This Article was published in
www.onislam.net (Posted on Sunday, 18 Sep 2011)
CAIRO – A prominent Britain-based Muslim scholar announced his plans to issue
a historic global peace declaration next week in London, protesting against terrorism
and educating the whole world against anti-Muslim racism and xenophobia.
“We want to give the message to the whole of the Muslim world … that this is
Islam and what it stands for: peace, harmony, tolerance, moderation and love and
compassion for humanity,” Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri told The Independent on Sunday,
September 18.
“This message will go out all over the world, from coast to coast.”
The peace declaration would be announced during the ‘Peace for Humanity Conference
2011’ at Wembley Arena next Saturday.
It will call for an end to terrorism and for the protection of human rights in
new Arab regimes.
It is expected to be signed by major religious and political leaders, including
David Cameron and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The announcement celebration would also be attended by Tariq Jahan, whose son
was killed in the Birmingham riots.
Qadri said the “historic document” was needed a decade after 9/11 to ensure that
the Arab Spring became an opportunity for democracy and upholding of human rights.
In addition to terrorism condemnation and upholding human rights, the declaration
calls for supporting interfaith relations between the Muslim world and the West.
“Number one will be the absolute condemnation of terrorism; number two the protection
of complete human rights, as it is seen in the Western world and endorsed by the
United Nations,” Qadri said.
It will also call for “support for the concept of humanity and fraternity between
all cultures, religions and human beings”; “democracy and good governance in the
Muslim world” and “total ecological and environmental responsibility”.
The influential Pakistani scholar, who lives in Canada, has issued a fatwa last
May condemning suicide bombings as a brazen violation of peaceful Islamic tenets.
Known for his unequivocal condemnation of terrorism, Sheikh Qadri has issued
several fatwas against suicide bombings and violence against innocent people.
He is famous for his emphasis on promoting integration and interfaith dialogue
to tackle Islamophobia in the West.
End Xenophobia
Among the events planned for the day, the influential scholar would hold the
first collective cross-religious peace prayer instigated by a Muslim.
“Mankind is burning now in a fire of hatred and fanaticism and aggression and
terrorism,” said Sheikh Qadri.
“The peace prayer is another way to show that all religions can come together
to pray for global peace.”
The last collective peace prayer was called by the late Pope John Paul in Assisi
a decade ago.
These events would help in stretching new bridges between Muslim world and the
West.
“We want to emphasize education to bring an end to extremism, violence, hatred
and racism,” he said.
“To educate the Muslim people and youth and at the same time educate the West
so that the hatreds are removed.”
These connections can only be sustained through condemning xenophobia which mars
the West relation with its Muslim population.
“We will be condemning every kind of racism and xenophobia and we will support
all Muslims living in Western countries to have integration and citizenship and
we will condemn isolation,” Sheikh Qadria added.
Muslims in Europe and America have been suffering from bigotry and Islamophobia
over the past decade.
For example, British Muslims, estimated at nearly two million, have been in the
eye of storm since the 7/7 attacks.
A Financial Times opinion poll showed that Britain is the most suspicious nation
about Muslims.
A poll of the Evening Standard found that a sizable section of London residents
harbor negative opinions about Muslims.
