Introduction
When starting the discussion on this topic, two remarks are
relevant. A first is that a slightly external framework of
interpretation for our subject, i.e. an anthropological
interpretation of the genesis of ethnicity and inter-ethnic
antagonistic relations, as developed in Leman, 1998, has
been opted for. Islam and Christianity are studied as
“feindliche Brüder”, neighbours in opposition,
each other’s very close and therefor disquieting
difference (cfr. Khader, 1993: 10-11). In our case we look
upon Christianity and Islam as exponents of supra-ethnicity
(cfr. Leman, 1999), meaning that both, in the terms in
which the topic is currently positioned, are dealing with a
multitude “ of Western” respectively “of
Arab” nature. A same analysis can be applied to these
supra-ethnicities or umbrella-ethnicities as to the
antagonistic relations between neighbouring ethnicities.
Within these framework of interpretation we can distinguish
four levels:
1. There is a strong "we" consciousness in both
communities, in which the "we" is largely taken up with
points of contrast with the neighbour-opponent. At the root
of this opposition, or so current ethnic anthropology tells
us, lie elements of a social nature, and only very
moderately, if at all, of a cultural nature (cf. Barth,
1969).
2. Although the origin of the opposition is social in
nature, the opposition itself is mostly experienced and
worded in cultural terms. Obviously, this is detrimental to
any points in common with the other, or the neighbour (cf.
Brass, 1991).
3. To legitimise the overemphasised cultural difference, a
creative and selective ethnocentric reading is made of the
community’s own history, and of that of the other
community (cf. Ardener, 1989).
4. Though this appears to be an interest focused on the
past, it is actually a mobilisation of values based on
group interests in the present and in the near future (cf.
Fischer, 1986).
A second preliminary comment reflects upon the place of
Judaism in our account. In actual fact, the historic
grounds for the interethnic relationship between Christians
and Muslims, as "feindliche Brüder", are triangular. This
implies that the exercise we are conducting today should
also be conducted between Muslims and Jews, between
Christians and Jews, and then again collectively.