Religion and Politics - Islam in Europe, Europe and Islam
November 3, 2006
Czernin Palace, Prague, Czech Republic

For Conference Application please go to:
 http://www.obcinst.cz/clanek.asp?id=980

International conference organized by the Civic Institute, with a support of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The conference language will be English. All persons interested in attending the conference are kindly requested to register at the Civic Institute website by following the link above or at  zrno@obcinst.cz by October 31, 2006

Draft Agenda:

09.30 – 10.00:
Opening remarks

Alexandr Vondra , Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Rep.
Roman Joch, Director of the Civic Institute

10.00 – 12.15:
Part I.

Daniel Pipes: Radical Islam and the War on Terror

Who is the enemy in the war on terror and what are the war goals? In
Dr. Pipes´s view the radical Islam (not “terrorism” or “extremism”) is the
enemy; and the West’s goal must be to defeat it and replace it with a
moderate form of Islam.

Hans Werdmölder: Situation in the Netherlands

A short overview of different Moslem minorities in the Netherlands and their
difficult participation in Dutch society. More specifically, and with
respect to the Moroccan minority in the Netherlands, Dr.Werdmolder raises
the issue if there is a relation between Islam and criminality.

Urbain Vermeulen: The Moslem Presence in Belgium –Threat or Enrichment?

The immigration of Moslems and their evolution sociologically,
demografically and politically. The Moslem institutions and representative
organisations. Some thoughts on further evolution.

Petr Kubálek: Moslems in the Czech Republic - 9/11 as a plot

The brief paper looks into the media presence and image of Islamic
organizations in the Czech Republic after the events of September 2001. In
that year, mainstream Moslem bodies in the West hurried to condemn the
attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. But, has any similar reaction come from Moslem representatives in the Czech Republic?

Hans-Peter Raddatz: Situation in Germany

Dr.Raddatz shows how German politics’attitude to Islamic migration, with all
practical consequences like growing ghettos and radical indoctrination of
young Moslems, follows the model of universal tolerance and declares Islam a phenomenon of collective "enrichment".

12.15 – 13.00
Discussion

13.00 – 14.00
Lunch

14.00 – 16.30
Part II.

Petr Kubálek: Scientific Koran and the Islamization of Science

The paper examines those tendencies of modern Islamic thought that turn to science and technology as main tools of argumentation, one that is to
impress both Moslems and non-Moslems.

Hans Werdmölder: Headscarves at Public Schools in the Netherlands

An overview of some cases of Moslem women who want to wear a headscarf or any other religious garment at public schools. In general, Dr.Werdmolder states that Dutch authorities should draw a principled line regarding the wearing of headscarves by public officials, not only at public schools, but also in any other public institutions (police and courts).

Urbain Vermeulen: The Consequences of Classical Islamic Themes on the Situation of Islam in the non-Moslem World

Classical Islamic doctrines (and their revival today) in relation to the
Western, mainly European society, and in the international context (e.g.
religion-politics, visions of the relationship between Moslems and
non-Moslems in the field of international relations and within the Moslem
community).

Hans-Peter Raddatz: The Access of Turkey to the EU

The question of Turkey´s accession to the EU seemed to be decided already. Only recently, after the failure of the EU Draft Constitution Treaty, the
poor performance of the Turkish "reforms", the increasingly arrogant
behaviour of the Ankara government and the events around the "Moslem
feelings, hurt" by the Pope, as well as the aborted Mozart opera performance
in Berlin, has the German public started to register more consciously what
the existing Islam and 100 million Turks freely migrating throughout Europe
might actually mean.

Daniel Pipes: Which Way Europe?

Will Europe retain its historic civilization or become predominantly
Islamic? Will Europe be Islamized or will Islam be Europeanized? The
continent stands at a crossroads and Dr.Pipes analyzes the prospects,
concluding that the question remains open and the next years are likely to
be decisive.

16.30-17.30
Discussion

17.30
The End

Lecturers:

Daniel Pipes, Ph.D
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and a prize-winning
columnist. He received his A.B. (1971) and Ph.D. (1978) from Harvard
University, both in history. His website, DanielPipes.org, is the single
most accessed internet source of specialized information on the Middle East and Islam. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and the U.S. Naval War College. He served in various capacities in the U.S. government, including two presidentially-appointed positions, vice chairman of the Fulbright Board of Foreign Scholarships and member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace. He was director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in 1986-93.Mr. Pipes has written twelve books, dealing with the Middle East, Islam and conspiracy theories.

Doc. Hans Werdmölder Ph.D.
Mr. Werdmölder is an internationally known social anthropologist and
criminologist, specialized in the field of migration. He received his LL.M.
Degree in Social Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, his Post Doc Degree in Management of Non-Profit Organizations, Tilburg University and his Ph.D. Degree in Criminology, Faculty of Law, Free University Amsterdam. He is Senior Researcher at G.J. Wiarda Institute, Faculty of Law, Utrecht University, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Social Sciences, Education and Ethnic Minorities and Visiting Scholar, The American University in Cairo (AUC). He is member various Belgium, Dutch and international organizations: Network of UNESCO Chairs in Human Rights, Democracy, Peace and Tolerance, Supervisory Commission Research on Delinquent Youth in Belgium, Brussels and Supervisory Commission on Settlement and Integration of Refugees, VluchtelingenWerk Nederland.

Dr. Hans-Peter Raddatz
Hans-Peter Raddatz is German Scholar for Islamic Studies, Author and
businessman. He is co-author of the Encyclopedia of Islam. He graduated in Islamic science and economics from Bonn University. He represented
international banks and corporations in the Middle East and the United
States. He later also started to support the public Islam discussion in
Europe with several contributions. Now his research, analysis and practical
experience join in scientific works analyzing the historical and
contemporary links and gaps between the Islam and the West in religious,
legal and cultural civilization as well as actual power politics. Raddatz is
the author of several books focusing on Islam and Christianity as well as a
regular contributor the German dailies Die Welt and the Hamburger
Abendblatt.

Prof. Dr.Urbain Vermeulen
Urbain Vermeulen is professor of Classical Arabic and Islamology in the
Universities of Leuven and Ghent. He is member of the board of the U.E.A.I
(European Union of Arabists and Islamologists) and Past President and Past Vice-President of the European Union of Arabists and Islamologists. He is autor of several publications on the Political and Institutional History of
the Mamluks (1250-1517), on the mediaval popular Romance of Antar and on the doctrine of Islam and comtemporary issues of the muslim world (also in relationship with the West. He wrote a bestseller in Flanders on ´ Islam and Christianity. The ipossible dialogue´ ? Hans Vermeulen is regularely asked for explanation on the actuality related to the muslim world in the written press, televion and radio.