The October 8th WSJ Oped by Sheikh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt is a refreshing and seldom heard communication from Islam to the West. The sub headline reads, “Peace among the Abrahamic faiths will be built on respect and the law.” This harkens back to my September 26th post, One God, Three Faiths. Our main world religions do, after all, trace our roots to Abraham. While the implications of some of his concepts call for discussion, Ali Gomaa’s stated aspirations are welcome and hopefully a great start for better understanding.
We unequivocally condemned violence against the innocent during Egypt’s own struggle with terrorism in the 1980s and 90′s, and after the heinous sin of 9/11. We continue to do so in public debates with extremists on their views of Islam, in our outreach to schools and youth organizations, in our training of students from all across the world at Egypt’s theological institutions, and in our counseling of captured terrorists. As the head of the one of the foremost Islamic authorities in the world, let me restate: The murder of civilians is a crime against humanity and God punishable in this life and the next.
Yet, just as we recommit to reinforcing the values of moderation in our faith, we look to the United States to assume its responsibility for the sake of a better relationship between the West and Islam.
First, it is essential that the U.S. confront the fear and misunderstanding that has often pervaded the public discourse about Islam, especially in the media.
Second, while we must strive to reinforce the common principles that we share, we must also accept the reality of differences in our values and in our outlook. Islam and the West have distinct value systems. Respect for our differences is a foundation for coexistence, and never for conflict.
Finally, there must a true commitment to the rule of law, and to sovereign equality, as the legitimate basis for international relations. While some of the divide between Islam and the West lies in the realm of ideas, it lies mostly in the realm of politics. The violence and the aggression to which many Muslim countries have been subjected are the main sources of a deep and legitimate sense of grievance, and they must be addressed.
via Ali Gomaa: Islam, Israel and the United States – WSJ.com.
Tom Motherway