Qaradawi hailed the deceased pontiff as a man who served his faith with utmost sincerity.

Cairo, Egypt—Muslim scholars and leaders from the four corners of the world were united Sunday, April 3, in praising late Pope John Paul II’s tireless efforts to build bridges of confidence between the Catholic Church and Islam.

Prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi hailed the deceased pontiff as a man who served his faith with utmost sincerity.

The Dublin-based International Association of Muslim Scholars (IAMS), of which Qaradawi is chairman, sent a cable of condolences to Vatican Foreign Minister Angelo Sodanoand.

“He (the pontiff) was a man of peace who stood firmly against the (US-led) Iraq war and the Israeli separation wall,” read the cable, a copy of which was sent to IslamOnline.net.

The IAMS, which groups 200 Muslim scholars from around the world, prayed to God to show mercy on the pope and “reward him for the services he done to his religion and humanity.”

The pontiff, who died Saturday, April 2, in his bed surrounded by his closest Polish aides, had warned the US that its forces in Iraq were damaging efforts to bring religions together and its Mideast policies were not helping the cause of peace.

On the US war on terror, he said: “The fight against terrorism must not be purely repressive and punitive” but “must also proceed from the elimination of its causes, which are rooted in injustice.”

Inter-Faith Advocate

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi hailed the late pope as a partner in promoting inter-faith dialogue.

“The death of the pope is a great loss for the Catholic Church and the Muslim world,” said Tantawi, who heads the highest seat of learning in the Sunni world.

“He was a man who defended the values of justice and peace and worked for the victory of relations between the Muslim and Christian peoples based on friendship and love,” he added in a statement.

“We supported the pontiff’s in many of his wise stances, especially his firm opposition to the war on Iraq,” said Tantawi.

“The pope stressed during a visit to Al-Azhar that all divine faiths advocate peace work for the security and welfare for all people.”

Sheikh Tantawi hoped Pope John Paul’s successor would pursue the same path of peace and justice.

Grieving the loss of the pope, Al-Azhar reaffirmed commitment to dialogue with Vatican on promoting understanding between Islam and Christianity.

“Pope John Paul II was a unique example in spreading peace and tolerance among all peoples. He was also a staunch supporter of justice and peace,” Sheikh Fawzi El-Zefzaf, the chair of Al-Azhar Inter-Faith Permanent Committee, told IOL.

He said the pontiff’s death “should not influence dialogue between Al-Azhar and the Vatican as the two sides are still committed by their 1998 agreement”.

The pope visited Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Egypt during his 26-year-tenure.

Bridges of Trust

Hasyim Muzadi, leader of the Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama, the biggest Muslim group in the world with 40 million members, praised the pontiff’s role in building bridges of trust with Islam reported Reuters.

“We...certainly feel sorrow for the passing away of the Pope because he has dedicated himself all his life to humanitarian and peace efforts,” he added.

The late pope spearheaded a campaign over the past two decades to promote cooperation between the world Muslims and the Catholics.

“He was also right at the forefront of the protest against the war on Iraq,” said Malaysian political analyst Chandra Muzaffar. “That showed he was committed to global justice and peace.”

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed of Pakistan’s Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance echoed similar assessments.

“Bush’s talk of a Crusader war was a clear negation of Pope John Paul’s efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony”.

Palestinian President Mamoud Abbas called the pope “a great religious figure who devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom, justice and equality for all races and religions, as well as our people’s right to independence”.

The late pontiff was also known for his vigorous opposition to the construction of Israel’s separation wall in the West Bank, saying the Middle East “does not need walls but bridges.”

Path of Understanding

Many Muslims hope that the pope’s successor will follow the path chalked out by the late pontiff to enhance the understanding between Islam and Christianity.

“The pope’s successor must continue what this pope has begun,” Egyptian Minister of Awkaf (religious endowments) Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk told Reuters.

“This would contribute to peace.”

Zaki Badawi, principal of London’s Muslim College, echoed similar hopes.

“Hopefully his successors will continue his policy of creating an understanding and furthering cooperation with Muslims”.

French Cardinal Paul Poupard, who heads the Vatican’s Council for Culture, said enhancing the Muslim-Catholic relations would be a major issue for the next pontiff.

“You saw the pope’s position during the war in Iraq. He wanted to avoid at all costs having this be seen as a war of religions, which it wasn’t, and he made desperate efforts to do that. This is crucial for the future.”

In 1986, the late pope invited Muslims and followers of other faiths to Assisi to pray together for world peace.

In May 2001 he became the first pontiff to make an official visit to a mosque in the Syrian capital Damascus.

“It is my ardent hope that Muslim and Christian religious leaders and teachers will present our two great religious communities as communities in respectful dialogue, never more as communities in conflict,” the pope said at the Umayyad Mosque.

“For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness,” he said.