UNITY

Bismillah.

The Prince of Wales gave a speech in Oxford on Islam and the Environment yesterday. The full speech can be found at – http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/index.html

Summary:

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/newsandgallery/news/hrh_makes_a_speech_about_islam_and_the_environment_707124419.html

9th June 2010

The Prince of Wales was in Oxford today to deliver a speech on Islam and the Environment at Oxford University’s Sheldonian Theatre. Bringing together two important strands of His Royal Highness’s work over the last three decades, faith and the environment, The Prince delivered the speech to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, of which he is Patron.

The central point of the lecture was the realisation of the damage which Mankind is doing to the environment and the importance of taking steps to halt it, before it is too late. He pointed out that one of the many issues of commonality between the World’s great faiths is a strong focus on protection of the environment – God’s creation. The Prince encouraged people of faith around the World to reconnect with their sacred teachings on this issue, saying that all the great faiths are rooted in an understanding of the fact that man is a part of nature, not apart from nature, and must always live within nature’s means and limits.

Detailing Islam’s teachings on this theme, The Prince noted that the Qu’ran describes nature as possessing an “intelligibility” and teaches that there is no separation between man and nature because there is no separation between the natural world and God. The Prince pointed out that this teaching is also evident in Judaism and in his own faith, Christianity. He noted that this understanding is particularly well expressed in the writings of Islamic poets and scholars, and Western poets too like Wordsworth.

In trying to draw attention to what unites faiths, rather than what divides them, The Prince said there are more similarities than differences in the approaches of different faiths.

Encouraging good relationships between all faith communities – by pointing out these similarities and common themes – has been a part of The Prince’s work for over 25 years.

In a speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 1993, The Prince identified the importance of the need for greater understanding between the West and Islam, and he today began his speech by reaffirming the need to help minority communities and faith groups integrate into British Society.

The Prince’s final point was that it is wrong to see tradition and traditional wisdom (of the kind seen in the teachings of the great faiths of the world) as backward looking. His Royal Highness believes traditional wisdom can blend with modern needs – that far from being backward-looking it is, in fact, visionary.

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