Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies

"Religions are like pure rain falling on earth and nourishing life. It brings about beautiful flowers, trees and vegetation. In the same way rain is necessary for life, religion and morality are necessary to maintain peace, serenity and hope. However, the radicals and those profiting from religious differences and conflicts pollute and poison the rain. Thus, water--the source of life--turns unhealthy. It is the duty of the clergymen to keep faith pure and congregations healthy."
- The late Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro, Grand Mufti of Syria -

Joint Statement on the Danish Cartoons
By

Guirguis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary of the
Middle East Council of Churches
and
Prof, Dr. Hamid Bin Ahmad AL-Rifaie, President of the
International Islamic Fourm for Dialogue, January 17, 2006

We were informed, with great sorrow and aversion of the shameful pictures and words used lately by the Danish mass media against Islam. A matter considered as a gross attack on the Muslim beliefs and a provocation of their religious feelings and violation of their deep-rooted traditions.

While we strongly condemn these senseless violations, we stress that such devious actions are an evil source for feeding of the phenomenon of world terrorism, and a subversive horn of establishing culture of the conflict among followers of religions, and the diverse cultures and civilizations. As well as it is an atrocious manner for planting essence of enmity and hatred among people. We stand for working together to spread the culture of love, justice, peace and safe coexistence in our diverse societies and among people of all religions and cultures.

Hence, we call upon the respected Danish government and upon the world responsible institutions to reprimand the agencies that instigated this reckless religious discord, and to prevent any future irresponsible actions of this nature.

For a historical perspective of the Danish Cartoons, please also click on,

When Hate-Crimes Don the Guise of Freedom of Speech

"We Respect Your Faith"

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President George Bush in his address to the nation and the Joint Session of Congress on September 20, 2001 spoke about Islam and Muslims. Here are some of his remarks.

"The terrorists are traitors, in effect, to their own faith, trying to highjack Islam itself. I want to speak to Muslims throughout the world: We respect your faith, it is good and peaceful. It is practiced freely by many millions of Americans and many more foreign countries that America considers as friends, and those who commit an evil in the name of Allah, blaspheme the name of Allah. The enemy of America is not the many Muslim friends, it is not the many Arab friends, it is a radical network of terrorists. The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic terrorism that has been rejected by Muslim Scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clergies. A fringe movement that perverse the peaceful teaching as Islam. I ask you to uphold the values of America. We are going to fight for our principles and our first responsibility is to align by them. No one shall be singled-out for an unfair or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith." - President George W. Bush

In defense of Prophet Muhammad
In her book, Muhammad, a Biography of the Prophet, Karen Armstrong wrote:

“But the very idea that Muhammad would have found any thing to be optimistic about in the carnage committed in his name on September 11th is an obscenity, because, as I try to show in these pages, Muhammad spent most of his life trying to stop that kind of indiscriminate slaughter. The very word islam, which denotes the existential “surrender” of the whole being to God, which Muslims are required to make, is related to salam, “peace.” And most importantly, Muhammad eventually abjured violence and pursued a daring, inspired policy on non-violence that was the culmination of his prophetic career. In imagining that the holy war was the culmination of his career, the fundamentalists (extremists) have distorted the whole meaning of his life. Far from being the father of Jihad, Muhammad was a peacemaker, who risked his life and nearly lost his closest companions, because he was so determined to effect a reconciliation with Mecca. Instead of fighting an intransigent war to the death, Muhammad was prepared to negotiate and to compromise. And this apparent humiliation and capitulation proved, in the words of the Qur’an, to be a great victory (fat-‘h)....If we could view Muhammad as we do any other important historical figure we would surely consider him to be one of the greatest geniuses the world has known." - Karen Armstrong, Muhammad, A Biography of the Prophet. HarperSanFransisco, 1993.

The 100
A RANKING OF THE MOST INFUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY
By Michael H. Heart

In his Introduction in the book, The 100, Michael Heart stated:
"This book is solely involved with the question of who were the 100 persons who had the greatest effect on history and on the course of the world. I have ranked those 100 persons in order of importance: that is, according to the total amount of influence that each of them had on human history and the everyday lives of other human beings."

His first choice of the most influential persons of the world was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). About this choice, this is what he said:
"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.
Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive." He then concluded:

"It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history."

The 100, A RANKING OF THE MOST INFUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, Michael H. Heart, Kensington Publication, New York, N Y. 1992.

Saladin -- Man of the Millennium

Both Christians and Muslims admire Saladin, who has becone a celebrity of history. The Millennium issue of Times magazine (Dec 31, 1999) devoted a full artistic page of Saladin’s face for his chivalry and noble character. Saladin's traits and virtues were purely a reflection of the teachings of his faith. To learn more about Saladin, click on the title of this paragraph.

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Chairman of the Shura Council of Southern California, President of the Fiqh Council of North America and ex-President of ISNA and Director of Orange County Islamic Society

The Concept of the Accepted and Rejected, “al Ma’roof and al Munkar”

As human societies evolve, some of their actions become recognized as good and accepted and other deeds as bad and rejected. In Islam, one of the Lesser Pillars (Fardh Kifayah) is 'al Amr bil Ma’roof wa Annahi ahn al Munkar,' enjoining (Ma’roof) the doing of what is right and forbidding (Munkar) the doing of what is wrong. The Arabic word Ma’roof comes from the word Urf, which means acknowledged and admitted, and the word Munkar comes from Nukr, meaning to reject or unknown.

