Bridges of Understanding

You cannot go astray once guided by God to the road of faith. My personal journey with faith began when I felt the need for security and peace. The flame of faith touched my heart and its warmth affected my attitude, the way I dealt with people, and the way I thought. I realized that the closer I was to God the stronger, more patient and more at peace I became. I was careful to eliminate all barriers posed by negative feelings or thoughts formed by the previous years to pave a safe, loving, peaceful and loving path to faith.

Therefore, and with thanks to Allah, I decorated my commitment with the veil, (al-hijab). This came as a declaration to all that I was a proud, committed Muslim. Instead of limiting my freedom, the hijab liberated me from modern, social pressures like hairstyles and latest fashions.

When Islam imposes the hijab on the woman, it proves to the whole world that there are many aspects of beauty in a woman other than her physical one as stressed throughout history. Womanly beauty extends to her thought, mind, and dealings with others. God created the pearl in a protective shell because it is precious and priceless. Thus the woman in Islam: the most precious and priceless...

Any person devoted to a certain ideology, no matter what it is, seeks to demonstrate it in a tangible method. My hijab is my visible proof to my commitment to the basic regulations of Islam.

Finally, I reiterate my deepest thanks to Allah for guiding me on a journey of love of all mankind initiated by my love for God which has made me step fast in my belief.

The Amman Message began as a detailed statement released by His Majesty King Abdullah II in November 2004 and it makes clear that the core teaching of Islam is one of tolerance and respect. This view has now been endorsed by a wide variety of Islamic scholars. The Message clarifies that significant common ground exists between the fundamental wisdom found in Islam and the teachings of the other great faith traditions. As young people grow into adulthood, they adopt the interpretations and points of view of significant others in their life, be they parents, friends or teachers. There are all too many "true believers" who profess a militant version of their faith. They come from all spectrums of the human family, including the Christian, Hindu and Jewish traditions, as well as from the Islamic tradition. Young people are often the target of these "religious totalitarians", who seek to enroll future generations in their distorted beliefs and worldviews. If we are to find ways to live together in peace and prosperity, it is essential that young people in both the west and the Islamic world are exposed to the deep wisdom found in the world's religions, as so clearly expressed in the Amman Message.