In a historic first, the custodian of Islam’s two Holiest Mosques met last week with the head of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican. This meeting as viewed in the West is hugely symbolic and reinforces the consensus that there should be more dialogue between Islam and Christianity, especially after the pope’s controversial speech at Regensburg University a little over a year ago.
Then, Pope Benedict quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who called Islam “evil and inhuman,” sparking widespread anger among Muslims around the world. The comment led to protests in Islamic nations and prompted some Islamic states to recall their ambassadors to the Vatican. The Vatican later expressed “deepest regrets” but said the remark had been misinterpreted in a way that “absolutely did not correspond” to the pope’s intentions.
The meeting between King Abdullah and Pope Benedict XVI lasted for half an hour, with both leaders speaking through interpreters. A Vatican press release later said the talks covered such themes as the “value of collaboration between Christians, Muslims, and Jews for promoting peace” and “the necessity of finding a just solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Highlighting the talks between the king and pope, the Vatican correspondent of La Repubblica said: “I think it is extraordinarily important that an official communiqué from the Vatican and an important Islamic state like Saudi Arabia mentions ‘cooperation’ between Christians, Muslims, and Jews — not dialogue but cooperation.”
“The Vatican authorities expressed their hope for the prosperity of all the inhabitants of the country, and mention was made of the positive and industrious presence of Christians,” said the Vatican communiqué about the meetings, referring in diplomatic language to the presence of non-Muslims in the Kingdom.
The article in the Vatican newspaper also stated that this meeting seemed to open the door for a new diplomatic initiative toward Islam and the Middle East. The meeting with Abdullah, said the paper, was “of great importance,” noting: “In a world where the boundaries have become day by day more open, dialogue is not a choice but a necessity.”
King Abdullah was quoted as saying in the Saudi press the day he met Benedict. “In every civilization there is a positive side that must be followed when there’s a possibility of conflict with other civilizations. The moment has come to restart proactive dialogue which destroys negative ideas and gives humanity hope for a bright future.”
These are brave and courageous steps taken by the king to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding between two great religions. And it is not simply to convey to the rest of the world the Saudi determination to remove the notion that people of different faiths cannot coexist. As Mustafa Alani, an analyst at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai stated, “These talks are more important than a meeting with any other Arab leader. The king comes from the heart of Islam.”
But it is also a clear signal to some within our own society that extremism and rejection of those other than us is wrong and unacceptable. Islam does not promote such extreme views though a few of us carry them as a banner of faith. The king’s dialogue with the pope should open their eyes.
