http://www.arabnews.com/?page=9§ion=0&article=105103&d=30&m=12&y=2007&pix=community.jpg&category=Features
Sunday 30 December 2007 (21 Dhul Hijjah 1428)
Encouraging Historic Interfaith Dialogue
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's historic meeting
with Pope Benedict XVI in November captured world attention. (SPA)
JEDDAH, 30 December 2007 - Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah's historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Nov. 6 was
one of the highlights of his two-week-long European tour in 2007. It opened a
new era in Muslim-Christian relations as the two leaders called for dialogue
between the followers of major religions in order to promote world peace.
The Vatican meeting captured world attention. German Chancellor Angelo
Merkel commended the king for his meeting with the pontiff. "We have been
following up your meeting with the pope with great interest. It was a fruitful
meeting and we know that you support interfaith dialogue to resolve all issues
and problems," she said.
King Abdullah arrived in Rome on the second leg of his four-nation
European tour, which also took him to the United Kingdom, Germany and Turkey.
The visits were instrumental in strengthening relations with the four countries
and mobilizing their support for Arab and Islamic causes.
King Abdullah was the first Saudi monarch to have an audience with the
pope. Benedict warmly greeted the king, grasping both his hands before leading
him to a library for their brief private meeting, which lasted 60 minutes, with
both leaders speaking through interpreters.
The Vatican said the talks allowed a wide discussion on the need for
religious and cultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews "for the
promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in
support of the family." Both sides emphasized the need for a "just solution" to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
About a million Catholics, many of them migrant workers from the
Philippines, live in Saudi Arabia, home of Islam's two holiest mosques. The
BBC's Frances Harrison in Rome said the symbolism of the meeting was huge for
those who believe there should be more dialogue between Islam and Christianity,
especially after the pontiff's controversial September 2006 speech at
Regensburg University, denigrating the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Benedict's speech sparked anger across the Muslim world. Later he said he
was misunderstood and regretted offending Muslims. Since then, he has met a
number of Islamic leaders and a year ago visited predominantly Muslim Turkey.
The Vatican has said it wants to pursue a dialogue with moderate Muslims.
Marco Politi, the Vatican correspondent for the Italian daily La
Repubblica and a biographer of Pope John Paul II, said: "I think it is
extraordinarily important that an official communiqué from the Vatican and an
important Islamic state like Saudi Arabia mentions 'cooperation' between
Christians Muslims and Jews - not dialogue but cooperation."
The meeting, presaged by an upbeat front-page article in L'Osservatore
Romano, the Vatican's newspaper, was also a clear attempt by the Vatican to
repair damage done by the pope's statement on the Prophet, which the Islamic
world had seen as insensitive if not incendiary.
The article in the Vatican newspaper seemed to open the door for a
diplomatic initiative toward Islam and the Middle East. It said the meeting
with Abdullah was of great importance. "In a world where the boundaries have
become day by day more open, dialogue is not a choice but a necessity," it said.
The article also acknowledged that some weeks ago Pope Benedict had
received a letter from 138 Islamic religious leaders from 43 nations, appealing
for more dialogue between Christians and Muslims. As the weeks went by with no
response, some scholars had complained that the pope seemed slow to address an
important appeal. The Vatican allayed those fears by arranging the pope's
meeting with Abdullah.
The meeting represents a triumph of sorts for Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone,
the Vatican secretary of state, and especially for Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran,
president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Cardinal
Tauran, who previously served the church in Lebanon and Syria, is familiar with
the Middle East and has promoted greater contact with Islamic states.
"This is a historic meeting. It provides an opportunity for a meaningful
Muslim-Christian dialogue," said an Italian observer. Several people in the
media were of the view that it is important to maintain the lines of
communication at the highest level so that no misunderstanding can occur. An
Italian banker said: "This meeting will go a long way to removing misconception
that people of both faiths have about each other."
Muhammad Abdu Yamani, former Saudi information minister, commended the
king's Vatican visit and said it would open new channels to present the true
teachings of Islam to Westerners. "Showing respect to the People of the Book
(Christians and Jews) and followers of other creeds is one of the teachings of
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)," he said. The Prophet used to order
his followers to respect those who believe in other religions, not to do harm
to them and not to force them convert to Islam. "That was in response to the
clear ordinance from Allah: 'Let there be no compulsion in the matter of
religion,'" Yamani said quoting a verse from the Qur'an.
In his speech at the Vatican, King Abdullah emphasized that "All divine
religions call for doing good to others and that followers of these religions
should grasp the teachings of their divine religions for a better and a
peaceful life for peoples all over the world." The king called for a bold step
to start a multicultural dialogue where all believers will take part to
eliminate the harmful actions and bring back to humanity the bright hope of a
better future for our coming generations.
At the end of the meeting, Abdullah presented Benedict with a traditional
Middle Eastern gift - a golden sword studded with jewels - as well as a gold
and silver statue of a palm tree and a man riding a camel. The king received a
16th-century engraving of the Vatican from the pope. Abdullah had visited the
Vatican twice before as crown prince and deputy prime minister.
L'Osservatore Romano in an article published ahead of the meeting said
the spirit of the talks could be best summed up with the words: "Know each
other, know each other, know each other. Each one of us has always something to
learn from someone else."
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