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05:50 GMT
WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (KUNA) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan received the Templeton Prize on Tuesday for having "done more to seek religious harmony within Islam and between Islam and other religions than any other living political leader," as detailed by the the largest annual prize awarded to an individual for exceptional contributions to affirming life's "spiritual dimension."
King Abdullah was recognized for his unwavering commitment to protecting holy sites in Jerusalem, guaranteeing freedom of worship in Jordan, hosting million of refugees, launching the 'Amman message,' and proposing the UN "world interfaith harmony week."
At the ceremony, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "His majesty brings his face to bear in a completely different areana" compared to the prize's previous winners.
"Political leadership and global diplomacy, successful international affairs depends on seeking common grounds and unifying principles. And as King Abdullah so well understands these are to be found principally in the values that bind us as one human family which mean in our spiritually and in all the great world religions," said Guterres.
"By seeking religious harmony and understanding within Islam and within Islam and other religions, His Majesty has courageously demonstrated that belief in a power greater than ourselves can bridge differences, create unity and peace stability and security," he added.
The Secretary General called the Amman Message a "remarkable initiative" as an expression of unity, mutual respect, brotherhood, friendship, and hope.
He noted that Abduallah's support for scholarship initiative fostered mutual understanding among Muslims.
In his acceptance of the award, King Abdullah said, "My country has long upheld religious mutual respect, the five prophets of great resolve as they are called in the Quran, the prophets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, peace be upon them, all have blessed this land with their presence."
"Everything you honor me for simply carries on what Jordanians have always done and how Jordanians have always lived in mutual kindness, harmony, and brotherhood. So I accept this extraordinary prize not on my behalf but on behalf of all Jordanians," he said.
He noted, "More than half of the worlds people belong to religions that hold Jerusalem as a holy city, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. For Muslims, Jerusalem stand along with Mecca and Medina as one of Islam's three holiest places, with a small multifaith heritage, Jerusalem must be protected as a unifying city of peace."
The King continued, "And I am tremendously grateful to the Templeton Prize for making it possible to further this work. A portion of the Templeton Prize (USD 1.4 million) will help renovate and restore religious sites in Jerusalem including the church of the Holy Sepulchre. And the entire remaining sum has also been donated to humanitarian interfaith and intrafaith initiatives in Jordan and around the world."
"In Islam to love god and love one's neighbor. This is the Islam that I have. In kindness and mercy, not of madness and cruelty. Traditional orthodox Islam not modern fundamentalist Islam. The Islam of forgive and let live, not of attack and nitpick. The Islam of fundamental principles not of fundamentalist details," he said.
King Abdullah added, "This is the traditional Orthodox Islam that is the faith of vast vast majority of Muslims around the world. 1.8 billion good neighbors and citizens who help build the future of Jordan and the Middle East. In the US and Asia and Europe and beyond. We are working on every continent to defend Islam against the malignant sub-minority who abuse our religion. We do this not to please our friends, not to please the world, but to please god. And as long as there is life in our bodies and faith in our hearts we will continue to do so, god willing."
In conclusion, he closed, "It is time to do all we can to maximize the good in our world and bring people together in understanding. But it begins with the struggle, the jihad, within ourselves to be the best we can be. It has been said that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. But together, godwilling, we can achieve something important, we can create the future of coexistence that humanity desperately needs. (end)
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