CULTURES IN CONFLICT AND DIALOGUE

Abstract

This article starts with hypothesis that every culture today is one big space for encouuntering other people, namely those who do not belong to our religion. Dialogue between the cultures rather than conflict, represents a big task and a challenge for Muslims as well, particularly at the age of technology and globallization which created unimaginable opportunnities for encountering but also for getting into the conflict with other cultures. Considering that for the first time today, there are tenths of millions of Muslims across the western hemispphere, the topic of encountering and entering into dialogue with other cultures, is perhaps the most significant topic which the Muslim philosophers, theologians, authors etc., living in the West should deal with. And while in the past there were temples, monasteries, hanikahs, churches and mosques in which other believers or non-believers never set their foot, it is exacttly that particular Demiurge of technology that allows us today or at least tempts us to step into the spirituality of other religious cultures, into spiritually of other religious universes. Equally so, it allowed others to step into our spiritualitty as well. In the article Cultures in Conflict and Dialogue, the author presents us with some reassons, possibilities and goals of the Muslim persspective on the intercultural dialogue.