DUBAI, 8 April 2004 — Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Jarrar, a renowned Islamic scholar and an official at the Department of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Dubai, has emphasized the peaceful message of Islam.
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stressed peace on all occasions and the Holy Qur’an itself is a code of peace,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address at a function organized by Lajnathul Irfanith Tawheed (LIT) at the Marco Polo Hotel here, Dr. Al-Jarrar said the Prophet never differentiated between an Arab and non-Arab, rich and poor, and treated all people as one.
“The Prophet urged his companions to respect all other faiths and stressed the importance of living in harmony,” he added.
The event was attended by more than 250 delegates from various associations in Dubai.
Dr. Al-Jarrar asked his audience, consisting of people from various faiths, to understand the real facts of Islam and remove their misconceptions of the religion. He appreciated the efforts of LIT, which was founded by Imam Jamaliya Khaleel El-Hasaniyul Hashimiy to spread peace and communal harmony around the world by highlighting the spiritual wisdom of Islam.
M.J. Mohamed Iqbal, president of LIT, said Islam had nothing to do with terrorist acts committed by a few Muslim individuals. “Islam is a way of life which puts a lot of emphasis on moral values to create harmonious relationships between individuals,” he said.
P.V. Vivekanand, editor of Gulf Today and president of the Indian Media Forum, said: “Every one of us has a responsibility to find out the true message of Islam and save it from misinterpretation,” he added.
