EPP-ED Group:

Politics and Religion

Islam

Brussels, 23 April 2002

Meeting between representatives of the World Islamic League and the EPP-ED Group

At the invitation of the Presidency of the Group of the Europan People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, a delegation of twentytwo persons of the World Islamic League met with Group Members including Mrs Tokia Saifi MEP and Group Chairman Hans-Gert Poettering on Tuesday 23 April 2002, in the European Parliament.

The delegation was led by HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Al Turki, Secretary General of the League. Among the delegation was HE The Grand Mufti of Sarajevo, Dr Moustapha Ceric.

Please find below the text of the welcome address by the Group Chairman and a note on the reply by HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Al Turki:

Remarks made by Hans-Gert Poettering (translated from the French text)

"Your Excellency, Mr Nassir Alassaf, Doyen of the Ambassadors of Arab states accredited to the European Union and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia!

Your Excellency, Dr Abdullah Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the World Islamic League and Chairman of the Delegation!

Your Excellencies and Representatives of the World Islamic League!

Colleagues in the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

"After the attacks of 11 September 2001 what should be the dialogue between Europe and the Arab-Muslim world?"
This is a fundamental question which we put to the ambassadors recently.

This is a question that we put again to representatives of World Islam, representatives whose spiritual authority is substantial, a factor which enables us to look together for a response.

At the start of the third millennium, prodigious developments in international communications enable fruitful exchanges among peoples, a meeting of cultures and dialogue between religions.

Moreover, in diverse regions of the world remarkable progress has been achieved in this sense.

Alas today a divide is once more opening-up between a great part of European opinion and Muslim opinion.

If such an evolution continues, it could have tragic consequences for the future of the world.

Europe and Arab-Muslim countries, with lucidity and wisdom, have taken on board the true dimension of the tragedy of 11 September 2001, and the consequences of it for each side.

Europe has expressed its strong will for a coming together and for a partnership with the Mediterranean peoples. This will must find its expression soonest in a joint project.

For this part, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Abdallah ben Abdul Azziz , took a courageous initiative, when he proposed a peace plan to try to settle the conflict in the Middle East. Europe supports this initiative.

Indeed, globalisation is pushing us towards the need to establish a large geo-strategic space between Europe and the Arab-Muslim world.

This space for exchanges and for dialogue would be founded neither on linguistic unity, nor on a community of faith, nor on geographical continuity, nor on shared history.
This space would be constructed on the sole desire to work together for the wellbeing of peoples, of all peoples.

When they know one another better, believers in the great monotheistic religions should be able to find in their faith a calling to search together for paths of justice, of peace and of shared prosperity.

At the same time believers in One God should be beacons of spiritual light about life, happiness, suffering and death.

At Assisi a Muslim religious leader issued the following invitation:
"Let us listen to the appeal of those who do not resign in front violence and evil. Let us show the desire to make all possible efforts to offer men and women of our time real hope of justice and peace."

Henri Teissier, Archbishop of Algiers, gives us the Christian response, when he said:
"My studies of dialogue between monotheistic religions will not bear all their fruit without a commitment by Christians and Moslems to build together truth, justice and peace."

More recently, the Pope recalled this truth:
"Peace does not exist without justice. Justice does not exist without pardon."

This message is addressed to all of us, Christians and Moslems, who on account of our responsibilities are concerned with the burning issues of our time.

History invites us today to draw our energies together in order to attain together peace and development for everyone."

Note of remarks of HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Al-Turki, Secretary General of the World Islamic League,

Dr Al Turki began by thanking the Chairman for his initiatives for dialogue with Islam, initiatives which bore hope for cooperation between Arabs and Europeans. The delegation of the World Islamic League represented Muslim societies and individuals among whom peace and coexistence were always preached. A central preoccupation of the League related to the notions of Islam found among people in Europe. The delegation wanted to correct the image pf Islam and to explain themselves as Moslems.

Wise and well intentioned people had to condemn the events in the USA as something that was wrong. The factors underlying these events had to be corrected. It was not enough to lament and condemn these events. Everyone had the task to study the causes of what had happened and to remedy them.

The Islamic perception was that every human person belonged to the one Father. This belonging meant that obstacles in the way of cooperation and prosperity for everyone had to be removed. Europe and the Arab region were close, such that political and economic cooperation had become longstanding traditions. These traditions could be found, for example, in the universities of the Arab world and of Europe.

Europe was driven by the noble principles of democracy and liberty, principles which generated the need to for Europe to forge partnerships for the welfare of the individual and for the care of the poor. Such aims were ordained by God and expressed in the Koran.

The League was a NGO with strong relationships with governments, using such relationships to gather support for the foregoing aims. The League was especially attentive to the situation of Muslims in Europe. The League insisted that Muslims had to be part of their host society and obedient to the laws of the state. The League was maintaining contact with diaspora Muslims and was advising them on their integration into society. There could not be any provocation in religious matters. The League accepted responsibility to offer this guidance. Nowadays there was a misuse of religious principles for certain aims. The League did not believe that clashes and strife were religious in origin. One of the causes of this problem lay in the neglect of the priority that should be accorded to religion.

Referring to the peace plan tabled by Crown Prince Abdul Azziz, since adopted by the Arab states, it had been rejected by the Israelis. The subsequent massacres were a consequence. He appealed to Europeans to help the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The League felt that the European Union and the European Parliament had the influence to progress peace and justice in the region.The League was ready to cooperate with the Group in organising conferences and symposia.