A visiting Turkish academic yesterday said that Taiwan, as well as other non-Muslim nations, should step up exchanges with the moderate Islamic world to promote peaceful interpretation of the religion and avoid the spread of extremism.
Gokhan Bacik, a professor of international relations at Turkey’s Ipek University, said Muslims like himself are struggling over many issues as the Middle East faces collapsing social order.
Poverty and war have prevented people from connecting with Islamic culture, which Bacik described as having a peace-loving nature.
Bacik, who is in the middle of a six-day visit to Taiwan that began on Wednesday last week at the invitation of the Taipei-based Formosa Institute — a Turkish institute that promotes cultural and religious diversity in Taiwan — made the remarks in a speech to about 50 academics regarding his observations of the Islamic State militant group, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
“Culture helps you, culture protects you,” he said.
Bacik said a lack of understanding and reflection on key issues such as gender equality and democracy has caused different interpretations of Islam, which has led to radicalization.
In a culturally tolerant society such as Taiwan, people should not shy away from getting to know Muslims in their communities, Bacik said.
People from different religious backgrounds should be encouraged to talk with Muslims about their beliefs, he said, which would help dispel the myth that the religion is secretive and difficult to access.
As part of international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to people in the Middle East affected by fighting in Iraq, Taiwan is planning to donate 350 temporary housing units as shelter for refugees, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Earlier this month, Taiwan also had a rare international presence at the first ministerial-level plenary session for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State in Brussels, Belgium, where 60 coalition members issued a joint statement of their commitment to defeat the militant group.
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