At the Centre interdisciplinaire d'études de l'Islam (UCL) dans le monde contemporain

 

 

 

Your Majesties,

Rector Blondel,

Rector De Paepe,

Excellencies,

Distinguished faculty, staff and students,

Honoured guests,

My friends,

 

Thank you all. King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, I am greatly honoured by your presence. I know the heartfelt service and devotion you give all the people of Belgium. And Professors Blondel and De Paepe and everyone here: world-class scholars, cutting-edge leaders, top young people — it is dedication like yours that is Belgium’s strength. To get the people through times of trouble, and create new hope. Your friends in Jordan are grateful to walk this path together with you.

 

I much appreciate the opportunity to visit l’UCL today. This Centre is world-renowned for its scholarship on Islam in the contemporary world. Dans le monde, this focus speaks to a vital concern – the right and duty of Muslim men and women to play an integral role in their societies and the world.

 

Today, as we fight global terror, I want to raise the alarm about the dangers of tension between Muslims and non-Muslims. And I hope to invite your partnership, in taking active, practical steps to defend the future we share.

 

Let me begin by saying something most of you know. But it is necessary for all of us to be very clear about this. The horrific bombings in Brussels and Paris are not part of Islam. Indeed, in the light of Islam, the perpetrators of these acts are criminals, not soldiers. More than a thousand years before the Geneva Conventions, Muslim soldiers were ordered not to kill a child, a woman, an old person, a priest; not to harm a church, not even to destroy a tree. I am a soldier and I will tell you, these principles hold today.

 

Tolerance, compassion, the equal human dignity of every person: these are the values I was taught, and they are what I teach my children, just as other Muslims do, in Jordan, and here in Belgium, and beyond. We cannot afford to be silent about this. We need to speak up boldly: in public life, at work and school, in social media and more. In this regard, let me praise the serious work done here at UCL on behalf of co-existence.

 

My friends,

Let us understand what is at risk. Today’s khawarej, outlaws of Islam, want to shut the doors to the future for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Their pursuit of power has victimised and displaced millions of innocents, the vast majority of whom are Muslims. Women have been enslaved, children exploited, minorities persecuted, thousands of prisoners slaughtered, tens of thousands murdered. The khawarej have stolen national resources, closed schools and destroyed global heritage sites.

 

A world in which these groups are safe to operate, can never be safe for the rest of us. They must be defeated.

 

It is, in the first place, a war within Islam. Muslim countries are at the forefront. This is our duty, to protect our religion, our values, and our future.

 

But terrorist violence is equally a global concern. We cannot say: ‘this attack or kidnapping or violence is Africa’s problem’ or ‘that crisis is a Middle East issue’. Daesh, Al Nusra, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al Shabab and others are part of one threat. To address it, we need to recognise the complex linkages and pursue a collective, coordinated response.

 

Cooperation in security and law enforcement is key, but it is only part of the answer. We need global economic partnership to support countries that are doing the right thing. And we need a new diplomatic push for global justice. The denial of Palestinian statehood is exploited by extremists worldwide. Threats to Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian religious sites and historic Arab identity have fuelled global anger. And we must address the conflicts and weaknesses that the khawarej use for cover – in Syria, in Libya, in Iraq, Africa, South-East Asia and beyond. Success will open greater strategic space to meet threats elsewhere.

 

Today’s catastrophic refugee crisis also demonstrates how our challenges are interlinked. Jordan began facing this humanitarian disaster years ago and it is having a dire impact on our people and economy. One out of every five people living in Jordan is a Syrian refugee. We host Libyans, Yemenis, Iraqis, Arab Christians fleeing Daesh persecution and more. It is as if more than two million refugees were to enter Belgium in less than five years.

 

All of us know the international refugee crisis would explode even further if regional hosts like Jordan could not fulfil our key roles. To support our sustainable development is essential. We are working closely with Belgium and Europe to address this urgent need.

 

My friends,

In all these efforts, Europe has a vital leadership role. After centuries of conflict, your people built a new future by dedicating your region to co-existence and inclusion. It is no coincidence that these values are targeted by extremists, whatever their creed. Mutual respect and mutual aid are essential to regional strength and security.

 

Nowhere is this more important than in the Balkans. This area is Europe’s frontline against extremism and first line of your defence. The entire continent – and beyond – would suffer from its instability. No one must be allowed to use religious or another identity as a cover for extremist aggression. Muslim-majority countries like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo are working hard to pre-empt any such threat. They and their neighbours need support from all Europeans. Include them in an inclusive Europe. Make them pillars of European co-existence and moderation.

 

Elsewhere in Europe, too, harmony, co-existence and inclusion remain tremendously important. Challenges to your high principles must be resisted – and in this effort, every citizen, of every background, has a role to play. Europe’s Muslims and non-Muslims need to see each other for who you are: neighbours and workmates, fellow citizens, part of Europe’s strength and part of its future.

 

My friends,

I have been speaking about Europe but what I say applies across the world, especially between our regions. What happens on one side of our Mediterranean, deeply affects the other. Europe and the Middle East have a shared role in shaping the future. It is our responsibility to set a course of mutual respect and common cause.

 

Thank you.