MAIL ONLINE: Prince Charles yesterday urged the world to follow Islamic 'spiritual principles' in order to protect the environment.
In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man's destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions - but particularly those of Islam.
He said the current 'division' between man and nature had been caused not just by industrialisation, but also by our attitude to the environment - which goes against the grain of 'sacred traditions'.
Charles, who is a practising Christian and will become the head of the Church of England when he succeeds to the throne, spoke in depth about his own study of the Koran which, he said, tells its followers that there is 'no separation between man and nature' and says we must always live within our environment's limits. Read on and comment >>> Rebecca English | Thursday, June 10, 2010
OXFORD MAIL: SCIENCE and spiritualism must work together if the Earth is to avoid environmental disaster, the Prince of Wales warned in Oxford today.
He said focusing on your “soul” and nature is as important as relying on science to find the solutions to global warming.
The Prince made his comments while on a visit to the city to mark the 25th anniversary of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, where he has been patron since 1993.
His lecture, called Islam and the Environment, was delivered to an estimated 1,000 people at the Sheldonian Theatre, in Broad Street.
The Prince said: “When we hear talk of an environmental crisis or even of a financial crisis, I would suggest that this is actually describing the outward con-sequences of a deeper, inner crisis of the soul.
“It is a crisis in our relationship with, and perception of, nature, and is born of Western culture being dominated for at least 200 years by a mechanistic and reductionist approach to our scientific understanding of the world around us.
“I would like you to consider very carefully whether a big part of the solution to all of our worldwide crises does not lie simply in more and better technology, but in the recovery of the soul to the mainstream of our thinking.
“Our science and technology cannot do this. Only sacred traditions have the capacity to help this.”
Earlier the Prince was given a tour of the centre’s new premises in Marston Road, which are currently under development, by its founder director, Dr Farhan Nizami.
Although independent, the centre is linked to Oxford University.
The Prince told the audience the West could learn from the Islamic approach to nature.
He said: “The Islamic world is the custodian of one of the greatest treasuries of accumulated wisdom and spiritual knowledge available to humanity.
“It is both Islam’s noble heritage and a priceless gift to the world. >>> Dan Hearn | Wednesday, June 09, 2010