According to Dr. Siddiqi, a renowned Muslim scholar in North America, 'al Ma’roof' is: “Any thing known to all people as good and beneficial, such as the safety measures at home, at the work place and in traffic, penalizing the criminal, saying the truth, etc., and 'al Munkar' is any thing recognized by all people as bad and unwanted, such as intoxication, harming neighbors, committing crimes, steeling and lying.”

Dr. Siddiqi further says: “Islam is a universal religion. It accepts what is globally acknowledged by all people as good, and considers it good, and it rejects what is globally recognized by all people as bad or immoral."

Muslims in the Holy Qur’an are commanded again and again to enjoin al Ma’roof and forbid al Munkar. Here are some examples. Allah said in Chapter 3, The Family of Imran (The Family of the Virgin Mary):

“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining ‘al Ma’roof,’ the doing of what is right and forbidding ‘al Munkar,’ the doing of what is wrong.” Qur’an, 3:104.

“You are the best of people evolved for mankind, enjoining the doing of what is right, and forbidding the doing of what is wrong, and believing in God.” Qur’an, 3:110.

These principles which are rooted in the Islamic philosophy reinforce the claim that Islam is a universal faith, and that it cannot clash with any civilization. On the contrary, it agrees with people's standards; it builds on what is good and helps to eliminate what is bad and evil.

Stereotyping is Ignorance

The stereotypes and prejudices with respect to Muslims are the result of ignorance and misinformation. The evil act of a Muslim must not be attributed to the faith of Islam, but rather to the person committing the violence. Furthermore, accusing all for the ill of a few, is incomprehensible and dangerous.

A Historic day at the Crystal Cathedral,
Garden Grove, California
Shaykh Salah Kuftaro and Dr. Robert Schuller, 9/17/2000

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"Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and discuss with them in ways that are best and most gracious." Qur'an, 16:125.

This wonderful passage lays down the Islamic principles for interfaith and out-reach work. Wisdom and discretion, gentleness and consideration, are the grounds from which gracious work will surely change hearts and minds.

Meeting people on their own level and introducing Islam to them with examples relevant to their own knowledge, which may be very narrow or very wide, without dogmatic or offensive disposition, is surly a complaisance of the verse above.

The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies proudly presents a 16 minute interfaith video clip, "Making History," portraying discussions between Shaykh Salah Kuftaro, Chief Director of Abu Anour Islamic Foundation, Damascus, Syria, and Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of the Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, California and the host of the world wide TV show, "The Hour of Power." This video was aired in 200 countries around the world on 17th September 2000.

"I apologies to Islam for the Christian Crusades of 1065, let us begin a new crusade of comrade and friendship, we are in the same camp." -Dr. Robert H. Schuller

A historical and unprecedented event took place at the Crystal Cathedral, garden Grove, California on September 10, 2000. For the first time two preeminent leaders of Islam and Christianity met to share the common ground of their two faiths, which represent more than one half the world population. Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of the Crystal Cathedral and Pastor of the Hour of Power worldwide TV program welcomed Sheik Salah Kuftaro, Chief Director of the Abu Anour Islamic Foundation and the son of Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro, the Grand Mufti of Syria on both his Sunday televised services. Sheik Salah Kuftaro appeared on both the 9:30 and 11:00 services and told the 6000 Christian/Muslim/Jewish congregation, with many religious leaders: "Islam is not a new religion, but that which completes the Religions of Christ, Moses and Abraham.The fountain of these religions is Almighty Allah."

He added, Prophet Muhammad said: "We the Prophets of God are brothers, and the likeness of me and the prophets before me is like that of a beautiful building with one stone of it missing. I am the final Prophet and the final stone of this building." Sheik Salah further said: "We, Muslims and Christians are in one camp."

Regarding the Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro, Dr. Schuller remarked: "I met the Pope on several occasions. I have never met a man of such spirituality and profound wisdom as that of your father. He is a spiritual giant." Dr. Schuller then said: "Your father told me that the 17 million population of Syria are all Christians. Could you elaborate on that?" Sheik Salah said: "My father is absolutely correct. A Muslim cannot be a true Muslim if he or she does not believe in the Prophet hood of Jesus, Moses, or any prophet of God. We Muslims honor, reverence, and are inspired by Jesus, Moses, Abraham, as much as by Muhammad, and the rest of the prophets of God."

When Dr. Schuller asked his guest, "Why is it that Muslims kill Christians and Christians kill Muslims?" Sheik Salah said: "Heavenly Religions are like the rain. When the rain first comes it is clean and pure, but when it reaches people, we (people) pollute it. In Islam, we learn that no one person shall be killed for no reason," and he he recited the verse:

"If any one kill a person, it would be as if he kill the whole people, and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the whole people." Qur'an, 5:32.

Sheik Salah also said: "A Muslim must treat a Christian or a Jew with respect and kindness and in the same way he would treat a Muslim." He related that Prophet Muhammad, before he ate his meal, he used to ask whether or not his Jewish neighbor had received a portion of the food. he would not eat unless he makes sure that his neighbor had received a portion of the food.

Sheik Salah said: "A building without maintenance deteriorates fast, especially when it is abused. Likewise, the building of our faiths gets abused. We the clergymen have the duty to ensure that this building is pure, beautiful and well maintained."

Dr. Schuller then apologized for the Christian Crusader war and called on his son, Robert and Salah to start a new campaign of friendship, he said: "I Pray that you (Salah) and my son (Robert) start a new crusade of comrade and friendship, I apologize to Islam for the Crusades that the Christians started in 1065, we are in the same camp."