Saudi King Proclaims Moderate, Tolerant Islam at Spanish Faith Congress
July 17, 2008
Saudi King Abdallah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz has told the world conference on interfaith dialogue in Madrid that “Islam is the religion of moderation, balance and tolerance”, according to a report in a Spanish paper. It says he also condemned extremism and made a call for reconciliation among faiths to combat the “spiritual void” responsible for many of the world`s ills. The following is the text of the report by the Spanish newspaper ABC website on 17 July; subheadings as published:
Madrid: King Abdallah (Bin-Abd-al-Aziz) of Saudi Arabia transmitted a message of a moderate, balanced and tolerant Islam yesterday in Madrid and urged “turning a new page for humanity where reconciliation will replace dispute”. The monarch of one of the countries which, paradoxically, applies the Islamic religion with greatest inflexibility made a call for dialogue among every creed and philosophy in the world and said that responsibility for tragedies lies not with religions, rather extremists. Man, he said, can destroy the planet, but also “transform it into an oasis of peace and security”.
Abdallah transmitted this message at the opening of the World Conference on Dialogue, which is being held in Madrid, in the presence of His Majesty the King (Juan Carlos I), Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and spiritual representatives from practically every religion, who responded to his words with a long standing ovation.
All the creeds of the world
As well as Christians, Muslims and Jews, representatives from the different Eastern philosophies, such as Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus and Confucians attended the ceremony. All of them, with their typical traditional dress, gathered in the Courtyard of the Habsburgs in El Pardo Palace (near Madrid), which yesterday was a picturesque sight that is far from common.
Among those present were Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Tony Blair, the special envoy for peace in the Middle East, and the Rev Jesse Jackson, founder of the league for Afro-Americans` rights in the USA. Also attending were the foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the justice minister, Mariano Fernandez Bermejo, as well as National High Court judge Baltasar Garzon.
Unlike other religions, Muslims do not have a single voice which speaks on behalf of them all, but on this occasion the Saudi king had reached an agreement on the message he transmitted yesterday with theologians and thinkers that represent Muslims across the world, who met recently in the holy city of Mecca. Abdallah, who also has the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Mecca and Medina), said that that message announces that “Islam is the religion of moderation, balance and tolerance” and which urges “constructive dialogue”.
Condemnation of extremism
The Saudi king also said that it was God who established the different religions and that if God had wished it he would have imposed one single creed for the whole of humanity. Abdallah said that “difference does not have to lead to confrontation” and that “the tragedies experienced throughout the history of mankind were not caused by religions, rather because of the extremism that some of the followers adopted”.
“Spiritual void”
He warned of the “critical moment” that mankind is going through, with “the excess of terrorism, the breakdown of the family”, drugs, racist disputes, the exploitation of the weak, as a result of the “spiritual void” caused by the “distancing from God”.
In his opinion, previous attempts at dialogue among the different religions have failed because “they tried to fuse the religions” on the pretext of bringing them closer together and the followers of each religion “are convinced of their own belief and do not accept another”. On the other hand, the Saudi monarch invited people to “seek what unites us” – that is to say, faith in God, noble principles and lofty ethics. Thus, he urged defeating hatred with affection and extremism with tolerance.
Also taking part in the opening of the World Conference on Dialogue was Juan Carlos, who encouraged the dignitaries and experts attending the meeting to “provide the best of your reflections” to put an end “forever to the unacceptable terrorist barbarity”. The king also urged combating hunger, disease and poverty, respecting the rights of human beings and promoting the defence of the environment.
In addition, also speaking was the secretary-general of the Muslim World League, Abdallah al-Turki, who said that “Islam is a source of tolerance” and hoped that this conference does not end up being “sterile”, like others – which have only amounted to theoretical pronouncements -, rather that these efforts benefit mankind.
With these words which call for reconciliation the World Conference on Dialogue began yesterday, called by the Muslim World League at the request of King Abdallah. Over three days some 250 experts – only 15 of them women – will try to seek paths for peace and understanding.
(Description of Source: Madrid ABC.es in Spanish — Website of ABC, center-right national daily)
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