Dr. Mithkal Natour, Jerusalem

Dr. Mithkal Natour

Professor of Islamic Law, Jerusalem

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. We are speaking about religions. What is religion? In my understanding we may put a thing to divisions. First relations between man and his Lord. This is one's own business. Second relations between man and man in which we are dealing today. In Islam there are no clergymen. So please note all the time that differences between Islam and good Muslims the clergymen behaviour (?). I think the right way to start the dialogue is to deal with the common formulas between both or three religions and then to the heavy items. Man is the best existing, he is the most valuable in this world. God has given him ail what is in the world as means for his happiness and to worship God as one and only.

All religions call for respect of man, the man and code for the safety and equality regardless of his colour or race. Religion confirms equality between those who believe in it and that everyone has certain rights. Thus injustice will eliminate and no one would be hurt. Sayings and verses in origins ascertain what we said. Our duty is to invest ail the glory points in every religion so as to bring closer the points of view, of its followers and of other religions' followers on basis of the quality people have and rights and duties, for religion is godly, religion is morality and man should treat her the same as he wishes to be treated by others. Such spiritual principles elevate him from materialistic to spiritual and bring him to a higher State of respect. Our duty is to grow these ideologies in our children. This begins at home and at school. If some exceptions that brake the rule were found we may with an increase of effort and convincing turn them to positivity. These people ought to be sieged in order to become a minority with less and less power.
Man is known for his love of the self, money and power. The difference between man and animal is reason (and is to mean ?) seeing the results beforehand. Having succeeded in bringing away these things for cultural identification we will surely have built a strong society in which people stand together in spite of being far away from each other as our world today is. Today it is a big village with nothing kept secret. We today can feel a vast movement that calls for keeping involvement in public places clean in one country and in all countries as well. An example is prohibiting the pollution of beaches of the oceans which are owned by a number of nationalities. Our world has come to a peak of materialism. In the name of self freedom good customs became destroyed and we arrived to a more animal deed. May God protect us in spite of the scientific revolutions especially in medicine. The world is shocked by a new fatal disease every now and then. Having eliminated consumption we find the malaria cases and eliminating malaria does not guarantee cholera will not knock at the door, followed by the world's most fatal disease, aids. Man realises how appalling it is when a teenager kills him in one minute. Thus we should handle our future first, our young growing good deeds and respect for others, contemplating God as the one who created our destiny when he created us. And in this way we would have built the first brick of happy society.

Thousands of years ago great philosophers thought of making such ideal societies. Plato did for example. On the other hand thousands of societies fall in vice and scarcely give their people happiness. The leaders of societies who are the righteous people and the teachers etc. are to be an example of Godness and morality so as for the people to trust them and for good deeds to become the customs and bad deeds to become exceptions. We can't force our young to behave, but should convince them to do so making them consider the difference between the results of the right and the wrong. But at the same time we are not to ignore the need for entertainment such as music, sports and the creating fun. Such activities should be organised for all ages in such a society so as to realise that goals are not achieved by force.

Nowadays our society is ruled by machines, electronics and media. Knowledge multiplies in a few years. Unfortunately we have become machine slaves, as machines do our job. Here what we fear is that our young may understand that human power separates from God's power. God says in sura 55 in the Koran, verse 33 : “...You are simple of spirits and man if you can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, not without authority shall ye be able to pass”. Human power and scientific discoveries in all aspects are infinite. Every day man discovers creatures unknown which live in perfect harmony as God wanted. If we consider man's power we ought to consider that only God has greater ability and power. Religion attempts to sow the seeds of virtue for human happiness, politics, politicians attempt to arrive at a goal wanted by a group of people. This goal is contra religion sometimes which equals between ail, discriminates a group from the other. History is full of events in which politicians try to shake trusting God, some accuse religion of being the peoples' opium, saying that spirituality is oneself, is a barrier that prevents politicians from achieving their goals. This was always so, if what a long time ago was fatal is now fruit of mankind if not of the living creature (?). Islam has called for spreading peace, growing indulgence between people, justice, human rights and content in what God has given. This brings life to arise. Islam called for this morality when God addresses prophet Mohammed and said: “... And thou sandest on an exaulted standard of character”. It helps people to love what they choose for others the same things they would choose for themselves, since people are equal and there is no difference between Arabs and Arabs. There is no slavery since people are created free, and the Muslim is the one whom others live in peace with. We are ail able to change curriculum and make there a basis of believing God, his prophecy and his books and a basis of virtue, love for others, tolerance, respect and full understanding of others, sacrifice and high morals that ostracize extremism and spread justice and peace, for God's name is peace.

Three days ago I read in a paper that the trade of sex and drugs in Holland is about 5 milliard dollars a year. Who can prevent such a thing? When we come to the end people are going to say, go against such a thing. They may be against us, these papers and everything, that television and the end are made close everything. God help us to be nearer and nearer to each other.
Thank you.

« Events to promote Peace », Brussels, the 13-14.09.1997 Organization : Non Profit Association Ouvertures a.s.b.l., Annelie Löhr-Campion, Belgium ouverturesforpeace.eu