Quotes

Embracing diversity is a key way to counter extremism, which often arises out of the sense that there’s only one true way to live or one true religion to follow.

Education is not just shaping the minds of children. It’s implanting inside of them antibodies that would make them immune toward certain kinds of ideologies.

We are tackling the challenge of terrorism and its root causes at the source — by educating Muslim youth to reject extremist ideology, by demonstrating to non-Muslims our determination to build bridges of cooperation among the peoples, and by providing humanitarian aid to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

While the centers of Islam and the Church of Jesus Christ sit on opposite sides of the world, the values that bring our communities together could not be closer.

Baghdadi’s death is a huge loss for ISIS and an historical event for the United States and its endeavors in counterterrorism.

We tell Muslims in non-Muslim countries to respect the constitutions of the countries where they live and likewise the culture. You have to show compassion and respect for others who hold non-Muslim beliefs.

Beyond the testy politics, however, Islamic religious leaders are speaking in greater unison than ever before. The message we are advancing is one of moderate Islam, and the promotion of peace, tolerance and love.

We must put aside our differences and embrace our religious and cultural diversity.
 

As the Charter of Mecca instructs us, we must build cultural and religious ties among each other, deepen understanding between different communities, construct civilized partnerships, stand arm-in-arm against hatred and declare now and forevermore that every culture is a reflection of God's will, with an inviolable right to exist.

People of all faiths must come to appreciate common human values.

It is very important to understand and appreciate both religious diversity as well as the many common values among the religion.

As I said to Cardinal Dolan in New York, whose meeting followed my first ever trip to the Vatican in 2017, our goal is to show “how much there is that unites us and to reject the messages of those who divide us.

A guiding principle in Ramadan is the practice of thawab — that is, the necessity of performing good deeds with awareness that these are “being watched” by God. It is my sincere desire that as we continue to bridge our common human values at a level never seen before in history, through an open and honest dialogue among the world faith, such deeds and God’s watchfulness of them will secure, at last, peaceful results for all humanity.

Houses of worship must be sanctuaries of peace.

By paying my respects to the victims of Auschwitz, I will encourage Muslims and non-Muslims to embrace mutual respect, understanding and diversity.

We as Muslims must confront the problem from within, and see how our attitudes or behavior contributes to misunderstanding. This is not to say Muslims are culpable, but that we share a responsibility to make things better.

We can teach our children religion without isolating them from their communities, or erecting psychological walls between them and the majority.