Iraqi Church leader applauds idea of EU-like Muslim Union

(Vatican Radio) The Grand Imam of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Muhammad Al-Tayyeb, and other Islamic leaders will be participating in an international interfaith conference organized by the Sant’Egidio Community in Florence 8-9 June.

In an interview with an Italian daily ahead of the meeting, Al Tayyeb called for a union of Muslim countries based on the example of the European Union as a response to the Caliphate that the so-called Islamic State militant group wants to create.

Tracey McClure spoke to Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda whose diocese of Erbil, Kurdistan has welcomed tens of thousands of Christians and other refugees fleeing persecution by ISIS.  She asked him how much support would a Muslim Union have in the Arab world and would it resolve the conflicts in the region?

“I am pleased to hear these statements and it’s a courageous statement by Al Azhar and I think we need also not just to hear these statements, [but also] see ways of realizing these initiatives,” Archbishop Warda says. 

More courage needed to acknowledge the victims

“I would like also to ask [Al Azhar], being a very influential Islamic voice, not just to condemn the acts of Daesh [ISIS] by saying it’s damaging the reputation of Islam.  I would like them also to mention specifically the victims of ISIS and Daesh in their statements – which I don’t see that much.”

“The Islamic world has to see that what’s being done to other people is not just damaging the reputation of Islam, it’s really killing the lives of innocent people,” stresses the Archbishop.  “And I don’t see these words in the statements coming [through forcefully] enough.”  

Unless the Islamic world recognizes the victims, he affirms, “they will not see the whole truth.  Part of the truth is that there are people being killed.”

Shia and Sunnis are also being slaughtered, says Archbishop Warda, “and [Muslims] have to talk about that also - all the innocent people being killed – no matter if they’re Christians, Yazidis, Shia, Sunna… the victims should really be highlighted with very [tough] words.”

Taking a strong stance against the violence and acknowledging the victims, Archbishop Warda adds, will be “a message to the coming generation[s]” that  “not just the image of Islam[is damaged by actions of extremist groups like ISIS],” but also human beings.

We must work together to educate all to respect the other, the Archbishop adds, warning that only in this way can one hope to prevent the emergence of other fanatical groups that may one day follow ISIS.