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Akbar Ahmed in dialogue with Christian leader

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: The Pakistani academic Dr Akbar Ahmed rejected propaganda against Islam as a violent religion in a dialogue held over the weekend with leading evangelist Luis Palau Bio.

He said that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) always emphasised mercy and compassion, not violence. He also criticised the depiction of Islam by some of its detractors as a “satanic religion”, pointing out Islam’s Abrahmic roots. He recited Rumi’s poems about Jesus as an example of the reverence that Muslims feel toward him. He said that Islam has a global vision, illustrating that point with a verse from the Quran.

Ahmed emphasised that there is nothing in Islam that incites violence, while stressing that Muslims need justice. There is anger at the injustice being suffered by Muslims worldwide, he said. He cited the examples of Kashmir and Palestine.

The Reverend Palau said that contrary to the belief in many circles, Christians do not worship three Gods. The concept was that God chose to reveal Himself in three people, but there is only one God. He emphasised that he would like Muslims not to confuse Christianity with the West, especially Europe. He also spoke about the Christian belief in Resurrection and the need to understand it. He reprimanded those Christian leaders who denounced Islam, emphasising that “we all come from Adam and Eve, and were meant to live among each other”.

When Ahmed spoke of the hurt that Muslims have felt because of the abuse directed at the Prophet, (peace be upon him), Palau said that he found that “appalling”, pointing out that “you cannot have dialogue with Muslims if you attack them”. The meeting was held at the house of George Kettle, a prominent Washingtonian, and was attended by around 60 guests, including academics, religious figures and diplomats.

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