January 20, 2006

IN A SPEECH AT THE LAUNCH OF THE CONFERENCE ON ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS CURRICULUM: THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES EMPHASIZES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UMMAH TO SHOW TO THE WORLD THE TRUE IMAGE OF ISLAM. KING ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ: "WE HAVE TO TELL THE WORLD THROUGH OUR WORDS AND DEEDS THAT WE ARE A NATION THAT, IN ITS HEYDAYS, PROMOTED A CULTURE OF SCIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH AND JUSTICE, AND PROTECTED HUMAN RIGHTS, KEEPING AWAY FROM EXTREMISM, TERRORISM AND VIOLENCE IN DEALING WITH OTHERS." Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and on behalf of Prince Abdul Majeed Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Makkah Region, Sheikh Salih Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Al Sheikh, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, inaugurated Makkah 6th Annual Conference, organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League under the title "Islamic Religious Curriculum". A number of Islamic researches, specialists in Islamic and educational religious curricula and professors of Islamic universities took part in the event. Secretary General of MWL Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki and other scholars addressed the opening ceremony. Sheikh Salih Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Al Sheikh, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, read a speech on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. He said it is the right of every culture to teach its new generations the pillars of its culture and to protect this culture from violations and aggression. Among the serious challenges facing the Muslim nation today is what is related to the Islamic education as its enemies want to link it with a strange tie that intends to pull it away from its pillars, he said. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques reminded that we have to spell out our position based on a reasonable thinking of Islam. He called for governing reason and wisdom to protect our culture form the danger of cultural globalization. He said the Islamic civilization was spread, even during its prosper era, through science, knowledge, right, justice and maintenance of human rights away from violence and terrorism in treating others. He attributed extraordinary events now taking place by some of the sons of the Muslim nation to some extraordinary reasons and circumstances, which necessitate quick and reasonable addressing. In this way, we could face the call that falsely link terrorism with the essence of the religion of Islam, he said. He reminded that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has exerted great and successful efforts during the recently-concluded Islamic Extraordinary summit to heal differences and unite ranks of Muslim nations. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has emphasized the need for Muslims having a correct perspective of their religion, away from extremism, to play a significant cultural role in the world. In his keynote King Abdullah noted Saudi Arabia's efforts to strengthen Muslim unity and resolve problems within the Ummah (the global Muslim community). "One of the most dangerous challenges facing the Ummah and its future is something related to Islamic education, its sources and curricula," the king said in his speech. He said the wrong education would have a negative impact on the Ummah as it would deviate Muslims from a glittering cultural track to a totally strange one. "Our stands and activities should be positive and realistic ... and based on the Shariah," he said. King Abdullah said Muslims must confront cultural globalization jointly and with self-confidence. The king referred to the past glories of Islam as a guide for the future of the Ummah. "We have to tell the world through our words and deeds that we are a nation that, in its heydays, promoted a culture of science, knowledge, truth and justice, and protected human rights, keeping away from extremism, terrorism and violence in dealing with others," he said. King Abdullah said extremism and violence promoted by small groups of Muslims violated the essence of Islam and its culture. "We have to confront this (extremism) through awareness and educational programs and deal with its advocates with force and determination," he added. He also referred to the Kingdom's efforts to make the recent Islamic summit in Makkah a success. King Abdullah called on the extraordinary summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to discuss the present situation of the Ummah and find solutions for its problems. In his speech, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Al Sheikh said educating the new generation in the Islamic world was the duty of all Muslims. "If we teach our children the basic teachings of Islam and its prohibitions, they will be protected from the advocates of corruption and ignorance," he said in reference to terrorist groups. Addressing the conference, entitled "Developing Islamic Curriculum", Dr Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary-General of Muslim World League, said his organization had set an international commission to draft educational policies and plans and prepare curriculum based on the moderate teachings of Islam. "There is nothing wrong in revising the Islamic curricula to remove shortcomings and make it more effective," he said. Dr Al-Turki announced plans to organize an international forum for dialogue in a European country. He emphasized the need for a strong non-Arabic media to confront the smear campaign against Islam and Muslims. The conferees held three sessions on the first day. In the first session, the participants made an in-depth assessment of the Islamic curricula in the light of four research papers. The second session, which also debated four papers, focused on reforming the curricula. Participants of the third session discussed the Islamic education impact on justice, peace and cooperation among peoples and nations in the light of four other researches. Makkah 6th Annual Conference, organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League and held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, concluded its two-day deliberations. In a joint communiqué, the participants, including a number of Islamic researches, specialists in Islamic and educational religious curricula and professors of Islamic universities, urged the Islamic educational institutions, led by the ministries of education, Islamic Universities League, ISESCO and the International Islamic Commission for Education, to coordinate with each other in the field of Islamic religious education, the subject of the conference. They also urged them to take care of Arabic language in its capacity as the language of the holy Quran. They voiced that the basics of Islamic theology will never change, but the curricula of such teachings could be subject to reforms, development and change. The communiqué called for dialogue among civilizations of today, based on acculturation and respect of privacy rather than subordination. The statement said the Islamic nation is in need of the correct Islamic education which reminds of the Islamic ethics and values. The participants lashed out at the biased anti-Islam foreign campaign and warned Muslims and Islamic institutions from the evil objectives of this attack. The statement also warned from the dangers of cultural globalization aiming at harming the Islamic culture through portraying it as the culture of terrorism and violence, noting that the violent acts of some individuals should not be generalized as representing the Islamic culture.