Center for Arab-West Understanding
Encyclopedia
The Center for Arab-West Understanding (CAWU) developed from the ideals of the Egyptian electronic magazine Arab-West Report
. The request for Egyptian NGO
status was filed in 2004 and obtained in January 2008 .
The aim of CAWU is to foster a better understanding between the Arab world and other cultures by encouraging students, journalists, academics, religious leaders, and politicians to alter the manner in which they speak and write about people belonging to other cultures or religions, and helping them refrain from polemics, exaggerations and other distortions.
The Center is chaired by Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Khalil. Cornelis Hulsman is the Center's secretary general.
Helping to provide access to accurate, credible and reliable information;
Improving the public's understanding of the contemporary Islamic world in non-Muslim countries and vice versa.
Encouraging accurate reporting and analyses on Arab-West cultural, religious and other key issues involving civil society, both in the Arab world and in the West .
' statements about Muslims and Islam 'provocative,' and calling on “all Dutch MP's to actively and effectively promote intercultural tolerance, dialogue and harmonious co-existence.” The petition was signed by prominent Muslim and Christian leaders in Egypt.
The center also organized a visit of a delegation of Dutch church representatives and Muslim organizations in March 2008 to Egypt which was widely reported about in The Netherlands, asked Egyptian scholars to write reports explaining the Qur'an
ic texts Wilders highlighted and discussing the crisis on Egyptian TV and in public meetings at Cairo University.
Arab-West Report
Arab-West Report is an independent electronic magazine founded by Drs. Cornelis Hulsman and Eng. Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Khalil in 1997, originally titled the Religious News Service from the Arab World...
. The request for Egyptian NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
status was filed in 2004 and obtained in January 2008 .
The aim of CAWU is to foster a better understanding between the Arab world and other cultures by encouraging students, journalists, academics, religious leaders, and politicians to alter the manner in which they speak and write about people belonging to other cultures or religions, and helping them refrain from polemics, exaggerations and other distortions.
The Center is chaired by Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Khalil. Cornelis Hulsman is the Center's secretary general.
CAWU's Goal
The Center hopes to further understanding by applying the following methods.Helping to provide access to accurate, credible and reliable information;
Improving the public's understanding of the contemporary Islamic world in non-Muslim countries and vice versa.
Encouraging accurate reporting and analyses on Arab-West cultural, religious and other key issues involving civil society, both in the Arab world and in the West .
Recent developments
The center formulated in March 2008 a petition to the Dutch Parliament calling Geert WildersGeert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
' statements about Muslims and Islam 'provocative,' and calling on “all Dutch MP's to actively and effectively promote intercultural tolerance, dialogue and harmonious co-existence.” The petition was signed by prominent Muslim and Christian leaders in Egypt.
The center also organized a visit of a delegation of Dutch church representatives and Muslim organizations in March 2008 to Egypt which was widely reported about in The Netherlands, asked Egyptian scholars to write reports explaining the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic texts Wilders highlighted and discussing the crisis on Egyptian TV and in public meetings at Cairo University.