo-
lands must, and inevitably will, diminish. For
families. Most communities also offer the
nialism. They studied Islam for its own sake.
instance, organisations founded in the early
following as standard: the establishment of
Theodor Nöldeke’s award-winning history of
years (especially Turkish, Arab, Moroccan,
regular prayers, the Friday and ‘Eid prayers,
the Qur’an was the first time in the West that
Bosnian and Albanian ones) were based on
funerals, provision of religious instruction for
each verse of the Revelation had been
national and/or political orientation.
members and visitors, religious and family
th
th
individually dated. Rudolph Paret, who dedicated his life to the Qur’an, was a worthy th
20 century successor to Nöldeke.
celebrations, social spaces for men and Between 2,600 and 3,000 prayer rooms and
women, and Qur’an, Islam and language
facilities have been established; of these, over
classes for children.
150 were new builds and are recognised as The culmination of the early relationship
purpose built mosques. A similar number of
The sense of cohesion between the members
between German culture and Islam can be
projects will be undertaken over the coming
of these communities might be compared
found in the work of Germany’s most famous
two years.
with a kind of Asabiyya, but then again it
author and poet, Johann Wolfgang von
could turn negative if they are not able to
Goethe. In his East West Diwan, he wrote,“The
Tending future assets
open themselves to other communities and
poet ... does not reject the suspicion that he
If the upcoming generation of Muslims are
to German society at large.
himself is Muslim.” And in the Buch der
to take an interest in Islam, then their
Sprüche (Book of Sayings) he adds: “If Islam
national orientation has to go. There are
So a number of elements have become crucial
means dedication to God, then we all live
Muslim youth initiatives that attempt to
for Islam in Germany.These include the estab-
and die in Islam.” Since then more than
transcend the cultural limitations of their
lishment of civic social structures beyond
twenty translations of the Qur’an have been
parents’ generation; these are especially
those of existing associations; the develop-
published in German, among them six by
attractive to active Muslims who have a
ment of socio-economic projects; intelligible
German Muslims, in the 20 century.
certain degree of education, enabling them
and authentic education (in the Islamic sense),
to understand their own situation.
and a legal and public defence of Muslim
th
Current developments
concerns.
The most noticeable Muslim presence began
For the future, it will also be important for
to show between the beginning and end of
women to play a greater role than they do
Who are the Muslims in Germany?
the 1960s, when increasing numbers of
today, not only to expose the cliché that
Between 3.8 and 4.3 million Muslims live in
foreign workers came to Germany to meet the
Islam is designed as a means of suppressing
Germany today; 950,276 of them had German
demand for manual labour. Known as
women but also because women are of
passports in 2005. Of those born in Germany.
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CULTURE
their size and significance is growing
in the German media has tended to be
continuously. The number of ‘new’ German
negative or at the very least ambivalent, but
State ambiguity towards the Muslim populace
Muslims, perhaps inappropriately referred to
many people who have regular contact with
In principle, it is true to say that the state
as ‘converts’, is also increasing.Their number
Muslims have a more balanced view: a
views Muslims as individuals in the sense of
is estimated at anywhere between 40,000
mixture of positive and negative elements.
citizens. However, German Muslim organisa-
and 200,000.The situation is therefore moving
Yet it is the direction of political decision-
tions (unlike in other European countries and
slowly but surely towards a German-Muslim
making which is influenced as much as
unlike churches in Germany) still have no
identity.
anything by the media’s discourse on Islam.
legal status.This is why negotiations on what
The more negative the reports on local
should be simple matters – religious educa-
In spite of everything, some Muslims still
Muslims, the more negative the political
tion and so on – have gone on for decades.
seem keen to cling to their immigrant self-
statements we come to hear.
