King Condemns Vilifying Prophet Muhammad
www.petra.gov.jo/nepras/2006/Feb/03/30373100.htm

Amman, Feb. 2(Petra-Jordan News Agency)-- His Majesty King Abdullah II
condemned the needless desecration and injury of Islamic sensibilities such
as the recent cartoons misrepresenting and vilifying Prophet Muhammad (may
peace and blessings be upon him). '' Equally, whilst we respect and revere
freedom of speech, we condemn needless desecration and injury of Islamic
sensibilities, such as the recent cartoons misrepresenting and vilifying my
ancestor the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him),'' His Majesty
King Abdullah said in a speech delivered on Thursday before 3,000 world and
US figures.

The King added that extremists, of any religion, who teach intolerance and
violence, mutilate Scripture to advance their cause. '' We behold with
horror and disgust the recent targeting of Christian churches in Iraq,
breaking with a 1400 year tradition of Christian-Muslim friendship and
mutual acceptance amongst the Arabs of the Levant,'' The King said. He added
that Islam, like Christianity and Judaism is a monotheistic religion:
Muslims believe that there is only One God, that is the basis of everything
in Islam.

' Extremism is a political movement, under religious cover. Its adherents
want nothing more than to pit us against each other, denying all that we
have in common,'' said the King, noting that Jordan launched a religious
initiative to reaffirm traditional moderate Islam, to expose and isolate
extremism and to emphasize the common teachings of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. The principles of our Reaffirmation of True Islam were adopted by the
Organization of the Islamic Conference in Mecca last December as part of
their ten-year plan for the future of the Islamic World, King said noting
that this strikes at the very roots of extremism by denying its Islamic
legitimacy, and consolidates the traditional middle ground of Islam, to
which the vast majority of Muslims belong.

The King also noted that the terrorist operations are not a clash of
civilizations as the extremists say, but they are attacks on civilizations.
Their speech's falsity is made clear to all by the extremist bombings in the
Islamic world - in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and more. Almost
every day Muslims are killed by extremists in Iraq. Their targets are not
Christians, not Jews, not Americans or Europeans, but indigenous innocent
Muslims,'' The King added. In addition, His Majesty noted that the violence
unleashed by terrorist groups and the few who follow them stems from hatred.
They do not preach the Islam of the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings upon him. Theirs is a repugnant political ideology which violates
the principles and statutes of traditional Islamic law.

Earlier, US President George Bush delivered a speech in the opening session
in which he thanked the King and the participants over attending the event.
Bush also expressed the respect of US citizens to all religions and beliefs.
On the other hand, the participants hailed King's Abdullah's courage and His
Majesty's calls for standing against extremists. They also noted to King
Abdullah's efforts to clarify the true image of Islam and its principles.
Following the speech, the King met with a number of religious leaders, and
stressed the importance of unifying efforts to show the correct principles
of Islam, which reject violence and hate.

//Petra//030054 Local FEB 2006