Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

God Save Our Islamophilic King
The Spectator ^ | 6 May 2023

Posted on 05/06/2023 11:20:31 AM PDT by nickcarraway

He understands our faith

Britain today celebrates the crowning of a new king, but the coronation will be watched and celebrated by millions across the Commonwealth. To an extent that is often not appreciated abroad, the Queen – who was Defender of the Faith – was revered by her subjects of all faiths. In our often sectarian world, she exerted a unifying force: one that her son recognised and exemplifies.

King Charles is deeply informed of Muslim beliefs, culture and mores

Muslims in Britain and the world over will recognise, in King Charles, a monarch who is deeply Islamophilic. He has spoken about his attempts to learn Arabic in order to understand the Quran in its original script. He served as vice-patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and has spoken eloquently about Islam and the West, saying the links ‘matter more today than ever before’. He is deeply familiar with the Middle East region and is particularly interested in the archaeological work around the ancient Nabatean site Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia, a country he has visited a dozen times – more often than any other nation in the region.

My mother, who grew up in British India, loves to say that Charles III is essentially Muslim – her logic being one must first be a good Christian before one can be a good Muslim. It’s an axiom she remembers from the days of empire before we were being told that we are all engaged in a ‘clash of civilizations’. As Charles himself put it, ‘that which binds our two worlds together is so much more powerful than that which divides us’. And the Queen, my family often observed, conducted herself with the same ideals that any Muslim would admire: deeply religious, self-effacing, modest, unwaveringly dignified and God-centred. What could be more Islamic than her devoutly God-fearing conduct?

Last week, I dined with my friend (and fellow Muslim) Amra Sabic El-Rayess, at the Metropolitan Club in New York City: a Bosnian genocide survivor and now a professor at Columbia University. She reminded me that King Charles was one of the few voices speaking up for the Bosnian Muslims during the 1992 to 1995 genocide at a time when the world failed to come to their defence. Standing up for Muslims is not always a sure-fire path to popularity: Charles III didn’t seem to mind. His intervention and compassion has never been forgotten by the then-abandoned people.

At Highgrove, the carpet garden, inspired by a Turkish carpet the King treasures, is planted with many of the 54 plants mentioned in the Quran – a remarkably touching expression of regard for my religion. Middle East scholar Diana Darke has identified the decorative border on the invitation card for the Coronation includes a symbol of the folklore green man to represent renewal: to her, the green man bears parallels with the mystical Islamic figure of Al Khidr ‘the green one’, green being the favoured colour of Islam.

Al Khidr was a well-known mystical figure most likely encountered by Norman crusaders in the Holy Land where he was integral to the Sufi faith and eventually conflated with St George the patron saint not only of England but also Lebanese, Palestinian and Syriac Christians. Sufism is known to be a particular passion of the King. In today’s coronation, Charles has made sure of a role for Muslim leaders. As he once put it:

Islam and Christianity share a common monotheistic vision: a belief in one divine God, in the transience of our earthly life, in our accountability for our actions, and in the assurance of life to come. We share many key values in common: respect for knowledge, for justice, compassion towards the poor and underprivileged, the importance of family life, respect for parents. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother’ is a Quranic precept too. Our history has been closely bound up together.

King Charles is deeply informed of Muslim beliefs, culture and mores. He may be one of the few minds today that understands the ‘fetishised abstractions’ and ‘dangerous binary’ of ‘Islam and The West’ – so often deployed as a vehicle for hostility, as writer Hamid Dabashi argues in The End of Two Illusions.

As we witness the 40th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey, Muslims recognise in Charles III a profoundly Christian monarch who knows our book, is revered by pluralist Islamic leaders and understands our faith better than many of us ourselves. As Muslims, we regularly pray for those who rule or govern over us – including during Ramadan. The Islamic Hadith reminds us we follow our prophet’s example in the prayer for whoever is ‘given charge over my nation’ that may God ‘treat the ruler as he reigns’. On today’s coronation, Muslims will have ample cause to join in saying the anthem and the prayer: God Save Our King.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: kingcharles
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 05/06/2023 11:20:31 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

As Muslims, we regularly pray for those who rule or govern over us – including during Ramadan.


