Islam Teaches Peace and
Compassion
Washington,
DC: Noted scholar Prof. Akbar S. Ahmed has said that Islam
teaches peace and compassion in line with the sacred Abrahamic
traditions. He laid stress on element of justice in worldly
affairs, and added, that no religion teaches hatred to its
followers.
Dr. Ahmed was speaking on 'How to tackle anti-Semitism and
anti-Americanism in the Muslim World,' at a widely attended
program at the auditorium of US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
CNN correspondent Andrea Koppel moderated the program, which
was attended by an audience comprising scholars, academicians,
students, and people hailing from all walks of life and religions.
Hatred, he stated, was the result of ignorance, as in fact
was Islamophobia, which must be equally loathed and avoided.
He called upon scholars and interfaith speakers to strive
hard in highlighting the "common bonds" among the
faithful of the revealed religions "which will be a great
service" to humanity, as it was also a pressing need
of the hour. There were "quite many common beliefs and
common Prophets" which Judaism, Christianity and Islam
have. The common beliefs need to be understood. If negativity
in practices is found, it could only be due to non- adherence
of religious beliefs.
Conduct based on unjust thinking left its scars, he said,
urging the gathering to realize that it was time to concentrate
on positive things, which could contribute to the healing
process.
In Islam, he said, there was no room for terrorism, since
such a behavior was alien to its teachings, which stood for
peace and compassion, and laid stress on balanced conduct.
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, head of Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic
Studies and Professor of International Relations at the American
University, discussed details of his recent trip to the Muslim
world where he met with leading scholars, clerics and politicians
to discuss anti-Semitism
and anti-Americanism in the region. Ahmed undertook the trip
on behalf of the Brookings Institute, the Pew Center, and
the American University.
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