So far, there has been no official acknowled-
image although they live permanently in
gement of organisations that can represent
Germany. Until recently, Muslim community
The discourse within the non-Muslim majority
life had been shaped by the first generation
is mixed, depending on age, education level
of Muslim immigrants but this is becoming
and location – and whether they have daily
It is important to remember that Germany is
less the case purely for reasons of age. The
contact with Muslims.The more contact they
a constitutional state and that the same laws
people born here are beginning to play an
have, the more positive their opinion tends
that apply to Muslims also apply to other
increasingly important role.
to be. Existing opinion polls are strongly
citizens.These are enforceable in the German
shaped by the questions and the intentions
courts. Politicians are also people; and they
The Muslims and the media
of those carrying out the surveys. Frighten-
have to stand behind party policies; so of
Public perception of Muslims in Germany
ingly, sociologists identify a double-figure
course there are contentions around the
should not be glossed over simplistically.
percentage of those with anti-Muslim
establishment of Muslim buildings – mosques,
Recent reporting on Islam and the Muslims
animosity inside the German population.
schools and kindergartens – and other day-
the Muslims on a federal or state level.
For the broader benefit: activities of the Islamische Zeitung (IZ), the leading media project of the Muslim community in Germany.
GLOBALIA | Issue 06 | August 2009
CULTURE
to-day issues. However, these cannot always be equated with the otherwise legally defined, neutral attitude of the state vis-à-vis Islam. In 2006, Interior Minister Schäuble initiated the German Islamic Conference (Deutsche Islamkonferenz), which was attended by representatives of the state and Muslim umbrella organisations, as well as a range of outspoken critics of Islam.The Conference debated important questions regarding the integration of Muslims into German life, and also established working groups on different areas and themes. But very little of the activities and outcomes of these working groups have filtered down to the public. The Conference has come under criticism: it has been claimed
Muslim representative, Aiman Mazyek (right), in an interview with the online channel iz.TV.
that the choice of Muslim organisations, placed alongside ‘secular Muslims’ and others
portant, either as components within more
tend to get less bogged down in secondary
who are critical of Islam, is contrary to the
extensive organisations or in separate
and tertiary issues.
interests of the Muslims in general, and blocks
associations. Their lack of cultural and ideological conflicts
any chance of success with the state. Because of their inherent cultural integration
mixed up with Islam makes this segment of
The highest possibilities
they are confronted less often with anti-
the German Muslims suitable as a kind of
If we put aside the prevalent incorrect
Muslim resentment. That is why they have a
cement with which to fill the cracks that exist
view that Islam is a ‘foreign culture’ or the
role to play as a bridge between Islam and
within the Muslim community; they can help
lifestyle of ‘strangers’, then it stands to
Europe, especially in terms of inviting others
to balance tensions and extremist tenden-
reason that Islam could in fact be described
to Islam. Furthermore – as in other Western
cies. Because they rarely have ties abroad, it
as the realisation of the highest possibility
countries – they also have certain special
will be down to the ‘converts’ to develop the
of Germany’s spiritual heritage. It would
characteristics arising from their historical
civic social structures, which Islam will need
therefore be a dreadful misunderstan-
and cultural origins.
to move forward in the generations to come.
These ‘new’ Muslims seem able to make a
As people of the country, they know the way
clear distinction between religious obligation
the German people think and how to address
People are entering Islam in increasing
and cultural innovation, which can prevent a
non-Muslims so they can present Islam in an
numbers all over the territory of the European
range of very destructive misunderstandings.
appropriate light. If we were to say that these
Union. In Germany it is more than 4,000
Because of their background and because
factors connect the ‘new Muslims’ to all that
(some say 6,000) each year. In the past, these
they have arrived more or less newly to Islam,
is best in Germany’s spiritual and intellectual
used to be very much exceptional cases and
they are correspondingly clear about the
tradition, then we could equally say that they
indigenous German Muslims played no
urgency and relevance of inviting their
are best placed to fill the gap – real or
coherent role with the exception of the
compatriots to Islam. And, since their
imagined – between Islam and the German
occasional project. In the foreseeable future
understanding is usually combined with a
people.
they will however become much more im-
clear knowledge of Islam’s priorities, they
ding to consider Islam and Germans as polar opposites.
Text By Sulaiman Wilms
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