The seldom heard moderate Islamic voice

A Muslim King made history in the nation’s capital as he addressed a gathering of several thousand Evangelical Christians at the National Prayer Luncheon on February 2.

“At this point in history, our service to God, our countries and our peoples demand that we confront extremism in its myriad forms. To overcome this common foe, we must explore the values that unite us, rather than exaggerating the misunderstandings that divide us.”

The King went on to say that: “In every generation, people of faith are tested. In our generation, the greatest challenge comes from violent extremists who seek to divide and conquer. Extremism is a political movement, under religious cover. Its adherents want nothing more than to pit us against each other, denying all that we have in common. We must therefore heed the words of the New Testament: ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,’ (Romans 12:21).”“Like Christians and Jews, Muslims revile aggression against innocents -- whatever their land or religion,” he said.

He said the principles of (our) Reaffirmation of True Islam were adopted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Mecca last December as part of their ten-year plan for the future of the Islamic World. “This strikes at the very roots of extremism by denying its Islamic legitimacy, and consolidates the traditional middle ground of Islam, to which the vast majority of Muslims belong. It constitutes a full frontal assault on extremist distortions of Islam by exposing the falsity of their ideologies to the light of truth. As God has said in the Holy Quran: ‘Truth has come and falsity has vanished. Lo! Falsity is ever bound to vanish,’ (17:81).”

“Extremists, of any religion, who teach intolerance and violence, mutilate Scripture to advance their cause,” he said. “We behold with horror and disgust the recent targeting of Christian churches in Iraq, breaking with a 1400-year tradition of Christian-Muslim friendship and mutual acceptance amongst the Arabs of the Levant. Equally, whilst we respect and revere freedom of speech, we condemn needless desecration and injury of Islamic sensibilities, such as the recent cartoons misrepresenting and vilifying my ancestor the Prophet Muhammad.“If we allow such intolerance and ill will to polarize us, we betray all those who have died at their hands. And we do worse. We turn away from truth -- truth expressed throughout our Judeo-Christian-Islamic heritage, ‘For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit,’ (Luke 6:43).”In conclusion, King Abdullah said: “Together, we have a duty to this generation and many to come, to witness to the positive role of faith in public life. Humbled through that faith, strengthened by that faith; we can, with God's help, create a more just and peaceful future. It begins by standing together -- and upholding the principles transgressed by those who oppose us. As the Bible says: ‘Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity,’ (1 Timothy 4:12).”