Studying Islam

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[quote]Friday, February 9, 2007
With Antonio Ferrari
Corriere della Sera

[url="http://www.queenrania.jo/content/fromThePress.aspx?ModuleOrigID=intr&searchTitle=&yearFrom=0&monthFrom=&searchJournalist=&searchMedia=&searchOrder=0&showMore=more&itemID=1381"]excerpts from Queen rania's interview With Antonio Ferrari,
Corriere della Sera  :RANIA AL ABDULLAH,QUEEN OF JORDAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE[/url]

[i]Do you feel, Your Majesty, today in the world, in our world, and in the Muslim world, that there is the will to know each other…are you an optimist in this climate, or are you a pessimist? [/i] 
 
Queen Rania: I think that the will, will come from the need, and there certainly is a need. You know, if you look at our world today, there are so many divisions, there’s so much mistrust, there’s so much suspicion, and that is leading to a fragmented world, that lead sometimes to dangerous acts, acts of extremism, acts of intolerance, and sometimes terrorism so it is affecting our lives. I think, as I said, for societies to succeed in the 21st century, they really have to embrace diverse people from diverse backgrounds, they really have to succeed in multiculturism, and I think that need is going to be the impetus, or the reason that will make people reach out to one another and try to break through the misunderstandings. I think, you know, among the moderates, there is a will to reach out, there is a will to create bridges of understanding, [b][blue]but sometimes the moderates, their voices are sometimes not heard, and I think it is up to them to really stand up, to be more proactive and be more forceful in their message[/blue][/b], and to really drown out the voices of extremists by fostering strong bonds.

[i]Your Majesty, it Italy, in France and in other countries there is a lot of discussion about the veil, here there is a lot of confusion… a lot of ignorance what does it mean veil, perhaps we do not understand what does it mean or you were not about to explain what does it mean because I think that someone is giving the veil a political symbol, weight and not what is the veil…where do you find the problem of misunderstanding is? [/i]

Queen Rania: Unfortunately because Islam is being brought under suspicion over the last few years, people have started to look at the veil as a political issue. [blue]What is important, is the veil is a symbol of piety, of modesty, of devotion to God and sometimes a woman wears the veil because that is what is socially acceptable within her surroundings but it should never be viewed as something that can be divisive between communities and certainly sometimes I feel that there is so much judgement levelled at women based on what they are wearing. I always say we shouldn’t judge women by what is on their heads but by what is in their heads. [/blue]  
It is very dangerous when we start making assumptions about a person based on outward external façade. When I look at people when I visit the Arab world or abroad I try to pass judgement based on how they think, what they do, what their values are and not what they are wearing. It is very dangerous when you make judgements based on what they are wearing.  
 
Because a lot of the Muslim societies feel marginalized, and feel that they have not been integrated well in some of the European societies and elsewhere and because some of the authorities are looking at Islam with suspicion, unfortunately this issue has become highly politicized so it carries a lot of political symbolism and that is something we have to fight against because it shouldn’t. How a woman dresses should not have so much of a political dimension to it. 
 
It is a relationship between a woman and God and I think at the end of the day societies have to accept that in today’s world we will be different, outwardly and inwardly, but the idea is to try to create harmony nonetheless. 
 
[i]But of course we cannot accept coercion in Islam? 
 [/i]

Queen Rania: [blue]There is no coercion in Islam. In Islam you are not supposed to force somebody to believe. As I said, Islam is all about conviction, it is all about belief and if you force someone to do something if they do not believe in it then that is against the whole essence of what Islam is all about[/blue]. Islam is very much about intention and that is an essential part of Islam, intentions.[/quote]

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