Asharq Alawsat covers recent comments by the Saudi Grand Mufti on the need for moderation in Islam. It also notes the conference on wastiya, ‘moderation’, to be held in Riyadh next week, that will gather senior Islamic clerics from around the world to discuss the issue.
At least part of the Saudi religious establishment is showing some understanding of the need for tolerance.
Saudi Mufti Calls for Moderation in Islam
Turki Al-SaheilRiyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz al Sheikh, reiterated his call for moderation* in Islam and condemned extremists saying, “Fanatical zeal cannot be considered part of religion, even if they [extremists] falsely pretend to be devout.”
During a meeting with the press that followed a workshop at the headquarters of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Chair for Contemporary Islamic Studies at King Saud University, the Mufti stressed the need for moderation and tolerance which he said lie between “extremism and estrangement, and excess and renunciation.”
He added that moderation “protects the youth of the nation and guides then towards the good whilst warning them against perversity, fabrication and ideological, moral and behavioral deviance.”
Furthermore, Sheikh Abdulaziz al Sheikh emphasised the importance of self-reform before embarking on reforming others. He also acknowledged the critical role played by modern technology and media in the education of the younger generation.
…
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
April:05:2008 - 20:28
Mr. Burgess,
I don’t see where the article announces any call for tolerance of other religions. They talk moderation and tolerance but there is no mention of Christianity, Judaism or Hinduism. In fact, just recently the Saudi Shoura Council rejected such a proposal. Out of fear of lifting other faiths to an elevated position of being defined as “religion”, the Shoura Council voted 77 to 33 against the idea.
Here is the money quote from the story:
Their fear of anything non-Islamic is telling.
April:06:2008 - 00:24
It’s absolutely true that some Saudis appear to be terrified at the fact that there are other religions whose believers believe just as fervently in those religions as these Saudis believe in Islam.
There is another issue that Bakri touched on, though. There is at least one hadith that suggests that the Prophet said that only Islam would be permitted in Arabia. Never mind the problems in defining ‘Arabia’ (Contemporary Saudi Arabia? The Arabia of 620CE? And just what were the borders in 620?). These people fear that they would be committing a major sin in acting opposite to what the Prophet said to do. While they may be willing to commit some sins, that one’s just too big a one, to their minds.
The point of my posting on this piece, though, is that the big religious guns are coming out in favor of tolerance. That’s both newsworthy and, IMO, a very good things. It does leave them open to criticism from the ‘right’ (if that’s the correct direction), from the more conservative, who will claim that the ones calling for moderation have been suborned or bought-off.
April:07:2008 - 19:33
I agree. Their words are newsworthy. But, actions are even more newsworthy. It’s the Grand Mufti and his ilk who are in need of moderation. This is the guy who says women driving will lead to mingling. And we know what mingling is:
The Root of All Evil