Violent uprisings in the Arab world are un-Islamic and the work of the devil, said one of Lebanon's senior spiritual leaders at a major conference in Bahrain, explaining that that was because they result in death and destruction.

Grand Mufti of Lebanon Shaikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbany was addressing the 'Civilisations in Service to Humanity' conference, which ends today at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain today (May 7), reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

He told participants that Islam forbade people from turning against their rulers because it led to "chaos and killing".

"Through our princes, kings and presidents, God will lead us and help us fix the people so we shouldn't shun or leave our leaders because we think they made a mistake," he said.

"Islam has forbidden the action of going against the ruler because the result will be chaos and killing each other, so to do so is against the teachings of Islam. The evidence is clear as we can see today in Iraq and Syria.

"If the ruler is bad in part or all of his rulings and he kills people, then we should communicate with each other and tell the ruler as the pharaohs told the witches who were brought to challenge Moses.

"When the pharaoh said he would kill and crucify all of them, the witches said they only feared God. With any call to God we should also call to the ruler to facilitate."

The three-day conference yesterday featured sessions related to the manifestation of extremism and hatred.

Shaikh Qabbany, who made his comments during a session called 'Hate Speech and the Negative Effect on People from Different Civilisations', blamed the devil for the emergence of hatred and said people should fight the urge to use violence against their own governments.

More than 300 religious figures and scholars from more than 80 countries are attending the conference, representing a multitude of faiths and aiming to promote a message of peace and religious understanding.

They include Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Fareed Almeftah, who said people used religion to incite hatred for personal gain - telling people their actions would bring them closer to God.

"All wars were started and innocent victims were killed because of the wrong upbringing, ignorance and deviated conceptions of religion," he said.

"Hatred in speech is based on religious interpretations that abuse religion and change its message for people's own personal interest - be it political or economic. That is the origin of sectarian extremism; those who use simple phrases like 'I am better than you', 'I am on the right path and you are not', 'if you are not with me then you are against me' - those are the people inciting hatred.

"The message of Islam is based on fairness and tolerance that calls on people to be constructive in finding solutions to conflicts, with respect for people's stances and ideologies. This is done through dialogue which will open a new era of communication that will breed love, not war; coexistence and diversity instead of burning; justice instead of harshness; and understanding instead of hate,” Dr Almeftah added.

Meanwhile, expert panel discussions touched on the event's four major themes: the principle of human rapprochement and its impact on the welfare of humankind; the role of religious, educational and media institutions in promoting human relations; the contribution of civilisations throughout the history of humankind; and co-existence among different civilisations within the same country.

UN Information Centre director Nejib Friji called the conference "a step forward, following the different high-level meetings that have been held all over the world, to consolidate dialogue among cultures, religions and civilisations". He expressed hope that the outcomes of discussions would enhance the alliance of civilisations, and deliver the UN's goals of peace, security and development. – TradeArabia News Service

Arab uprising, Shaikh Qabbany, Grand Mufti
            
Arab uprisings 'work of devil' says Grand Mufti


Violent uprisings in the Arab world are un-Islamic and the work of the devil, said one of Lebanon's senior spiritual leaders at a major conference in Bahrain, explaining that that was because they result in death and destruction.

Grand Mufti of Lebanon Shaikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbany was addressing the 'Civilisations in Service to Humanity' conference, which ends today at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain today (May 7), reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

He told participants that Islam forbade people from turning against their rulers because it led to "chaos and killing".

"Through our princes, kings and presidents, God will lead us and help us fix the people so we shouldn't shun or leave our leaders because we think they made a mistake," he said.

"Islam has forbidden the action of going against the ruler because the result will be chaos and killing each other, so to do so is against the teachings of Islam. The evidence is clear as we can see today in Iraq and Syria.

"If the ruler is bad in part or all of his rulings and he kills people, then we should communicate with each other and tell the ruler as the pharaohs told the witches who were brought to challenge Moses.

"When the pharaoh said he would kill and crucify all of them, the witches said they only feared God. With any call to God we should also call to the ruler to facilitate."

The three-day conference yesterday featured sessions related to the manifestation of extremism and hatred.

Shaikh Qabbany, who made his comments during a session called 'Hate Speech and the Negative Effect on People from Different Civilisations', blamed the devil for the emergence of hatred and said people should fight the urge to use violence against their own governments.

More than 300 religious figures and scholars from more than 80 countries are attending the conference, representing a multitude of faiths and aiming to promote a message of peace and religious understanding.

They include Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Fareed Almeftah, who said people used religion to incite hatred for personal gain - telling people their actions would bring them closer to God.

"All wars were started and innocent victims were killed because of the wrong upbringing, ignorance and deviated conceptions of religion," he said.

"Hatred in speech is based on religious interpretations that abuse religion and change its message for people's own personal interest - be it political or economic. That is the origin of sectarian extremism; those who use simple phrases like 'I am better than you', 'I am on the right path and you are not', 'if you are not with me then you are against me' - those are the people inciting hatred.

"The message of Islam is based on fairness and tolerance that calls on people to be constructive in finding solutions to conflicts, with respect for people's stances and ideologies. This is done through dialogue which will open a new era of communication that will breed love, not war; coexistence and diversity instead of burning; justice instead of harshness; and understanding instead of hate,” Dr Almeftah added.

Meanwhile, expert panel discussions touched on the event's four major themes: the principle of human rapprochement and its impact on the welfare of humankind; the role of religious, educational and media institutions in promoting human relations; the contribution of civilisations throughout the history of humankind; and co-existence among different civilisations within the same country.

UN Information Centre director Nejib Friji called the conference "a step forward, following the different high-level meetings that have been held all over the world, to consolidate dialogue among cultures, religions and civilisations". He expressed hope that the outcomes of discussions would enhance the alliance of civilisations, and deliver the UN's goals of peace, security and development. – TradeArabia News Service