Modspil and The Active Broadening of Our Perception of the World

We begin with "modspil", which got mistranslated into "opposition", at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/15/wqueen15.xml

In context, from wikipedia's article on Queen Margrethe, it is stated:

A statement in a 2005 autobiography about the Queen has been wrongly translated by an english newspaper article. Newspapers in some Muslim countries has unfortunately carried that false translation, giving notion to the belief in the Arab world that the Queen has strong reservations about Muslim immigration into Denmark.

The false interpretation used in the headline and as a general point in the article is: "We have to show our opposition to Islam". The correct translation would be: "We have to show an alternative to the totalitarity that is also one of the sides of Islam". The actual words which the Queen told the author of the book, Annelise Bistrup, is (in Danish): Der må vises et "modspil" mod den "totalitet, som også er en side af Islam". The mistranslated word is "modspil" (which can never mean opposition).

According to wikipedia, "modspil is used when two parties articulate different views on a matter as part of a discussion."

In the case of Denmark, the Danish government has benefited the 300,000 Muslims in their country. As a result, the standard of living for most Muslims in Denmark has improved over their brothers and sisters in the Arab world.

The author of the article at wikipedia goes on to state that "the word is used in the context of political discussions, and perhaps most often in the context of love and relationships. When you say that your partner gives you modspil, it means that he/she actively broadens your horizon (perception of the world) by taking an active part in your relationship."

So Queen Margrethe II actually said that, by active participation in their relationship with each other, both non-Muslims and Muslims will actively broaden their perception of the world.

Thus when she actually wrote, "We have to show an alternative to the totalitarity that is also one of the sides of Islam", Queen Margrethe implies that we have to actively engage Islam so that it actively broadens our perception of the world.

With our horizons broadened, may the Christian come to see the world through Muslim eyes, and the Muslim, through Christian eyes, so that each side views the world with the believer's heart.

This is what I feel as a Buddhist is happening in the free world.


Wikipedia article on Queen Margrethe II:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrethe_II_of_Denmark

Wikipedia article on the etymology of the word modspil: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_the_word_modspil