The speech given by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the opening ceremony of the Forum of “Promoting Peace in Muslim Communities” in Abu Dhabi mirrored his country’s enlightened vision of Islam and its values of tolerance and mercy.
He affirmed that “the Islamic sharia preaches high values, particularly self-preservation and promoting and spreading peace among all people” and called for “the return of scholars known for their deep knowledge, merits and awareness of the constant evolution of their times”. He also urged reconsideration of religious speeches in a more reasonable and balanced light based on human needs.
This was an important statement, stated the editorial of Abu Dhabi-based Al Ittihad newspaper, considering that one of the main reasons underlying the distorting of Islam lately has been incompetent scholars who fail to reflect the real image of their religion, let alone extremists who mislead the people, instil a culture of radicalism and elimination and spawn violence and sectarian conflicts. There is a dire need to curb such extremism.
“It is incumbent upon each and every scholar to assume a historic role,” he urged, “that of calming the storm, aligning the different perspectives and enlightening minds as a first step towards promoting security and peace throughout the Arab and Muslim communities.”
The discussions held at the two-day forum, and the resulting recommendations, will undoubtedly sketch out a road map for peace and security in the Arab and Muslim communities, because the forum helped to reflect the real image of Islam and its values of tolerance and moderation. It also tackled several other vital topics, such as rectifying the erroneous concepts related to jihad as well as fatwas and their issuing authorities, conditions and restrictions.
“The forum is also central to the constitution of a consolidated front that will face the extremism that has been wreaking havoc on the Muslim world for decades and fuelling sectarian conflicts, escalating terrorism and increasing polarisation.”
The forum enabled its host to send out a message of peace to the whole world, underlining the values of tolerance, coexistence and moderation, which in turn promotes peace, security and stability in Arab and Muslim communities.
“The UAE presented a unique model of tolerance, acceptance of others and dialogue as well as their outcome, namely living in peace with the different ethnic groups, cultures and religions,” noted the paper.
This is an outcome that reflects the country’s security and stability at all levels, as well as its constant efforts in this context as a pillar of peace, security and stability both regionally and worldwide.
Saudi Arabia leaves no room for extremism
Last week, the Saudi Interior Ministry designated a number of groups as terrorist organisations as part of a broad effort to confront any and all parties that might pose a threat to the kingdom or its people, writes columnist Mshari Al Thiyadi in the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat.
Some looked at the decree with apprehension, hoping it would not truly be implemented and keeping in mind the Arab proverb “keep your head down until the storm passes”. However such hopes have now been dashed.
The historic statement has 11 articles that criminalise a range of offences in a number of fields, ranging from politics to religious sermons to media and finance.
The first list of terrorist organisations included the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizbollah, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and all branches of Al Qaeda, including Syria’s Al Nusra Front and Yemen’s Houthi Movement.
While listing Al Qaeda and its affiliates and banning Hizbollah’s activities in the kingdom is no news, “listing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation is both a serious challenge and a major shift for Saudi society”, Al Thiyadi wrote.
This is a decisive time in Saudi’s history, featuring a huge shift in its social structure, education and culture. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is now protecting the Saudi state and its people just as his father did before him.
GCC discord reflects turmoil in the region
The Middle East is undergoing a fundamental shift in the balance of power, reflecting leaders being aware of truths that were long ignored and became worse, writes columnist Octavia Nasr in the Lebanese daily Annahar.
Historically, Saudi Arabia has played a leading role among the Arabs, mediating and advising in the settlement of disputes.
Qatar showed it could be quite daring. It launched Al Jazeera, and quickly turned into a political force on the international scene, a mediator holding a leading role during Arab summits.
Despite Qatari officials’ bid to distance themselves from Al-Jazeera, claiming that it is beyond their control, people and governments alike viewed the country’s politics through this TV station, noting its stance in conflicts like Afghanistan or the dispute between Fatah and Hamas. The station’s support of Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, led other countries to accuse it of incitement.
“Recalling (Saudi, UAE and Bahrain’s) ambassadors on the eve of President Obama’s visit is clear struggle for power and influence when the Arabs really need is a distribution of responsibilities,” the writer concluded.
“Explosive threats face the region while recent events show deteriorating ties, loyalties and responsibilities.”
* Digest compiled by Translation Desk
Translation@thenational.ae