JEDDAH: Internal and external challenges faced by Islam are being discussed at a conference of Islamic affairs and endowment ministers from the member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that is currently under way in Jeddah.
“The most dangerous challenge faced by Muslim countries is linking Islam with terrorism and violence and dubbing it an obstacle to progress,” said Syrian Minister of Endowments Muhammad Abdul Sattar Al-Sayyid, who chaired the sitting yesterday.
Al-Sayyid added that misconceptions about Islam are compounded by some ignorant Muslims preaching ideas foreign to Islam. He also drew participants’ attention to the Western media tendency to malign Islam unjustifiably.
While presenting his paper, Salim Abdul Jaleel, deputy minister at the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, stressed the need to appoint religious affairs attachés at the embassies of Muslim countries in the West.
“These attachés should be assigned to monitor Muslim issues in those countries and undertake tasks to project the correct image of Islam in order to dispel misunderstandings,” said Abdul Jaleel.
“The attachés should also be tasked with recording accusations against Islam in the country where they work and reporting them to the concerned authorities for necessary action,” the Egyptian official added.
Abdul Jaleel also proposed setting up of Islamic media centers in non-Muslim countries to deal with anti-Islamic campaigns and other problems.
The Egyptian minister stressed the need to study allegations against Islam and prepare refutations in all languages for online circulation.
He said the internal challenges against Islam include the spread of evil ideas under the guise of Islam with the aim of corrupting pure Islamic principles with un-Islamic ideologies.
He also pointed out the dangers of permitting unqualified organizations and people to speak on behalf of the Muslim community, something that leads to chaos and confusion.
He further warned against frequent media attempts to attribute extraneous ideas to Islam as though they are part of Islamic creed.
Abdul Jaleel’s solutions included offering intensive training in modern issues to students of religious institutions and religious preachers.
They should also be trained on methods of countering ideological and media attacks against Islam, he added.
He said Islamic propagation should focus on principles of toleration and respect for others and give less emphasis on differences amidst Muslim scholars. His suggestions also included the setting up of religious commissions to coordinate the activities of all religious establishments and groups in Muslim countries.
