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02/02/2006
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
I was reading an editorial in Lebanon’s Daily Star by Afshin
Molavi, a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington,
and it pricked my curiosity.
Molavi writes of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
summit last December in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, this was
where Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the show
with his remarks that Israel ought to be “wiped off the map.”
But for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who took
the reins of power upon the death of King Fahd last August after
ten years in the shadows, the conference represented his “coming
out party” and his comments spoke to a renaissance for the
Muslim world. Abdullah lashed out at the terrorists, decrying the
“corruption” they have brought to the Muslim world and the
faith.
Afshin Molavi writes:
“The Saudi ship is quietly but firmly shifting course now and
Abdullah is fully in control. This is good news for global
stability, for oil markets, for the war on terror and the future of
the Muslim world. In his first six months in power Abdullah
has already taken several dramatic steps, including releasing
liberal dissidents from jail, reaching out to the Shiite minority,
promising greater rights for women, shining an internal light on
princely corruption, and tolerating a degree of press freedom
unknown in Saudi history. Meanwhile, Saudi civil society is
bursting with new energy, structural economic reforms and high
oil prices have paved the way for what is shaping up to be a
sustained boom, and the domestic terror threat is waning.”
So I looked up King Abdullah’s speech. There is a long ways to
go, but if you are looking for a reason to be optimistic the
following words may help.
Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Dec. 2005
[Excerpts]
Glory be to Almighty Allah, Who has said in the Holy Quran:
“You are the noblest nation that has ever been raised up for
mankind.” Truth are the words of Allah. And praise be to His
Prophet and Messenger, Mohamed, the Prophet of Mercy for
mankind and the world .
From this sacred land, the birthplace of our Prophet, has sprung
forth the call to Islam, proclaiming the oneness and unity of the
Creator, ending man’s enslavement of man, and exhorting the
principles of equality, right, and justice. Thus was this call able
to reach the farthest ends of the globe, east and west, by
persuasion through just values and good example, and not by dint
of the sword, as those who deliberately ignore or fail to
apprehend the truth, insist on claiming. Let us recall what a
radiant beacon our Islamic civilization was in lighting the way
forth for other civilizations, offering them a fine example of the
spirit of tolerance and justice, and leading humanity forward
through its singular achievements in jurisprudence, intellectual
endeavors, the sciences, and literature. Indeed, it is these major
contributions that provide the decisive catalyst in bringing
enlightenment to the dark ages.
It is heartbreaking for us to see how our glorious civilization
slipped from the exalted graces of dignity to the ravines of
frailty! How painful that the ideology sprouted forth by criminal
minds has unleashed wanton evil and corruption on earth, and
that the ranks of our one Ummah (ed. ‘community of believers’)
- united in the lofty heights of its glory – have turned into
helpless! Even so, the true believer in his God does not despair
of His mercy, for from the darkness of night breaks the light of
day, and out of the depths of pain comes salvation. Let our faith
in Almighty Allah, therefore, be an unshakeable boost for
confidence in the peoples and leaders of our Ummah. Let us bid
farewell to the age of division and disintegration in order to usher
in a new era of unity and dignity by relying first on Allah and
then on patience and hard work.
Islam unity will not be achieved by bloodletting as the
miscreants – in their misguided waywardness – insist on
claiming. Fanaticism and extremism cannot grow on an earth
whose soil is embedded in the spirit of tolerance, moderation,
and balance. It is here that the Islamic Fiqh Academy, with its
overhauled makeup, comes in to assume its historic role and
responsibility in resisting the extremist ideology in all its forms
and manifestations. Furthermore a gradual approach to this end
is the way forward to ensure success, which starts with
consultation in all walks of life – political, economic, cultural,
and social domains – to reach a stage of solidarity and, God
willing, to a true and fortified unity worked through strong
institutions so as to restore the Ummah to its rightful place in the
balance of power.
The real nature of the Muslim lies in his faith and then in his
knowledge, principles, and morality, of which the Prophet of
Mercy has said: “I have been sent to further establish the loftiest
virtues of morality.” You may agree with me that developing
educational curricula, and improving them, is a fundamental
prerequisite to building a Muslim personality. Steeped in
tolerance, such a personality would lay the foundations for a
society that rejects isolationism and turns its back on courting
hostility to the other by interacting with all humanity, adopting
what is good and rejecting what is bad.
I look forward to a united Muslim Ummah and good governance
that eliminate injustice and oppression for the sake of the
comprehensive Muslim development that eradicates destitution
and poverty. I also look forward to the spread of moderation that
embodies the Islamic concept of tolerance. Moreover, I look
forward to Muslim inventors and industrialists, to an advanced
Muslim technology, and Muslim youth who work for their life
just as they work for the Hereafter, without excess or negligence,
without any kind of extremism.
Revival begins with a hope, which turns into an idea and then
becomes an objective. Yet, our Ummah is capable of achieving
its objectives, if it could place its trust in Allah alone and rest
deeply assured by His words that “Allah will never change the
grace He hath bestowed on any people unless they first change
what is in their hearts” and His promise, Exalted Be His Name,
“If you will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you and
establish your feet firmly.”
Source: oic-oci.org
Hott Spotts will return Feb. 16.
Brian Trumbore
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