King Abdullah II said responsible leaders of all religions have denounced hatred and violence, "but there are those who think otherwise; who believe that there is, or will be, a clash of civilizations.

"Indeed, opinion polls tell us that this idea, at some level, is held by far too many people in both Western and Muslim countries. What is worse, there are those who want conflict to occur and are actively working to that end."

Abdullah, speaking at the Catholic University of America, said, "For all our sakes, for our common future, we must turn the world's footsteps away from such a path."

Abdullah, 43, was a soldier by profession. A special forces officer, he was a major general and headed Jordan's Special Operations Command when his father, King Hussein, died in 1999. He was educated in Britain and the United States.

His official biography says he is committed to Hussein's goal of "Jordan's democratic institutionalization and political pluralism, while working for a just and comprehensive peace in a climate of openness and tolerance."