An Islamic Approach to Multilateralism

Abstract

The dichotomy multilateralism-unilateralism is a permanent tension in every culture and in all historical periods. This tension, moreover, is a sign of vivacity and survival. As the guidelines for this symposium suggest, ‘[N]o cultural tradition is entirely monolithic. All the great cultural traditions have generated competing, often conflicting, world views. Indeed, the tensions within a particular cultural tradition may be regarded as sources of creativity and adaptation to the changing constellations of problems confronting the culture.’¹ When multilateralism prevails, liberalism, freedom of thought, dialogue, and mutual respect also prevail. If unilateralism becomes predominant, then conservatism, censorship, and orthodoxy are in ascendance. Each of these tendencies, in their extremes, provoke their own undoing. Absolute multilateralism leads to scepticism, relativism, and agnosticism, from an absence of norms and criteria to distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsehood, good from evil. Absolute unilateralism leads to dogmatism, fanaticism, and violence.