Europe and Asia: Between Islam and the West
Participants at the 2005 Seminar in Japan.
Conference at Warsaw University, Poland.
Participants at the 2007 La Trobe University Conference.
Left to Right: Prof Philip Bull (La Trobe), Prof Bertrand Badie (Sciences Po, France), Prof. Mustapha Kamal Pasha (University of Aberdeen, UK), Dr Fabio Petito (University of Sussex, UK).
Stephen Zunes (University of San Francisco) addresses the conference with Savitri Taylor (LTU) and Amin Saikal (ANU).
This ambitious five-year project is assessing how countries in Europe and Asia are handling the rise of political Islam.
Domestically: For example, policies responding to tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Europe and Asia; the contradictions of Islamic political parties in secular, democratic systems; or the emergence of anti-west, anti-government terrorist cells in countries such as Indonesia and China.
Internationally: The role of Islamic states, and states with a high Islamic population, in international relations — i.e. Albania, Indonesia, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia.
The research is also examining how the United States influences European and Asian states in their policies towards political Islam (for example, the 'war on terror', NATO and the Iraq war).
Three international conferences have arisen from the project.
The first was entitled "Searching for Equitability and Peace in a Post September 11 World: Exploring Alternatives for Australia and Japan", and was held in Japan, September 2005. Experts and practitioners from around Asia considered the future of the Asia-Pacific region Post September 11. Participants assessed how the 'war on terror', the web of bilateral alliances with the US, as well as political Islam were affecting peace and stability in the Asian region. Attendees also proposed alternate models for regional governance.
The second conference entitled "Europe between the United States and Islam: Current Trends, Future Prospects" (Poland, 2006), focused on how political Islam and the US were affecting international relations on the European side of the Eurasian landmass. The transatlantic alliance was scrutinised, American and European Middle-East polices were juxtaposed, and distinguished guests evaluated the 'problems of perception' of Islam in the West and of the West in Islamic societies.
The third and final conference was entitled "Europe and Asia between Islam and the United States: Lessons from Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran" (Melbourne, 2007). The conference, which was the biggest of the three conferences, consolidated and expanded upon the topics addressed at the Asian and European conference.
Two publications have already arisen from these conferences. These are:
- Michális S. Michael & Larry Marshall, Securing the Region Post-September 11, Politics Programme, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 2005
- Michális S. Michael, Larry Marshall, Michael Seigel and Joseph A. Camilleri (eds), Asia-Pacific Geopolitics: Hegemony versus Human Security, London: Edward Elgar, 2003
The Centre for Dialogue and its partner institutions from around Asia and Europe continue to assess the findings of the three conferences. It is expected that various academic publications will arise from this research, as well as policy recommendations to relevant government departments (throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States) and international organisations.
- Project Coordinators
- Prof Joseph A. Camilleri
- Dr Michális S. Michael
- Dr Luca Anceschi
- Supporting Organisations
- Insitute of International Relations, University of Warsaw, Poland
- Universitá degli Studi di Napoli, L'Orientale, Italy
- Institute for Social Ethics, Nanzan University, Japan
- Contemporary Europe Research Centre, University of Melbourne
- Cold War Studies Centre, London School of Economics
- Innovative Universities European Union Centre
- Duration
- 2006 — 2010