The United Nations 60th anniversary summit ended yesterday, with the three-day event attended by a record 151 world leaders.  News was made mostly from the sidelines, rather than from the speakerâs podium, where a leader from each country gave a 15-minute speech. Iranâs nuclear intentions and rare Israeli-Arab contacts following the Gaza were the sideline showstoppers. Central themes did run through leadersâ speeches: The global war on terror, fighting poverty and world health. Saudi Crown Prince Sultan called for the renewal and implementation of the King Abdullah peace initiative, and for the creation of an international center to counter terrorism. Jordanâs King Abdallah yesterday called for âzero toleranceââ against extremism. He said his kingdom was working to promote moderate Islam across the globe. King Abdallah also called for the Muslim community to oppose extremist interpretations of Islam.
âJordan wants true, moderate, traditional Islam to replace fundamentalist, radical and militant Islam everywhere in the world for every single Muslim,â he said before the world body. Referring to what the Amman declaration, he sought to clarify the true nature of Islam. The king said the declaration exposed the illegitimacy of extremist fatwas (edicts) justifying terrorism, which contravene the traditional schools of Islamic religious law and are in clear violation of Islamâs core principles. The declaration also condemns the practice known as takfir (calling others apostates), a practice that is used by extremists to justify violence against those who do not agree with them.â |