Grand Mufti of Bosnia extolls Kuwait's putting forth bright image of Islam By Abdulwahab El-Gueyed (With Photos) VIENNA, March 26 (KUNA) -- Kuwait exerts exemplary efforts at putting forth a bright image of Islam in a way that serves Muslims everywhere, said Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia, in remarks he made to KUNA Monday.
Speaking here at the conclusion of a conference addressing Islam in Europe organized by the Austrian foreign ministry, Ceric said Bosnia was grateful for all that Kuwait did for the people of Bosnia in the course of the civil war period.
He came out strong for principles of coexistence and tolerance among all faiths and religions and urged adherents of these faiths to follow the path of dialogue and respect for opposing views.
In response to the notion that Islam in Europe offers a brighter image of that religion to the rest of the world, the Mufti insisted that there was no such Islam as the Arab brand or the Turkish brand or the European brand.
There is one immutable Islam, he posited, that must be propagated by enlightened Muslims in the media and elsewhere as one predicated on respect for other faiths and tolerance for counterviews. Before going off and touting Islam's major fortes to the non-Muslim world, he counseled, Muslims ought to first learn the precepts of their religion correctly and refrain from overbearing proselytism and set an attractive example to others.
Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plasnik - who took part in the conference - in similar remarks to KUNA, underlined that Islam in Europe was an indisputable reality as there are between 15 to 20 million Muslims within the boundries of the EU.
Averring the open-mindedness of European societies to all religions and faiths, she deplored attempts by any one religion to ramrod its tenets down the throat of others not amenable to those tenets.
Europe upholds principles of free practice of one's chosen faith, free speech and respect of opposing views, she emphasized while underscoring the role of the UN in bringing closer the multiplicity of religions and civilizations coexisting in the world today. (end) amq.ajs KUNA 261603 Mar 07NNNN