Dialogue with the West a must, Kazakh FM
In June this year we took on the role of chairing the 57-country Organization of Islamic Cooperation. We did so because we saw an important opportunity to give a fresh impetus to the OIC's long-standing objectives of promoting modernization in the Muslim world in line with the values of Islam based on peace, tolerance and human dignity. As a country both in Europe and Asia, we do not believe in the Samuel Huntington theory of the "Clash of Civilizations." Over the past 20 years the advance of globalization, the expansion of free markets and the rise of "emerging" economies from Asia to Latin America have created new linkages rather than the re-emergence of old divisions predicted by Prof. Huntington. Kazakhstan's own experience as a predominantly Muslim nation with more than 100 ethnic groups and 40 religions and with no history of either inter-religious or inter-ethnic enmity or bloodshed is also a case in point.
Of course, there have been pronounced tensions between parts of the Islamic and Western worlds as a result of radicalization on both sides, most notably after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Violence has no place in the Islamic tradition or any other great world religion and is condemned outright by true believers whatever their faith. So there is every reason to believe that extremists driven to violence will remain the marginal figures that they are, disowned by the religions that they falsely claim to represent.
The "Arab Spring" has thrown into sharp relief the lack of progress in parts of the Islamic world, underlined by the inability of a number of countries to address mounting economic and social problems. Addressing the root causes of these states' stalled development and integrating them into the global mainstream is an urgent priority that will prevent potential radicalization of attitudes toward the West.
We believe that the OIC's main focus should be on promoting economic development and competitiveness through trade and investment policies based on effective investment in education, science and technology. Average GDP per capita in OIC countries is $9,500 while in European Union countries it is over $24,000. There are also
disproportionate imbalances of wealth among OIC countries with 10 out of the 57 member states producing 80 percent of combined economic output. Several leading economies in the Islamic world are too dependent on raw materials and need to diversify their development. History shows that countries that rely too heavily on natural resources end up with distorted economies that are vulnerable to swings in commodity prices. This is a challenge that Kazakhstan has known for some time it could face. To meet it effectively, we have been investing rapidly in industrial and innovation sectors while attracting foreign capital and upgrading our education system. We have made this a top priority even though we have been able to increase average incomes of the people of Kazakhstan by 17 times since independence in 1991.
The Islamic countries have a rich cultural, intellectual and scientific heritage that was a foundation for the development of the West. In the 10th century, Cordoba in southern Spain was the capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba, and Europe's intellectual center. Baghdad, Toledo and Alexandria were also intellectual hubs for world civilization.
Islamic countries need to ask themselves how it is that the Islamic world has lost its previous intellectual pre-eminence and how it can restore it. To contribute to the process of gaining greater development of and recognition for the Islamic world Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has put forward a number of major initiatives, including the establishment of a dialogue platform for the 10 leading Islamic economies, the creation of an international center of innovations, support for small and medium-sized businesses in the Islamic world, and the development of a system of food security within the OIC.
We also firmly believe that the Islamic world can begin to rebuild its influence by demonstrating leadership at the global level, addressing problems that Western countries cannot resolve on their own. In particular, we are encouraging the OIC to focus on Afghanistan and contribute to peace-building efforts, through educational and technical assistance programs to confront, especially the increasingly serious problem of drug trafficking. In August, the OIC proved its ability to react fast and effectively by creating a special assistance trust fund to provide humanitarian assistance to Somalia. $500 million has already been pledged in support. The OIC is an important player in Somalia and can help put this country back on its feet together with other international organizations, including the European Union. We have invited our European partners to discuss possible coordinated measures to assist Somalia.
As a country that unilaterally renounced its status as a nuclear weapon state, we are strongly committed to global nuclear disarmament. Kazakhstan dismantled the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal and was the first to unilaterally shut down one of the world's largest nuclear test sites. Kazakhstan initiated a special OIC resolution urging further efforts to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons. We have also given our backing to establishing within the OIC a conflict prevention and mediation capability.
Through concerted actions to solve global problems, OIC countries can do much to raise the profile of the Islamic world and address misperceptions in the West about the nature of Islam. Just as there should be no place for hatred of the West in the Islamic world, there should be no Islamophobia in the West. At the same time, key Islamic countries need to focus on solutions to their problems of political and socioeconomic development by raising the living standards of their citizens and creating stability. Leadership in the global arena begins at home.
