Jordan Times
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Take back Islam from extremists, King urges clerics
WASHINGTON (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday called for a unified stand against those who promote the idea of “clash of civilisations.”
“For all our sakes, for our common future, we
must turn the world's footsteps away from such a path. We need dialogue; a
dialogue of deeds, as well as words,” King Abdullah told Catholic University of
America in an address, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania.
The King said governments in both the West and the Muslim world have insisted
repeatedly that the West and Islam are not at war, while religious leaders have
denounced hatred and violence.
“In the Middle East, in Europe, and here in the United States, senior Muslim
clerics have spoken out, authoritatively, against terror,” the King said.
However, he added that “there are those who think otherwise — who believe that
there is, or will be, a `clash of civilisations'.”
To help end the extremists' abuse of Islam, the King told his audience, Jordan
hosted in July a major international conference that brought together scholars
representing all eight traditional schools of Islamic thought. He noted that the
scholars affirmed Islam's core values, expressed in the Amman Message, which
“carefully articulates Islam's essential social values: Compassion, respect for
others, tolerance and acceptance, and freedom of religion. And it rejects Muslim
isolation from the global movement of human society.”
“The Amman Message is an all-Islamic initiative. It currently involves opinion
makers from across the Islamic world. God willing, it will expand to engage the
popular preachers and grassroots activists — what is called the `Muslim
street',” the Monarch said.
“We intend to revisit education and media roles as well. The ultimate goal is to
take back our religion from the vocal, violent and ignorant extremists who have
tried to hijack Islam over the last hundred years.”
King Abdullah said those who believe in the future of the Middle East are
strongly committed to dialogue and peace, which, he said, have deep roots in
Arab-Islamic civilisation.
“Today, traditional, moderate, orthodox Muslims are reclaiming our Islam —
Islam, as it has been taught and practised for over a thousand years: A religion
of tolerance, wisdom and charity,” he added.
These people are “driving a regional renaissance, that can give the Middle East
the hope it needs.”
“I am proud that Jordan has taken the lead in that effort, as well as engaging
in our own serious process of reform and development.”
The King, meanwhile, spoke about his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday.
“He [the Pope] spoke of his respect for the Muslim people, and he reaffirmed the
church's commitment to dialogue and peace,” the King said, adding that the
current world developments are critical moments in the human history.
“Fifteen years ago, when the cold war ended, some people said that history had
ended; that all the important issues had been resolved. Today, we know better.
And we stand at a new turning point,” he said.
“In one direction, is an open world, one that can deliver a better life and
freedom to billions of people. Against this vision is global division — a world
of barriers and stagnation — especially, a world of religious tension and
hostility.”
“Four years ago this month, 9/11. This past July, the attacks in London and in
Egypt. Last month in Jordan. Continuing conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. And
during all this time, simmering conflict in Palestine.”
The King also spoke about Muslim-Christian coexistence in Jordan, saying that
the Kingdom is an Islamic country and home to a historic Christian community.
“All Jordanians participate in creating our nation and our future. I believe
that we have found, by the grace of God, a larger community of shared respect.
It is based on the deepest teachings of our religions, teachings found in the
scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike: Belief in and devotion to
the one God... and love for our fellow human beings,” the King told the
gathering.
King Abdullah reminded his audience of the fact that the late Pope John Paul II
began his Jubilee Pilgrimage in Amman.
“He spoke to me and millions of listening Arabs, about his great esteem for the
Muslim people, as believers in the one God. One year later, he became the first
Pope to enter a mosque. He helped lead a historic Muslim-Christian prayer
gathering — and urged a continuing `partnership for the good of the human
family'.”