Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The John Templeton Foundation on Wednesday, announced His Majesty King Abdullah King Abdullah II as the 2018 Templeton Prize Laureate and said the King has done more to seek religious harmony within Islam and between Islam and other religions than any other living political leader.

In a videotaped message on www.templetonprize.org, Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation and granddaughter of Sir John Templeton, said: "His Majesty King Abdullah’s work is indeed inspiring. He has underscored the importance of Islam’s diversity rather than seeking to invent or enforce uniformity where none exists. He has built upon the power of principled pluralism to extend religious harmony among the 1.8 billion followers of Islam so that each can recognize one another as Muslims."

"Beyond his activities within Islam and between Islam and other faiths, the King has also tirelessly defended and supported refugees from across the Middle East, hosting and offering safe haven for millions fleeing conflict. Additionally, he has protected Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites at considerable personal and monetary expense," she added.

Templeton Dill the pointed to the role of His Majesty in launching the breakthrough Amman Message that articulated a clear understanding of the central elements of Islam, and affirmed that terrorism and violence have no place in the religion.

More than 450 Islamic scholars and institutes from more than 50 countries have endorsed the Amman Message.

In 2006, she added, King Abdullah II supported and funded the initiative known as "A Common Word Between Us and You," which led to a 2007 open letter from Islamic religious leaders to Christian religious leaders. A Common Word contains a call for peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians based on the twin commandments shared by both faiths, namely "love of God" and "love of the neighbor."

The initiative has more than 400 signatories including nearly 300 endorsements from a wide range of Christian leaders.

The announcement praised King Abdullah's efforts to restore and develop Al-Maghtas, also known as Bethany beyond the Jordan, on the Jordan River’s east bank. UNESCO unanimously approved it as a World Heritage Site in 2015.

The Templeton Prize, valued at 1.1 million British pounds, is one of the world's largest annual individual awards and honors a person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.

King Abdullah voiced appreciation for granting him the prize and said it is a true gesture towards those who work to spread tolerance and mutual respect.

"Our world needs to confront challenges to our shared humanity and values. They are the very ground of the coexistence and harmony our future depends on. And this is why I feel it is so urgent to promote tolerance and mutual respect, support inclusion and hope, speak out against Islamophobia and other wrongs, and make our values a real force in the daily life of the modern world" he added.

There are 47 Prize recipients including Mother Teresa, who received the inaugural award in 1973, the Dalai Lama (2012), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2013).

His Majesty King Abdullah II will be formally awarded the Templeton Prize in a public ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 13.