MAKKAH – A number of eminent scholars in the Muslim world agreed unanimously on the importance of a speech on religious dialogue made by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, delivered during the annual meeting of Islamic delegations and personalities in Mina. Sheikh Salih Bin Humaid, member of the Board of Senior Ulema and Adviser at the Royal Court and Imam of the Grand Mosque, said King Abdullah pinpointed the global Muslim community's problems and suggested suitable solutions. The King also stressed the importance of dialogue as a tool to achieve mutual understanding, Bin Humaid said. He added: “People are not the same and cannot accept the same opinions. Dialogue reduces differences and bolsters understanding.” For his part, Sheikh Badar Al-Qasmi, deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Fiqh Academy of India, said the King's speech focused on the fact that all Muslims belong to one Ummah (brotherhood). Muslims should not dispute with each other because of differences between the Islamic schools of thought, he added. He also urged all Muslims, especially college professors, to seize this opportunity and promote dialogue and mutual respect in the Muslim world. He said: “We should all heed King Abdullah's call. The media and pertinent organizations should promote it as a tool which can heal the rift in the Ummah and unite it.” Sheikh Malik Al-Sha'ar, Grand Mufti of North Lebanon, lauded King Abdullah's speech, which he said emphasized that ignorance is the main cause of differences and backwardness. Knowledge, unity, love and cooperation will protect Muslims against dissent, fragmentation, and differences, Sheikh Al-Sha'ar added. He said: “King Abdullah said people cannot go places unless they have educated themselves and sought knowledge and ended underdevelopment and poverty as well as sectarian differences.” Dr. Ahmad Aal Mufareh, chairman of educational affairs committee at the Shoura Council, said King Abdullah underscored the importance of dialogue and the role it plays in ending differences and all forms of misunderstanding in the family, school, the community and the world. He said: “The absence of dialogue has a negative impact on understanding and peaceful co-existence. It is heart-wrenching to see Muslim communities resort to violence instead of dialogue.” Dr. Muhammad Rasheed Ibrahim, former Maldivian Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, said the speech delivered by King Abdullah highlighted the importance of ending all forms of conflict. Sheikh Ahmad Wald Al-Murabit Al-Shanqiti, Grand Mufti of Mauritania, said King Abdullah's speech was strong because it focused on the negative impact of ignorance. He said: “The main reason Muslims have been going through a lot of calamities and catastrophes is that they don't have enough knowledge about their religion. “Ignorance and backwardness cannot lead to development.” Dr. Jafar Abdul Salam Ali, secretary-general of the Muslim Universities Association, said the speech highlighted the fact that if the Ummah does not unite, it will not be able to eradicate ignorance, poverty, backwardness, chaos, misunderstanding and terrorism.
