Conflict between Christians and Muslims not inevitable

Christians and Muslims must go beyond coexistence, Princess Badiya bint el-Hassan of Jordan has said.

In a Biblelands lecture at St James’s Church, Picadilly, in London, Princess Badiya said that both faiths must find positive ways to cooperate and work together.

“I believe that the point, the message of all our religions is just this: God had given us this wonderful world and instructed us to look after it and each other, to be kind, decent, respectful and useful members of a diverse community. Basically, to do good,” she said.

“And what does it mean to do good? In all our various faith traditions, aren’t we taught that doing good basically means that we, as human beings, should take care of each other, especially the most vulnerable members of our societies, and that we should look after the world and the environment in which we live.

“We are all supposed to do this and it is really much more efficient if we cooperate and strive to do so together, after all, we are all in this together, whether we like it or not.”

She added: “I vehemently dispute the view that conflict between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East is inevitable … for us children of Abraham, Muslims, Christians and Jews, co-operation rather than conflict is possible.”

Princess Badiya noted that there were differences between Christians and Muslims but that they also shared some points in common.

She said: “Yes, as children from the same parents we do differ. We differ over doctrinal points and ritual practices.

“But we share what is most important, believe in an all-powerful God, and flowing from that belief in the values of equality and practical compassion.”