We can achieve “tolerance” in a typical Middle-Eastern society through “civic education.” It is that special branch of education, which targets the younger generations while attempting to internalize in their minds the consequences of “good citizenship,” fulfillment to personal responsibility and civic duties. What is “fashionable” these days is the emphasis on freedom of speech, democratic rights, without really exploring the logical outcome of such processes. Civic education has not yet become an essential part of national curriculums in the larger Middle East. It is commonsense to expect that in any civil society in which personal responsibility, positive citizenship, and fulfilling different social duties are emphasized, tolerance will spread. Educational institutions in the Middle East will continue to insert democratic hopes and potentials for the nation; yet, such hopes will remain ink on paper. We need to reemphasize the “connection” between democracy and practicing civil behavior among the members of Middle-Eastern societies.
We should target the “younger Arab generations” who are tremendously excited about the future of their societies. Our hopes for spreading peace in the Middle East relies on how much weight we might give to practicing good citizenship among Arab youths. As a case in point, including subjects about global tolerance in Islam, accepting of difference will without doubt encourage young Middle Easterners to aspire toward living a harmonious life in their own communities. A society build upon tolerance is a society in which personal responsibility connects with achieving certain civic duties. A rational individual, who lives in an Arab civil society, is expected to practice civic behaviors toward others. Such positive behavior is the likely outcome of the creation of a democratic atmosphere. Democracy calls for the protection of the rights of all individuals whoever they are. Yet what materializes such democracy has to be the practice of civic behavior. In other words, we must underline the link between democracy and civil society. One cannot achieve civil living without being tolerant!
Being committed to good citizenship, as the outcome of democratic participation, means that an individual is required to practice civil behaviors. As such, fulfilling the normal duties in a civil society relies on being tolerant toward others. In order to protect my rights as an individual, who wishes, like many millions of Middle Easterners, to live in a harmonious society, I have to be “tolerant” as well as “civil” toward those who are different from me in race, religion, cultural background, and life styles. We as Middle Easterners can achieve all such positive outcomes through aspiring toward achieving a civil society where all people are equal under the law. Civic education will continue to be the viable result of hoping to achieve the democratic environment in the Middle East.
khaledaljenfawi@yahoo.com
By Khaled Aljenfawi