Interest in Britain’s new monarch, Charles III, has grown since he ascended the throne on Saturday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. While the 73-year-old has been in the public eye for decades, much of the attention surrounding Charles has largely focused on his doomed marriage to the late Princess Diana. However, the new British monarch has also garnered attention for his views on a range of cultural and social issues, including climate change, politics and religion. Regarding Islam, Charles has expressed his thoughts many times and has spoken openly about his admiration for the Muslim religion. Author Robert Jobson in his book Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams noted that the monarch studies the Islamic holy book the Koran and signs letters to Muslim leaders in Arabic. Here are some of his thoughts on Islam and Muslims as they relate to global issues:
The environment
Charles has been an outspoken advocate of environmental issues for decades, urging world leaders to seek immediate and long-term solutions to climate change. In a speech at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies in 2010, Charles said based on his knowledge of Islam and the Koran, “there are limits to the abundance of Nature.” “These are not arbitrary limits, they are the limits imposed by God and therefore, if my understanding of the Koran is correct, Muslims are commanded not to transgress them,” said Charles, a member of the Church of England. Furthermore, in the same speech, he added: “We share this planet with the rest of creation for a very good reason – and that is, we cannot exist on our own without the intricately balanced web of life around us. Islam has always taught this and to ignore this lesson is to break our contract with Creation.” Britain’s Prince Charles (front left) and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (right) visit the tomb of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, in the central Turkish city of Iconium November 26, 2007 [File: Burhan Ozbilici/Pool/Reuters]
Danish cartoons
During a 2006 visit to Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Charles criticized the publication of Danish cartoons in 2005 mocking Islam’s prophet Muhammad, calling on everyone to respect others’ beliefs. “The true mark of a civilized society is the respect it gives to minorities and outsiders… The recent horrific controversy and anger over Danish cartoons shows the danger of our failure to listen and respect what is precious and sacred for others. “, he said in his remarks. The cartoons sparked a debate about anti-Muslim hatred and the limits of free speech in the West.
Ramadan
At the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in April, Charles said everyone could learn “from the spirit of Ramadan”. “Not only generosity, but also abstinence, gratitude and unity in prayer that will give great comfort to many around the world,” he said in a statement. “The generosity of spirit and gracious hospitality of Muslims never ceases to amaze me and I am confident that as we enter more uncertain times … the Muslim community will once again be a source of tremendous charitable giving this Ramadan.”
Islam and the West
Charles has long advocated rapprochement between the Muslim world and the West, adding that there was a lot of “misunderstanding” about Islam in the West. “If there is great misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also great ignorance of the debt our own culture and civilization owes to the Islamic world. It is a failure that stems, I think, from the straight mantle of history that we have inherited,” he said in 1993 during a much-reported speech at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies. Charles warned that extremism should not be seen as a “trademark” of Islam and said it was “no more the monopoly of Islam than the monopoly of other religions, including Christianity”.
