Hmm...I don't understand why Americans would be so intolerant...
Posted on 10/31/2005 7:37:20 AM PST by laney
The Prince of Wales will try to persuade George W Bush and Americans of the merits of Islam this week because he thinks the United States has been too intolerant of the religion since September 11.
The Prince, who leaves on Tuesday for an eight-day tour of the US, has voiced private concerns over America's "confrontational" approach to Muslim countries and its failure to appreciate Islam's strengths.
The Duchess of Cornwall will accompany her husband
The Prince raised his concerns when he met senior Muslims in London in November 2001. The gathering took place just two months after the attacks on New York and Washington. "I find the language and rhetoric coming from America too confrontational," the Prince said, according to one leader at the meeting.
It is understood that Prince Charles did not - and does not - believe that the actions of 19 hijackers should tarnish the reputation of hundreds of millions of law-abiding Muslims around the world.
Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Bar, was also at the meeting at St James's Palace. "His criticism of America was a general one of the Americans not having the appreciation we have for Islam and its culture," he said.
Mr Mahmood and other Muslims present stressed that Prince Charles did not go so far as to criticise the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. More recently, he has been careful not to express his views on Iraq.
The Prince also spoke of his sympathy for America after the terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people. He said he wanted to promote better relations between the different religions of the world.
Those present at the meeting in 2001 included Sir Iqbal Sacrani, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, and Hashir Faruqi, the chief editor of Impact International, an Islamic affairs magazine.
Prince Charles, who is about to embark on his first official foreign tour since his marriage to the Duchess of Cornwall, wants Americans - including Mr Bush - to share his fondness for Islam. He has agreed to attend a seminar on religions at Georgetown University, Washington, on Thursday: the only event where he will not be accompanied by the Duchess.
"The seminar will look at how faith groups can alleviate social problems in their community," a royal aide said.
The Prince and Duchess will attend a lunch and dinner with President Bush and his wife, Laura, at the White House on Wednesday.
Prince Charles has done more than any other member of the Royal Family in history to understand Islam. He said in 1994 that when he became Supreme Governor of the Church of England, he would rather be "defender of faiths" than "defender of the faith".
A year earlier Prince Charles made a speech, acclaimed throughout the Arab world, on relations between Islam and the West. He urged the West to overcome its "unthinkable prejudices" about Islam and its customs and laws.
He spoke warmly of the West's debt to the culture of Islam and distanced moderate Muslims from misguided militants. "Extremism is no more the monopoly of Islam than it is the monopoly of other religions, including Christianity," he said.
A senior aide to Prince Charles said yesterday: "The Prince has never promoted political messages around religion. He has simply said that he wants a greater tolerance and understanding of each other religions which will, in turn, promote better relations between faiths."
A spokesman for Clarence House declined to discuss the Prince's comments four years ago. "We never discuss private conversations," he said.
Prince Charles has been wooing the US media ahead of next week's tour when he will visit New York, Washington and San Francisco. It is considered a risky venture because Diana, Princess of Wales, who died eight years ago, was so revered in the US.
In an interview to be shown on CBS's 60 Minutes today, he speaks of his desire to enrich people's lives through his work. "I only hope that when I am dead and gone they might appreciate it a little more," he jokes.
Hey Chuck, don't lecture across the pond until you glance across the channel.
No wonder we threw the royalty out way back when - jeeeez!!!
Bush should refuse to meet with this jackass.
Yeah - that would be more along the lines of this:
Saudi Arabia - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bibles are illegal. Churches are illegal.
Yemen - Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims and forbids conversions. The Government does not allow the building of new non-Muslim places of worship.
Kuwait - Registration and licensing of religious groups. Members of religions not sanctioned in the Koran may not build places of worship. Prohibits organized religious education for religions other than Islam.
Egypt - Islam is the official state religion and primary source of legislation. Accordingly, religious practices that conflict with Islamic law are prohibited. Muslims may face legal problems if they convert to another faith. Requires non-Muslims to obtain what is now a presidential decree to build a place of worship.
Algeria - The law prohibits public assembly for purposes of practicing a faith other than Islam. Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature for distribution.
Jordan - Has the death penalty for any Muslim selling land to a Jew.
Sudan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death.
Pakistan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims. Christians regularly put in prison for charges of blasphemy.
There really is no reason for the British monarchy anymore at all.
Kipling is puking in his grave.
Hmm...I don't understand why Americans would be so intolerant...
perhaps the prez opught to remind chucky-poo of the subway bombings and ask if chucky-poo might be underestimating the muslim threat?
he might also ask what chocky-poo has done with his piggy bank.
And we should listen to a in-bred remnant of a monarchy, (of all things), because... ?
I would like to know what ISLAM Strengths are???????
And we do so value Chucky's opinion...
Good grief! Just like his traitorous great uncle who stepped down from the throne to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson. Claptrap traitorous Charlie needs to withdraw in favor of his son.
Intolerance ? I find nothing more "unthinkingly prejudiced" than a bomb set off by Islamic terrorists in a civilian setting.
When Christians start terrorizing Muslims in the same way, I'll get concerned. Until then the Prince can stuff it...
Hey Chuckie, if it wasn't for us Yanks, who'd be your Daddy??????
The way things are going, he will wear a turban, not a crown, when he gets the throne. And given the way Tony Blair has been going, Parliament will go right along with it.
I just can't understand why the Euroweenies don't get that we have nothing against any religion (as evidence, there are millions of Muslims living here in peace, good citizens of our society, integrated to a much larger extent than in Europe, and they are not being persecuted in the least), but we do get touchy when a bunch of fascist wackos take down our buildings and kill innocent people sitting in their offices, and use their religion as an excuse for their actions.
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