Saudi Arabia calls for the “Dialogue of Civilisations”

It seems that given the recent turn of events, that Samuel Huntington is correct. Whenever different civilisations come together, conflict is inevitable. Unfortunately many of the world’s conflicts involve groups claiming to be fighting for Islam such as Al-Qaeda in the Middle East and the Jemiah Islam in South East Asia. As such, Islam has become something of a popular “Bogeyman” in the Western Media and Arab has unfortunately become synonymous with the word “terrorist” in popular Western myths. Just look at the way the Western powers reacted to the victory of Hamas in the recent Palestinian Elections. Somehow, nobody could accept that the Islamic Party of Hamas could be more capable of making peace than the secular Fatah.

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullah Ailheedan, believes that groups that commit violence in the name of Islam are perverting Islam and argues that many outside the Islamic World need to appreciate the true meaning of Islam. He says, “ Islam is about the peaceful surrender to God and in Islam we worship all of God’s prophets. We believe that Prophet Mohamed (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) is God’s last prophet but we also revere Moses and Jesus (Peace be Upon Them) as well as Prophets not mentioned in the Koran. There is no theological reason why Islam should be in conflict with Judaism, Christianity and even Hinduism and Buddhism and we in Saudi reject the idea of the Clash of Civilisations.”

As the birthplace of Islam and the host city of the Holy Mosque of Makkah and Medina, Saudi Arabia seeks to promote what is known as the “Dialogue of Civilisations.” This involves supporting groups that seek peaceful negotiations as well as hosting international summits that promote the “Dialogue of Civilisations.” Dr Ailheedan notes, “Saudi Arabia actively promotes dialogue between civilisations. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque, King Abdullah recently visited China and India while His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan will be visiting Japan and Singapore. As well as going overseas, Saudi Arabia has also hosted many visiting statesmen like Britain’s Prince Charles and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew.”

South East Asia has recently shown some worrying trends in disregarding the “Dialogue of Civilisations.” In the last year, Thailand has seen clashes between its predominantly Buddhist population and minority Muslim population in the South, while the predominantly Catholic Philippines continues to suffer from the insurgencies lead by groups such as Abu Sayef. Dr Ailheedan argues that these groups need to work with the majority in their nations to find a peaceful solution to their problems. He said, “ Everyone in Saudi Arabia, from the government to the people to the Ulmas or religious scholars believes in the peaceful surrender to God. We utterly reject the perversion of Islam by committing crimes against humanity through violence. We will always work though peaceful means to encourage governments throughout the world to take care of their Muslim populations, help them to build mosque and instruct their young in the ways of God. At the same time, we urge Muslims all over the world to become good citizens in the country where they live and become valuable to the societies in which they live.”

Copyright Tang Li (C) 2006