DIDEM URER: We will have a Skype connection and I can present your guest if you like

ADNAN OKTAR: Who is our guest?

DIDEM URER: Our guest is Mr. Ramzi Khoury, he is the senior advisor for the Arabic Region to United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Mr. Ramzi Khoury has served as the private consultant of Mr. Mahmud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority. He also is a strategic communications consultant, journalist and columnist. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Strategy Falcons LLC, an Arab Strategic communications company based in Dubai, with offices throughout the world. And currently he is the senior advisor to the UN Alliance of Civilizations workgroup, insha'Allah.

ADNAN OKTAR: Okay, then. Let us talk to our Master Ramzi. As-salamun Alaykom, welcome Mr. Ramzi, how do you do?

Mr. RAMZI KHOURY: As-salamun Alaykom Mr. Oktar. I am very well Mr. Oktar, very well.

ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Well, let us take your beautiful questions and give beautiful responses so that we can have a nice conversation insha'Allah. Please go on..

Mr. RAMZI KHOURY:  As you know Mr. Oktar, as the UN AOC, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, we are very worried about the latest crisis that has spread some violence in the Middle East and other Islamic countries which is promising to expand or extend the divide between the Muslim World and the West. Therefore I have some questions related to this crisis that is worrying us right now. My first question is; Some leaders are inciting youth to go out to demonstrate against the film trailer. These demonstrations sometimes turn violent. What does Islam say in regards to self expression on one hand and violence on the other hand?

ADNAN OKTAR: This is of course very wrong as a method. I mean a Muslim always explains things with compassion, with reason, with love, with a reasonable way of explaining by honoring the other party, by convincing the other party. And a Muslims attitude towards defamation is again reasonable. That is because Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an – I seek refuge with Allah from the satan; "[A good action and a bad action are not the same.].. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. [41/34]" Almighty Allah says; "Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. [7/199]"    

A Muslim is duty bound to be compassionate. A Muslim is duty bound to be merciful, to be rational. Yet of course some centers are testing Muslim countries. I mean to see how devoted they are to their religion, how devoted they are to Allah and to the Book, to what extend they are able stand, to which kind of an assault. Such a test is administered in this respect. That is a pschological testing. Muslims showing that they always are merciful, rational and compassionate will spoil this dirty trick.

Mr. RAMZI KHOURY: Well, in the same regard, some youth come out and protest against the film trailer believing that this is an opportunity to collect "hasanat" [good deed]. Can you explain this concept in Islam, the concept of "hasanat" [good deed] and can a Muslim collect "hasanat" through violence?

ADNAN OKTAR: It is a good thing that they want to collect good deeds. How are they to collect good deeds? By advocating the Unity of Islam, by advocating the Union of Islam, by advocating the alliance of all Muslim countries, by wanting Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia and even Russia to be a part of this Unity of Islam, by feeling compassion also towards irreligious people, towards atheists, towards Christians, Jews and everyone else and by knowing that all of them are the servants created by Allah. Muslims will be collecting the real good deeds if they assume such an attitude. The greatest good deed is to advocate the Unity of Islam, it is to advocate the union of Muslims, it is to ensure that Christians will be able to freely worship [according to their religion], to ensure that Jews will be able to freely worship [according to their own religion] and to ensure that the whole World to become brothers; that is the most perfect form of religious service. If they do not perform these religious services, all other methods would come to mean that they have become the servants of the system of the dajjal, the antichrist. A sincere Muslim is duty bound to advocate the Mahdi, he is duty bound to advocate the Unity of Islam, he is duty bound to pray to Allah for the Jesus Messiah to appear on earth, and he is duty bound to experience this joy and excitement. Being against the Mahdi, being against the Unity of Islam, being against the [second] coming of the Jesus Messiah (pbuh) and causing scenes can only be the attitude of the proponents of the dajjal (antichrist).        

Mr. RAMZI KHOURY: Well, one of the slogans the de