Lectures start by stressing positivity

A prominent Saudi scholar and Islamic preacher urges Muslims to maintain a cheerful outlook on life.

The prominent Saudi scholar and Islamic preacher Salman al Odeh encouraged Muslims to maintain a cheerful outlook on life and embrace positive thinking in the first of several lectures sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in the capital during the month of Ramadan. Sheikh Salman, a controversial preacher who was regarded as Osama bin Laden's key mentor until he publicly reproached him on television, embraced positivity and positive acts and rejected the negativity that has overtaken some parts of the Muslim world.

Optimism is a human value, not just a Muslim one, said the Sheikh during the lecture, entitled The Positive Muslim. "We Muslims are not alone in coming up with positive initiatives," he said. "We should follow the positive work and good deeds of others and embrace good ideas worldwide in our lives. Being positive is being humane. There are basic values and healthy relationships and human meaning and friendships with others within all of us, regardless of our religion."

The Sheikh built his lecture around five points intended to exemplify the positive Muslim. He outlined five qualities to embrace in life: believing in one's self and one's abilities; having faith in others; choosing to be optimistic when facing change; believing in the divine wisdom behind creation more than in one's own humble opinions, and facing life with a cheerful and optimistic demeanour. "A positive attitude is to be vibrant, vital, lively and appreciative of beauty, which is a gift given by Allah, the source of everything beautiful," he said. "The Muslim will lead a longer life if his deeds are orientated towards the good and executed with a positive attitude."

Sheikh Salman said life should be taken only as a bridge and not as a goal in itself. Hardships should be faced with patience and people should be encouraged to turn a new page in their life when needed. "We have to take the initiative and go the extra mile," he said. "We should be optimistic about change. It is our responsibility to direct change into a positive path." Sheikh Salman's lecture preached tolerance, modernity and forgiveness, with repeated admonitions to "erase the archives of the bitter past and never hold a grudge".

This was in line with his approach towards bin Laden a year ago, when he dispensed with formalities to address the al Qa'eda leader directly in an open letter published on his website IslamToday.com. "Brother Osama, how much blood has been spilled? How many innocent children, women and old men have been killed, maimed and expelled from their homes in the name of al Qa'eda?" It is widely regarded as a major turning point in attitudes toward al Qa'eda and the use of violence in the name of Islam.

Sheikh Salman's lecture kicked off the third annual Ramadan lecture series sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed. The talks, held in the Crown Prince's Majlis every Sunday and Wednesday throughout Ramadan, is meant as a platform from to stimulate debate and dialogue. Other invited speakers include Sir Christopher Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong. The choice of Sheikh Salman and his message perhaps best set the tone. Sheikh Salman maintains a large following in Saudi Arabia and throughout the 1990s was often cited by bin Laden as a critic of the Saudi royal family who shared his strict religious vision and world view. The Sheikh's direct comments on bin Laden erased any ambiguity about shared beliefs. But the cleric castigated bin Laden for causing widespread mayhem and killing at a time when no other senior Muslim scholars would criticise the al Qa'eda leader directly, even those who condemned the September 11 attacks.

Mohammed al Zaroni, from the Office of the Crown Prince, said the guest lectures were intended to "build a foundation of understanding". "We will be listening to different opinions on subject matters like religion, politics, science, literature and even history, he said. "Every year, we host thinkers and scholars and invite our nation's leaders and implementers to listen to analytical points of view that will get them thinking, so they are aware of how the world is changing, how improvements and developments are part of our daily lives. This is an opportunity for them to network with one another and to initiate dialogue."

This year, the guest speakers are varied in both subject and background, while several will be lecturing in English. [e-mail]