c r o S S I n g c u l t u r E S


c l o S e e N c o u N t e r S


EgEMEn BEzcI f rom turkey joined selected students f rom al l over the wor ld at a seminar on rel igion and pol i t ics run by the uS tikvah Inst i tute and held at the oxford cent re for hebrew and Jewish Studies in august this year


How does the sacred manifest itself in Judaism, Christianity and Islam – and how does this affect contemporary politics? Is it possible for Israel to construct a constitution – or a society – based on both Jewish and democratic values? These and other, similar, questions were on my mind when I began my studies this summer at the Tikvah Institute on Religion and Politics at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew


Hebrew UniversityAmirim Program, argued that regardless of our religious backgrounds, we also share loyalty to modern values such as democracy and human rights, thus we can harmonise our perspectives with each other.Mr Fuhr’s words shed light on how various traditions approach the broader question. I myself come from a traditional


Students relaxing at the Tikvah Institute. Egemen is on the extreme right


and Jewish Studies. I admit that I had doubts about whether I would get any closer to the answers, but the outstanding opening lectures by ProfessorsWilfred McClay and Suzanne Stone during the first days of the seminar put my mind at ease. This would be a life changing experience. Debates between the participants at


the institute were intense and intriguing. These participants came from very diverse backgrounds and traditions. I learned how both pious and secular individuals from different religions understand and interpret the complex and interwoven structure of religion and politics. For instance, a core topic addressed at the Institute is whether it is plausible to establish a moral standard without a religious foundation.Afellow participant, Elhanan Fuhr, from the


Muslim/Turkish background and am pursuing my graduate studies at an American institution, Johns Hopkins University’s School ofAdvanced International Studies (SAIS). In my studies, I try to understand how the people within the Jewish and Christian traditions interpret their classic texts. In this regard, the Tikvah Institute shed light on two main concepts in particular: first, on how the distinction between the sacred and profane in Christianity is at variance with the distinction in Judaism and Islam; and second, on how the Jewish democratic state might draw on its textual traditions to reconcile religion and politics.As regards the classic Islamic texts, with which I was more familiar, conversations with the non- Muslim participants broadened my horizons as well. For instance, fellow participants made enlightening comments on how the Islamic understanding of the people of the book, the dhimmi (mostly Christians and Jews), reflects on their self- identification. They added that a democratic interpretation of the dhimmi rules is crucial for the formation of a democraticMuslim society. Among the more memorable lectures


was that given by ProfessorMoshe Halbertal on ‘What is a Jewish and Democratic State’. Prof. Halbertal argued that Jewish andArab communities in Israel are currently changing in important ways that make the idea of a Jewish democratic state more important and more feasible than ever. Prof. Halbertal defined the key features of a Jewish democratic state: “(1) Israel as a state has an obligation for the well-being of Jewish people all over the world. (2) The Law of Return should be an integral part of Israeli


12 JEWISh rEnaISSancE octoBEr 2011


law. (3) Jewish public symbols such as the calendar should be an integral part of law and society. (4) Public education should strengthen Jewish traditions and cultures.” Regarding theArab minority, the state of Israel, in Prof. Halbertal’s view, should implement equal standards for minorities and should supportArab public education. Moreover, he stated, there should beArab public symbols in society as well as Jewish ones. In another interesting remark, Prof. Halbertal argued that the Knesset should not be a place where Jewish culture as such is discussed. Just after the lecture, I toldmy fellow


participants that if Israel becomes a Jewish democratic state along the lines Prof. Halbertal’s proposed, I would like tomake Aliyah to live theremyself. Prof. Halbertal’s recipe to implement both Jewish norms and democratic standards within the constitution of the Jewish democratic state could be an example forMuslimsocieties on how to reconcile Islamic values withmodern democratic norms. My experience at the Tikvah Institute


was eye-opening. Now I better understand the ways in which religion and politics could be mutually called upon to form better societies. I learned from my fellow participants that regardless of our individual understanding of religion and politics, we could engage in a respectful dialogue to express our respective points and learn from each other and our varied backgrounds.My plans to pursue a PhD in political science have benefited immensely from the knowledge I gained. Finally, but perhaps most importantly, I formed unbreakable bonds of friendship with my fellow participants.


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