A Word from the King of Jordan
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
King – Muslim Community Primary Target of War Waged byTerrorists
Washington, D.C., February 5, 2015
His Majesty King Abdullah has said that the global Muslim communityis the primary target of the war waged by terrorists in the Middle East, addingthat “my region is on the front lines.”
“We have seen a few days ago the savage murder of our hero,fighter pilot Muath Kasasbeh, by the hands of ISIS criminals. Jordanians areunited in sorrow and outrage, but remain as ever committed to protect ourcountry and religion,” King Abdullah said in Washington, Thursday in anaddress at an annual meeting of religious figures and world leaders, deliveredon his behalf by Jordan’s Ambassador to US Dr. Alia Bouran.
His Majesty said that tragic events witnessed in the MiddleEast have again made clear that the threat of terrorism is global, adding:“These criminals aim to stamp out life and rights everywhere. Their hate and murderhas reached Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Australia. By the brutal killingof their prisoners and captives, they seek to hold families across the worldhostage to their cruelty”.
“This is a war the world cannot afford to lose. But to winit, all of us must be in it. To stand as partners in the fight against today’sthreats, and to go beyond, to build the conditions for humanity to livetogether in peace,” King Abdullah told his audience.
“Truly, we are called to dialogue; truly, we come togetherfor the world’s common good. In this spirit, all Jordan welcomed His Holiness[Pope Francis] when he made his Holy Land Pilgrimage last year. And the entireMuslim world welcomes the consistent statements he has made against insultingand deriding other faiths. His Holiness and I stand as one in our commitment tomutual respect.”
His Majesty said at the meeting that from his early years,he was taught that Islam demands respect and caring for others.
“Among the very names of God,” he said, “we hear: theCompassionate, the All-Merciful…. The Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings beupon him, said: ‘None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour whatyou love for yourself.’ This is what it means to be a Muslim.”
King Abdullah added: “I am a Hashemite, a descendant of theProphet Mohammad (PBUH). My father the late King Hussein taught me, byeverything he did, our traditions of service, moral courage, justice, andbrotherhood. He was a soldier who believed in peace, as I have been a soldier andbelieve in peace. This is what it means to be a Muslim. These are the values Iteach my children and they will hand on to theirs.”
In the address, the King said that more than a thousandyears before the Geneva Conventions, “Muslim soldiers were ordered not to killa child, a woman, or an old person, not to destroy a tree, not to harm apriest, not to destroy a church. These are the same values of Islam we weretaught in school as children: not to destroy or desecrate a place where God isworshipped”.
“I note with grief and outrage the recent attacks in somecountries against Christian and minority communities. This is an offenseagainst humanity as well as Islam. Arab Christians are an integral part of ourregion’s past, present and future. The Holy Quran forbids coercion in religionand commands mercy,” His Majesty said, stressing that Muslims remember how, inthe earliest days of Islam, 1,400 years ago, the Christian kingdom of Abyssiniatook in and protected Muslims fleeing persecution. “From that time till today,our world has been strengthened by our mutual respect and help.”
He added: “Jordan is a Muslim country, with a deeply rootedChristian community. Together, the Jordanian people make up an indivisible society,friends and partners in building our country. Consensus, tolerance, moderation,the rule of law: these have helped make Jordan an oasis of stability, and thesame values will ensure our future.”
The Kingdom, the Monarch said, “also takes seriously ourmoral obligations to others. Despite scarce resources, the people ofJordan have opened their arms to refugees fleeing regional violence. Jordan hastaken in thousands of Iraqi Christians since the ISIS attacks. This is inaddition to giving shelter to 1.4 million Syrian refugees. The crisis has mademy country the world’s third-largest refugee host.”
Throughout the Muslim world today, the King noted, “men andwomen are putting themselves on the line to fight hatred, injustice,sectarianism, sedition (fitnah) and cruelty. They are workingfor development, inclusion, human rights, opportunities for women and youth,healthy children, and global welfare. They are teaching young people the truthabout our faith, and giving them the tools they need for positive lives.”
In his remarks, King Abdullah stressed the need to speakout against misperceptions and those who sow hatred, saying: “The Islamophobiawe are seeing in some places is an evil and a danger not only to Muslims, butto all people. It plays right into the hands of murderers and thugs andundermines unity when our world needs it most.”