TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

the appointed hour of prayers, the Patriarch bade the Caliph offer his prayers there, but Caliph Umar thoughtfully refused, saying that if he were to do so, his followers might afterwards claim it as a place of Muslim worship.’ He obviously foresaw later generations of Muslims being inspired to build a mosque on that very spot, thus setting up restrictions upon religious freedom. Umar’s discretion is all the more remarkable for being the ruler of Palestine he could have done anything he wished. A man with less insight and forethought would have regarded praying inside the Church as harmless and that could in no way be interpreted as depriving anyone of his rights. Umar, in fact, moved a stone’s throw away, and said his prayers at a discreet distance from the Church. Muslims did indeed come to this city later on, and as he had foreseen, built their mosque at the exact point where he had said his prayers. The mosque exists to this day, but presents no obstacle to Christian worship. It is true that in later times certain excessively zealous Muslims converted a number of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques. Such actions are to be deplored as deviations. ‘But such oppression was contrary to the spirit of Islam.’ says T.W. Arnold. Islam is the name given to the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith, the finest example of living up to this standard was set by the Prophet and his Companions. The deeds of later generations, judged by these criteria, will be sadly deficient in true Islamic spirit. Those who make no attempt to live up to the Prophet’s example are in no way representatives of Islam. Religious acceptance and celebrating it requires that everyone be allowed to present his thoughts, and be given a quiet hearing. The message is not to be forced upon one, but something to be gently presented. From the above it is clear that Islam stands for accepting and celebrating the differences. It inculcates the mindset that the way to prosper is to ignore the matters that divide one from others and concentrate on cultivating areas of mutual concern. Further Islam insists on human friendly behaviour and does not instill any fear into its adherents that they will lose their identity by co-operating and interacting with people who hold divergent views. In fact, Islam encourages intellectual exchange for greater learning and wisdom. o