Images of the Enemy - The ideologies and visual strategies of different cultures

Feindbilder (Images of the Enemy)

Ideologien und visuelle Strategien der Kulturen (The ideologies and visual strategies of different cultures)

Editors: Lydia Haustein, Bernd M. Scherer & Martin Hager

Published by the House of World Cultures and the Federal Cultural Foundation

- language: German -

Wallstein Verlag

164 pages with 18 illustrations

brochure, format: 14 x 22,2 cm

ISBN-10: 3-8353-0126-8

ISBN-13: 978-3-8353-0126-9

Price: 16 Euro

Available in book stores

The controversy over the cartoons of the Prophet in February 2006, the fragments from a historical manuscript quoted by the Pope in a speech the following autumn and the violent reactions that ensued once again raise questions about the rules by which people with different value systems live together. These events suddenly revealed just how quickly political and religious actors react, and how instrumentally they use the power of the media to their own ends, when they sense that their religious self-conceptions are under threat. The media also play their part in aggravating the situation by greedily seizing upon every scandal that presents itself, and illustrating their reports with images of radicalised masses. As all forms of public communication now reach people worldwide; we can no longer restrict ourselves to the context of nation states and specific target groups. We are witnessing the emergence of new values in networks that have not always been the focus of secular-liberal human rights and liberties in the past.

The global decentralisation of the world compels us to reconsider the way we want to live together on this planet. We can no longer assume that people around the world are going to automatically accept the social models of the western world, which have spread over the past few centuries. Already, fundamental-religious conflicts show how great the discrepancy has grown, compelling the advocates of liberal rights to discuss their seemingly inviolable security anew.

The present publication brings together positions seeking to counter polarisation. Debates are held – on the basis of diverse cultural values – about strategies for the future that will allow individuals around the world to live together in mutual respect and to show tolerance in the face of differences.

The contributions

Hortensia Voelckers Ausweitung der Gesprächszonen. Zum Geleit

(Extending the zones of language. Foreword)

Bernd M. Scherer Feindbilder: Ideologien und visuelle Strategien der Kulturen

Einleitung

(Images of the enemy: the ideologies and visual strategies of different cultures

Introduction)

Nils Minkmar Familienstreit im Haus Europa

Die Muslime sind Teil unserer Kultur

(A dispute in the family of Europe

Moslems are a part of our culture)

Lydia Haustein Kampf der kulturellen Ideologien statt Kampf der Kulturen

Überlegungen zu den Bilderkriegen

(A battle of cultural ideologies instead of a war of civilisations

Some thoughts on the war of images)

Lara Baladi „Jerusalem of Peace“

Foto-Essay

(“Jerusalem of Peace”

A photo essay)

Abdullahi An-Na’im Macht und Differenz

Einige grundsätzliche Begriffsklärungen im Umgang der Kulturen

(Power and difference

A clarification of some basic concepts in the relations between the cultures)

Ulrich K. Preuß Zur Definition von Freiheits- und Menschenrechten

Eine historische Untersuchung

(On the definition of liberties and human rights

A historical analysis)

Seyla Benhabib Der Kampf um Kultur

Gleichheit und Vielfalt im öffentlichen Diskurs Europas

(The war over civilisation

Equality and diversity in public discourse in Europe)

Walid Sadek Jedem Muslim sein Bild

Wie man Fragen über andere stellt

(To every Moslem his own picture

How we ask questions about others)

Bernd Ulrich Der Machtverlust des Westens

Plädoyer für eine radikale Wende der Politik

(The West’s loss of power

A plea for a radical change in policy)

Farish A. Noor Ankunft in der (Post)Moderne

Das globalisierte Protestverhalten der Muslime

(Arriving in (post)modernity

The globalised protests of Moslems)

Jonathan Steele Ethik oder Prinzip?

Presse- und Meinungsfreiheit in Zeiten umkämpfter Diskurse

(Ethics or principles?

The freedom of the press and the right to express opinions in times of contested discourse)

Samir Kassir Das Dilemma der Geografie

Das Unglück der Araber liegt nicht nur in ihrer Geschichte

(The geographical dilemma

The Arabs’ misfortune deos not lie in their history alone)

Shaheen Merali Sichtbarkeit und Ideologie

Künstlerische Strategien im Umgang mit Differenz

(Visibility and ideology

Artists’ strategies for dealing with difference)

Kai Hafez

Die Überlegenheit des Realismus

„Bilderkriege“, „Iconic Turn“ und die Ohnmacht der Medien

(The superiority of realism

“Image wars”, the “iconic turn” and the impotence of the media)

Nicholas Mirzoeff Von Bildern und Helden

Sichtbarkeit im Krieg der Bilder

(Of images and heroes

Visibility in the war of the images)

Elif Shafak Die Religion der Liebe und die Politik der Angst

Ein literarischer Kommentar

(The religion of love and the politics of fear

A literary comment)