Really? Muslims pray for infidel rulers over them?


2 posted on 05/06/2023 11:25:13 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

Charles isn’t an infidel.


3 posted on 05/06/2023 11:26:27 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

What is the definition of infidel? Charles is not Muslim. Don’t Muslims consider all of us infidel, because we don’t accept Mohammed as the prophet and all the rest of their theology?


4 posted on 05/06/2023 11:28:52 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
‘Honour thy father and thy mother’ is a Quranic precept

That's because the Koran is a cheap knock-off of Hebrew and Christian texts, just as Islam is only a shoddy attempt at a re-boot of Judaism and Christianity.

Charles is an idiot.

5 posted on 05/06/2023 11:30:44 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

The “Green King” should be saluted with:

“God Save NetZero”


6 posted on 05/06/2023 11:31:00 AM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERBODY'S BUSINESS-REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

He understands our faith … just like the Archbishop of Canterbury who has allowed a bunch of gay, lesbian and trans freaks to destroy the Anglican Communion. That’s right in line with Islam. /s


7 posted on 05/06/2023 11:32:46 AM PDT by ConservativeInPA ("How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked. "Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually and then suddenly." )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Charles is not Muslim.

He isn't? For over 20 years, there have been long threads on how Charles is Muslim. I don't know all the info, but you can check the myriad of threads. There is much more proof that Charles is Muslim than John Brennan is, yet so many believe that to be true. Charles ex-wife was about to undergo conversion when she died, and supposedly William is to. Harry isn't.

8 posted on 05/06/2023 11:33:30 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Yes. There are two ‘’houses’’ in Islam.

Dar-al Harm means “House of War’’, that is all societies, peoples or countries not submitted to or conquered by Islam must be subjugated by war or submission to Islam. Dar-al Islam is "The House of Peace'' meaning those who have been conquered or have submitted to Islam. Anyone not Islamic in these situations is considered an ''infidel'' or an ''unbeliever''.

9 posted on 05/06/2023 11:34:19 AM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Well, this is the first I’ve ever heard, that Charles is Muslim. I never heard that members of the British royal family are in the process of converting.


10 posted on 05/06/2023 11:35:31 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Prince Charles: The Constantine of Islam?

"Did you know that Prince Charles has converted to Islam. Yes, yes. He is a Muslim. I can't say more. But it happened in Turkey . Oh, yes, he converted all right. When you get home check on how often he travels to Turkey . You'll find that your future king is a Muslim." - Grand Mufti of Cyprus

11 posted on 05/06/2023 11:35:59 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Prince Charles of Arabia
12 posted on 05/06/2023 11:37:38 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
Prince Charles of Arabia (Middle East Quarterly, September 1997.)
13 posted on 05/06/2023 11:38:13 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway; Dilbert San Diego
Charles considers Christianity inadequate to the task of spiritual restoration and denigrates science for having caused the West to lose its spiritual moorings.

I wish I could say I was surprised by that information . . .
14 posted on 05/06/2023 11:59:49 AM PDT by BraveMan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I remember the times, a few decades ago, when the Spectator would never have allowed such nonsensical drivel to be published...


15 posted on 05/06/2023 12:20:02 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is the next Sam Adams when we so desperately need him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

God help Great Britain.


16 posted on 05/06/2023 12:58:42 PM PDT by FormerFRLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FormerFRLurker

And God help the United States of America!


17 posted on 05/06/2023 1:11:02 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

I hate to say it, but the Brits will be stuck with him for a while.


18 posted on 05/06/2023 1:12:34 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

True, as of today King Charles III actually reins over the The Church of England. As did his mother Queen Elizabeth. All started with King Henry VIII. Charles is bond to England not Islam or the Koran.


19 posted on 05/06/2023 1:26:19 PM PDT by existentially_kuffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Wait until the people/subjects of England discover this information.

All hell will break and the Monarchy will END


20 posted on 05/06/2023 5:49:58 PM PDT by Karoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson