Islam in the Modern Era and the Social Reflections in Macedonia

Islam in its great diversity, from the past to the present, represents a challenge to Western civilization and culture. Despite the large presence in the media, and the large number of Muslims in Western societies, for many it remains little known. On the one hand, for several decades, the complex international political situation in the Middle East is causing not only ethical issues and raising civilization related questions, but also almost everyday media stigmatization of Islam and Muslims. On the other hand, the multilateral problems faced by the contemporary and increasingly multicultural western European societies impose on the same societies a new reflection on their cultural identity and values both in relation to themselves and in relation to the increasing number of Muslims living there and their cultural and religious values. On the other hand, the great cultural, political and religious diversity of Islam in this era of globalization is increasingly coming to the fore and necessarily requires a sophisticated and multi-dimensional approach. Without this approach, it is impossible to understand all the above factors. In addition, the Islamic concept that naturally belongs to this area is a vast wealth that needs to be cultivated and brought into the social flows in Macedonia. As Crdoba in Spain was the epitome of medieval European multiculturalism and inter-religious understanding, today, Skopje, Tetovo, Gostivar, are experiencing the vivid metaphor and paradigm of privileged encounters of conflict-avoidance due to differences and the civilization of peace. Moreover, it is not pretentious to say that the presence of Muslims in the Republic of Macedonia is a historical treasure and a valuable cultural and religious component in the contemporary society in Macedonia. Muslims in Macedonia, in a European perspective, must consider a proper representation of Islamic cultural civilization principles to harmoniously combine the objective values of Western European and Islamic traditions harmoniously. In this way, they will become a valuable paradigm challenge - both for modern European society and for the Islamic world, but also for Muslims in Western Europe, who sometimes seem disoriented between the two worlds in which they do not recognize themselves and can once and for all contribute to the other party at a higher extent.