I caught a speech on C-Span that looked pretty extraordinary. A Catholic Cardinal and a Jewish Rabbi praised Muslim King Abdullah II of Jordan in the name of Allah.
The Washington Post reports it: Jordan's Abdullah II made a bold stance for moderate Islam yesterday in a speech at Catholic University. He called for the quiet majority of Muslims to reclaim their religion from violent extremists.
...Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington told the king that "you have said things that we have looked forward to hearing from major Muslim leaders" and, in a reciprocal gesture, offered a concluding prayer "in the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate."...
...Abdullah's appearance at Catholic University came on the first day of a 10-day visit to the United States and the United Nations General Assembly. Aides said a primary goal of the visit is to discuss the Amman declaration and common religious values with Catholics, Protestants and Jews, including a speech tomorrow at New York's Riverside Church and a question-and-answer session Sept. 21 with U.S. rabbis in Washington...
...Rabbi Marc Gopin, a professor of diplomacy and conflict resolution at George Mason University, said he believes that Abdullah has "put his own gloss" on the Amman declaration, an "internal Muslim document" that included "a pretty far-right section" critical of the United States and Israel. But Gopin said that, nevertheless, "what I heard today was quite wonderful and bold."
Quoting from the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Gospels and the Koran, Abdullah said all three faiths teach "devotion to the One God and love for our fellow human beings." He called for a "dialogue of deeds as well as words" and said that the "road of moderation, and respect for others, is not one for Muslims alone. All humanity today needs to meet this challenge. That means more than just 'tolerating' each other; it means real acceptance, based on human equality and fellowship."
A dialogue of deeds as well as words. A road of moderation and respect for others is a challenge for Muslims and all of humanity. Huh. Was that leadership we just saw? I hope this hits the papers tomorrow, but being good news, it's likely to be buried inside the front section.