Jordan's Prince Hassan Hosts Muslim Conference in London
LONDON, Oct 25 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan is set to host a conference this week in London to discuss the Muslim response to last month's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the subsequent military action.
The BBC's online news service reports that the conference, set to be held on Thursday, will examine the causes of international terrorism, the adequacy of international law against terrorism, intelligence gathering and the impact of U.K. anti-terrorism laws on the Muslim community.
Prince Hassan is reportedly eager to emphasize that the attacks on New York and Washington should not be blindly associated with Islam.
Muslim clerics and the greater community in the U.K. have condemned the attacks, but associations between Islam and terrorism continue, said BBC.
The former crown prince heads Jordan's Royal Institute of Inter-Religious Studies. His goal is for conference participants to reach an agreement on shared ethical values and the creation of an international parliament that could legislate a global code of ethics.
Last week - while addressing the Roman Catholic lay community of Sant'Egidio in Rome on the theme of "Civilization at the crossroads: clash or cohabitation" - Prince Hassan said that the cultural task of reconciling Islam and the West could be as great as the reunification of Germany.
Commenting on U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan, Prince Hassan said the Muslim community feared an escalation of the conflict to other countries, such as Iraq.
"The more time passes," said Prince Hassan, "the more images we see of Afghanistan and the less we understand what are the strategic objectives."
