European Imams aim to link Islamic, Western values
More than 130 prayer leaders from across the continent, whose meeting was sponsored by Austria as current European Union president, agreed Islamic theologians in Europe must do more to establish that their faith does not clash with Western values. Their declaration published on Sunday amounted to a catalogue of home-grown moderate views that Western politicians have been urging Muslim leaders to draw up as a bulwark against radical Islamist ideologies coming from the Middle East. He said European Imams were issuing fatwas (religious edicts) dealing with modern challenges, such as condemning terrorism, instead of leaving the field open to radical Middle Eastern preachers who glorify violence on the Internet. "We have shown how to protect ourselves from fatwas from other countries," he said. "We have fatwas from Imams living in Europe and they speak for themselves." Imams, who lead Friday prayers in mosques, play an important role in Islam because the faithful often ask their advice on what the faith allows or forbids Muslims to do."This Conference of European Imams aimed to strengthen moderate voices sometimes drowned out in Muslim discussions by radical anti-Western preachers whose sermons and writings on the Internet inspire small groups of radical Muslims in Europe. "Muslims in Europe are making history," said Mouddar Khouja, a senior official of the Islamic Community in Austria, which organised the two-day meeting where several speakers urged "new thinking" to develop a theological basis for Islam in Europe."
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