Averroes was a Muslim philosopher who lived much of his life in Spain and thus brings together the Islamic and the European worlds; this year marks the 800th anniversary of his death. There was an example this month of the diversity of the subject matter that is discussed in Parliament when MEPs debated a report by Abdelkader Mohamed Ali (Spain, EUL/NGL) on Islam and Averroes Day. Mr Mohamed Ali spoke of commemorating the life of a man who, "of all Spaniards . . . has left the deepest imprint on human thought." "The Averroes Day," he said, "recalls the contribution made by Islamic civilisation to European culture."
Mr Mohamed Ali went on to call for a series of measures that would strengthen the links between the Muslims of Europe and their host countries. He believed that the Euro-Mediterranean partnership should not be limited to socio-economic and security matters, but should also encompass culture. He argued in particular that it was important that the training of Imams, or Islamic priests, should take place in Europe. Muslim communities should not be dependent on imported Imams who did not always understand western culture. They should have their own plots in cemeteries for Muslim burials.
He also called for the creation of a Euro-Islamic university which would help to articulate a "modern, self-reflective, liberal European Islam." These and other measures would, he believed, help the conclusion of a "multi-racial, multi-cultural and pluralist Europe where mutual understanding and acceptance would flourish."
Many MEPs, however, had reservations about the nature of co-operation that should take place with the Islamic world and, for example, whether the EU should be promoting such schemes as training programmes for Imams. As a result, almost 200 MEPs abstained in the final vote, including the majority of members of the Liberal group and European People's Party.
