In an article he published on the occasion of Pope Fracis's visit to Jordan on May 24-25, 2014, and in light of the respect commanded by the Pope across the Christian world, Jordanian columnist Hussein Al-Ruwashdeh wondered why the Muslims did not have a similar spiritual source of authority, and why they did not have influential and accepted figures worthy of emulation, capable of raising Muslim prestige worldwide.
Below are translated excerpts from the article:[1]
Hussein Al-Ruwashdeh
"Do the Muslims have a leadership that represents them, or a source of authority that speaks on their behalf? This question is not new, and all the calls ever made for rapprochement or unity among Muslims have sought a practical and clear answer to this question. Although the Muslims, as opposed to others, agree on one [holy] book and one Prophet, and agree on [their religious] principles – though they disagree on a few clauses and details – this does not help them create a source of authority that will gain world recognition and respect, influence [global] events, and charge [the world to recognize] the rights of its followers.
"True, we have religious jurisprudents and scholars, councils [of senior clerics] and religious institutions, but the term 'source of authority,' be it an institution or a religious leadership… means agreeing on a source of spiritual authority that transcends schools, methods and ideological approaches. [It must be a source of authority that] religious scholars, intellectuals and statesmen can take part in, and that will rise above disagreements and political disputes and devote itself to uniting the Muslims, stimulating them and defending their interests, without expropriating their freedoms or imposing its religious ruling upon them, and without becoming a theocracy, as happened with others.[2] The first mission [of this source of authority] will be to spread a culture of unity. It will address the most important issues [on the agenda], and its goal will be to formulate a unified concept and place the [Muslim] nation on an equal footing in its relations with others.
"Can I say that Muslims require a pope or a spiritual leader who enjoys honor and respect across the globe? Can I wonder about the absence of a contemporary Islamic role-model? Two things impel me to [say] this: first, the warm welcome extended to the Pope by most Christians, by the West in general, and by the entire world. The Pope has a magic power that no other figure possesses, and although the church has been marginalized for over 200 years, the man still wields power, at least moral [power]. His opinion is heard and his statements in defense of the Christian community and its religion are respected – something that Muslims cannot claim.
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"The second thing [that impels me to speak out] is the bitterness I feel when I see that the Muslims have become orphans… and when I read of Mother Theresa, [Mahatma] Gandhi, [Nelson] Mandela and other contemporary figures, and recall that we [once] had so many figures who represented Islam's humane, just, strong and tolerant nature, but today they seem to be absent. I feel bitter in the knowledge that Islam is immensely humane, to the point that the Koranic discourse juxtaposes the concept of man and the concept of Allah, perceiving man as [Allah's] deputy and the bearer of His trust who is in charge of building His world, based on the perception that everything in the universe must labor [in man's] service.
"The two things are interrelated, for a nation incapable of creating humane discourse, defending its global presence and spreading its revival and culture will surely fail to set up a source of authority to unite it, a leadership to speak in its name and an idea that will distinguish it from others and strongly motivate it to join the world and claim its rightful status in it…
"Please do not interpret my words as a call for Islamic 'papacy.' No one in Islam has the right to claim sanctity or [claim to be] Allah's representative. But seeing the honor and global solidarity that the Catholic Pope enjoys wherever he goes, as expressed in all the media, leads me to speculate bitterly on the absence of such a religious human role-model in our world, which has over 1.5 billion Muslims...
"It is unfortunate that we Muslims, of all schools, agree on the need for a 'Messiah' or redeemer to open the gate to the next world, but do not attach importance to agreeing on such a Messiah here and now and summoning him to rebuild this world, which is saturated with destruction and dishonor that cause us suffering. Why do we not hasten to set up [such a figure], if one is needed, while others – despite all the disputes and disagreements among them – face the world with the help of such a moral authority, [i.e. the Pope,] whose state [i.e., the Vatican] is smaller than a single neighborhood in one of our small cities?…
"The Muslims are in dire need of an esteemed moral leadership… at a time when others scrutinize every possible word [the Muslims say, looking for an excuse] to include them on the terror list, and while the only thing left for the Islamic world to do is call for tolerance and justice, and persuade others that we are equal and that our religion is not based on the sword and does not believe in violence and blood."
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