Page 296 - A Call for a Turkish-Islamic Union

people, who can be found among Muslims, Jews,
and Christians, are all a great danger to world
peace. Removing this danger is only possible by

preventing extremism and forming an alliance of
all moderate, peace-loving, civilized, and sincerely
religious people. Only such an alliance can weaken
the influence of those who present war as the only
option and believe, erroneously, that it guarantees
security. Thus, even more bloodshed, tears, and fi-
nancial losses will be prevented.

In order to create this alliance, Westerners
need to abandon their prejudices, come to really
know and understand the Islamic world, and for-
mulate joint policies that will help it develop. All
parties can eradicate mutual misunderstandings by
means of educational and cultural programs, for
radicalism is the result of ignorance. While these
educational projects will enable the West to under-
stand Islam better, the myths and false beliefs an-

chored in the Islamic world will be done away with
so that mutual compassion and understanding will
take root. Hate, anger, and malevolence will be re-
placed by peace, compassion, and security. The re-
sulting culture of peaceful coexistence will lead to
peace between different civilizations, and cultural
sympathy and interaction will deliver social

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