The Survival of the Ottoman Spirit of Tolerance
Last week I attended a very timely and well-organized conference titled "Exploring Models for Peace by Re-exploring the Past: Diversity in the Ottoman Empire," jointly organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at the University of Texas, Austin, the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue and the Raindrop Foundation of Austin. For two days scholars from all over the world discussed how the Ottomans accommodated ethno-religious diversity.

Even in an area as strict and sensitive as law and even when clashes between Muslim and non-Muslim states were widespread, the Ottomans for centuries maintained a pluralist order where not only were ethnic, cultural and religious differences cherished but also, in the realm of private law, non-Muslim minorities were allowed to apply their ethno-religious laws. Ottoman diversity was not an accident of history but a result of Islamic law's fundamental nature of accepting diversity as a virtue.

The Ottoman experience of respecting diversity and peaceful coexistence was not of course a utopian "Alice in Wonderland" scenario. It had its ups and downs and was not perfect. Yet, evaluated in its own tempo-spatial sphere, we can conclude that the Ottoman's system of plurality was more humane than those of many of their contemporaries. Moreover, despite claims of progress, even today's legal systems are still far from perfect.

When we -- at least for a while -- turn away our attention from the media's favorite neo-assassin terrorists and look at what the majority of Muslim scholars and ordinary Muslims think of plurality, diversity and peaceful coexistence today, we see that the spirit of Ottoman tolerance is not a thing of the past, this spirit of tolerance has survived and respect for diversity is still seen as a religious obligation.

Even though Muslims all over the world have been challenged and influenced by the juggernauts of modernity, nationalism, Western imperialism and colonialism in addition to being harshly subject to ignorance, poverty and dissension, many Muslims still believe that respect for diversity as exemplified by the Ottomans is a religious obligation. Advocating and respecting diversity is not just an academic enterprise in Turkey either. For instance all over the world millions inspired by Fethullah Gülen put into practice his discourse that espouses diversity and pluralism as a natural fact.

Today perhaps not the Ottoman's legal system, but at least their spirit of acceptance of diversity can be emulated. The Ottoman experience of peaceful coexistence has a lot to teach students of the "clash of civilizations" and postmodern neo-assassin terrorists in a postmodern global village where acceptance of the other, protection of minorities, respect for justice, international legitimacy and the rule of law have unfortunately been the first casualties of the collateral damage whenever and wherever there has been intercultural tension.