Jordan Times
Thursday, April 6, 2006
Iraqi leaders to meet in Amman April 22
AMMAN (JT) — Jordan will host a meeting of Iraq's
top Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish religious and tribal leaders on April 22 in a bid
to stem sectarian violence and tension in the neighbouring country, an official
statement said Wednesday.
The Iraqi Islamic Reconciliation Summit, organised in cooperation between Aal al
Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought and the Arab League, will provide a “forum
for Iraqi leaders to take a crucial step towards stemming the violence in Iraq,”
according to an institute statement.
King Abdullah will join the delegates in a call for an end to bloodshed and
religious tension in Iraq. The summit is expected to issue a declaration signed
by all participants that fighting between Shiite and Sunnis “has no legitimate
religious basis.”
“The Iraqi Islamic Reconciliation Summit is a necessary initiative to help bring
the violence in Iraq to an end, establish a stable and fully representative
Iraqi government and permit a peaceful and orderly withdrawal of coalition
troops,” said the statement.
“Peace in Iraq cannot be achieved without a political solution, and a political
solution cannot, in turn, be achieved without a religious solution because
fighting in Iraq has generally occurred along religious sectarian lines,
especially among Iraq's Arab Muslim communities. The Iraqi Reconciliation Summit
thus seeks to alleviate religious tensions by asserting fundamental principles
that are shared by all Muslims. As such, it could constitute a critical step in
defusing civil tension and helping to clear the way for a final and permanent
political solution in Iraq.”
The conference will be attended by top religious figures from Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Turkey, Syria, the Gulf and Iran. Egyptian Sheikh Mohammad Sayyed
Tantawi of Al Azhar and Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa are expected to
join King Abdullah in “denouncing extremist misinterpretations of Islam that
feed the sectarian violence in Iraq and reaffirming the underlying values and
principles shared by all branches of Islam,” according to the statement.
The summit seeks to build on the International Islamic Conference on “True Islam
and its Role in Modern Society” — hosted by King Abdullah in July 2005. More
than 180 scholars from 45 countries signed a declaration condemning the practice
known as takfir (calling others apostates) that is used by extremists to justify
violence. They were supported by fatwas from 20 of the world's most senior
Muslim scholars.
The declaration also recognised the legitimacy of the eight traditional schools
of Islamic jurisprudence, including the Sunni, Shiite and Ibadi branches as well
as traditional Asharite theology, Islamic mysticism (Sufism) and moderate Salafi
thought.
The declaration also identified common principles and beliefs and defined the
necessary qualifications and conditions for issuing fatwas, exposing the
illegitimacy of the so-called fatwas justifying terrorism.
The declaration was adopted by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit
in Mecca in December.
“The convening of the summit reflects King Abdullah's efforts to promote
moderation and harmony among Muslims. The King is uniquely poised to facilitate
this summit because, as a forty-third generation direct descendent of the
Prophet Mohammad and thus a member of the Aal al Bayt [the Household of the
Prophet Mohammad], he enjoys unique status amongst all Muslims. Also, he is the
scion of the oldest ruling dynasty in the Islamic world,” said the statement.
“Jordan enjoys unique social, tribal, economic and historical ties with Iraq.
Since the beginning of the current fighting in Iraq, Jordan has given shelter
and safe passage to millions of Iraqis. There are today over half a million
Iraqis living in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”