Prince Charles of Arabia

[MugenOne]

This article first published in 1997, analyzes the reasons behind Prince Charles Moslem apologist behaviour. Some news agencies have republished it now as the Prince is concerned about the apparent “anti Islamic rhetoric” coming out of Washington since 9/11.

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**Prince Charles of Arabia

**by Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman
Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman are associate scholars of the Middle East Forum

[T]he effort for these years to live in the dress of Arabs, and to imitate their mental foundation, quitted me of my English self, and let me look at the West and its conventions with new eyes: they destroyed it all for me.

• T.E.Lawrence Seven Pillars of Wisdom1

Prince Charles has often surprised his future subjects, but few shocks match the allegations of a newspaper article that appeared in October 1996:2

The idea of the Prince of Wales lugging around a prayer mat and turning to face Mecca five times a day sounds a tad unlikely - but, then again, so did confessing to adultery on prime-time television a couple of years ago. So perhaps no one should be shocked by the suggestion in a forthcoming book that Prince Charles has converted to Islam.

This claim was put forward by no less a personage than the grand mufti of Cyprus: "Did you know that Prince Charles has converted to Islam. Yes, yes. He is a Muslim. I can’t say more. But it happened in Turkey. Oh, yes, he converted all right. When you get home check on how often he travels to Turkey. You’ll find that your future king is a Muslim."3 “Nonsense,” replied a Buckingham Palace spokesman, denying Charles’s supposed conversion. Lord St. John of Fawsley, a constitutional expert, is no less dubious, commenting that "The Prince of Wales is a loyal member of the Church of England."4 Some time later, a leak to the press told of Charles’s “desire to play a greater role in the Church of England,” an apparent attempt to reinforce the prince’s Anglican credentials.5

forum.atimes.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4349

 

[MikeWM]

Erm, yes, that’ll be why he got married in an Anglican ceremony then

Mike

 

[walstan]

Hellooooooo… earth calling MugenOne… is there anybody out there?

The Mufti of who…?

 

[Ani_Ibi]

walstan:

Hellooooooo… earth calling MugenOne… is there anybody out there?

The Mufti of who…?

Ground control to Major Walstan. You do know that the Prince wishes to cease becoming Defender of the Faith and start becoming Defender of all Faiths. But… sigh …

Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do.

 

[MikeWM]

Ani Ibi:

You do know that the Prince wishes to cease becoming Defender of the Faith and start becoming Defender of all Faiths.

As a Catholic, I welcome that. Just because Henry8 took the Defender of the Faith title he got from the Pope and applied it to his new Church - well, I think it is time it was widened.

Mike

 

[Forest-Pine]

I remember many reports saying he is not in line with the Church of England. I believe they hinted at Catholicism even, but I do not recall. My point is that it is English law that the reigning monarch must be in good standing with and a member of the Church of England. There have been many calls for the monarchy to skip over Prince Charles and he has made it abundantly clear that he intends to reign. If he does, he could not publically convert to Islam, Catholicism, or any other religion without the risk of seriously jeopardizing his ability to wear the crown.

 

[MikeWM]

Forest-Pine:

There have been many calls for the monarchy to skip over Prince Charles and he has made it abundantly clear that he intends to reign. If he does, he could not publically convert to Islam, Catholicism, or any other religion without the risk of seriously jeopardizing his ability to wear the crown.

Both statements are true. Those calling for a ‘skip’ seem to have missed the point of having a hereditary monarchy.

Mike