JEDDAH, 14 February 2005 — The secretary-general of the Muslim World League has called on Muslims to present Islamic solutions to the pressing problems of humanity.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki also called for intensive efforts to inculcate Islam’s moderate teachings and values in the minds of Muslim youth.
“It’s the duty of Muslims to explain to the world the Islamic solutions to human problems,” Al-Turki said in a message on the occasion of the new Hijrah year, which began on Thursday.
He said Islam, which is a universal religion, can solve the intricate problems of the modern world including drugs, poverty, insecurity and moral degradation.
Muslims must abide by the true and moderate teachings of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in all walks of their life.
“Islam urges its followers to take a moderate approach in all matters of life. It has prohibited all forms of extremism,” he added.
The MWL chief emphasized the need to strengthen Muslim unity and solidarity and enhance cooperation among Muslim governments and communities.
“We have to unify our ranks and work for integration in all our activities,” he told Muslims. “This is essential to protect our Islamic identity and confront international challenges.”
Al-Turki advised all Muslim governments to implement the Shariah and coordinate their efforts to protect the interests of the Muslim nation.
“Islamic teachings are relevant to all places and all times,” he said and urged all Muslims to study the life of the Prophet and make his teachings the basis for establishing an Islamic society.
Muslims of today must learn lessons from the life and teachings of the Prophet in order to confront modern challenges, he said. “They can restore their lost glory only by returning to God and following the Shariah,” he said.
“By following Shariah, Muslims can present the world the highest cultural values and save themselves from falling into false ideologies and deviant thoughts,” he explained.
“This will also help solve problems related to world peace and security, environment and poverty.
“The belief of Muslims in the universality of their religion and their application of its teachings in their life and international relations will protect them from the negative effect of globalization,” he pointed out.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, one of the imams of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, expressed his hope that the new Hijrah year would usher in a new era of progress and prosperity in the Islamic world.
Delivering his sermon to the thousands of faithful who packed the large mosque complex on Friday, the imam also prayed to the Almighty to make the New Year free of violence, terrorism and natural calamities.
He called upon Muslims to promote human and Islamic values and follow the principle of dialogue. However, he insisted that dialogue with others must be based on reforms “that come from within and not dictated by others.”
