International Conference for Dialogue starts in Madrid under Saudi king’s patronage

Report reviews efforts made by Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to promote international dialogue

Spanish minister hails International Conference for Dialogue

Int’l conference in Moscow praises King Abdullah’s initiative for dialogue

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sponsors the opening ceremony of the International Conference for Dialogue scheduled for the Spanish capital of Madrid on the 16th of July 2008; the conference is expected to attract more than 200 prominent figures from different countries, cultures and religions.

The three-day conference, to be hosted by the Kingdom of Spain, and organized by Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL), comes in response to the call extended by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for convening a conference with invitations extended to followers of different faiths, civilizations and cultures and the adoption of his call by Ulema of the Mulsim nation who voiced it at the end of the Islamic International Conference on Dialogue recently held in Makkah.

Prominent figures and specialists on issues to be discussed at the conference, mainly related to human societies, international cooperation, human rights, security and peace concerns, and coexistence in the world, will take part in the event.

The Secretary General of the MWL Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki said all matters related to the conference: topics to be discussed, participants, and attendees have all been well set according to instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, he said "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques feels the problems experienced by people of the world of today, the troubles in the moral sphere, family, being non-religious, and conflict among peoples, societies and civilizations; hence the monarch has been concerned about the issue of dialogue and come out with this distinguished initiative, endorsed by the Islamic International Conference for Dialogue of Makkah, and recommended the convening of next week's conference, which expected to be a distinct shift in the course of dialogue.

Al-Turki stated that the conference will not interfere in religious and political issues but will focus on the common factors shared by followers of divine religions and different oriental cultures.

He considered the conference as a comprehensive gathering that accommodates dialogue of civilizations and cultures, focuses on common issues and lays the platform for future dialogue through the themes to be addressed in the meetings, namely the controls and concepts of dialogue; humanitarian common factors; past obstacles of dialogue and ways to overcome them; and the impact of dialogue on human life.

Highlighting the agenda of the conference, Al-Turki said seven sessions will be held over the three days of the conference. Four themes will be discussed. The first theme is "Dialogue and its Religious and Cultural Origins", which will discuss dialogue according to followers of divine religions and oriental philosophies.

The second theme is "The Significance of Dialogue in Human Societies" which will discuss the continuing dialogue of civilizations and cultures and the impact of dialogue on peaceful coexistence, international relations, and the confrontation of conflict and calls for the end of history.

The third theme is "Common Humanitarian Factors in the fields of Dialogue". which examines the moral situation in contemporary human society, the importance of religion and values in the fight against crime, drugs and corruption, and the relationship of religion and family to social stability, and the human responsibility in protecting the environment.

The fourth and last theme is "Evaluation and Promotion of Dialogue" which highlights the prospects of dialogue, the efforts exerted by countries of the world and international organizations in enhancing dialogue and facing the difficulties, and the role and impact of media on spreading the culture of dialogue and coexistence among peoples of the world.

The forthcoming World Conference on Dialogue between the followers of revealed messages and oriental philosophies organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) in Madrid and patronized by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz comes to reflect hopes and aspirations of the King and his noble and pioneering endeavor to achieve mutual understanding and cooperation among nations, which meet on major principles and values.

The conference is scheduled to starts its three-day deliberations in the Spanish capital on July 16.

The Islamic International Conference for Dialogue which was held recently in Makkah adopted the call launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for dialogue between followers of the revealed messages and oriental philosophies.

With this historic achievement, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques recorded his name in letters of gold with (light or Noor) in contemporary history as one of the most prominent advocates of peace and dialogue as he was described by CNN for his call, as the maker of history of religions and dialogue in a report aired by the Television network after the announcement of the date for convening the conference.

A correspondent of the CNN said that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz made history by his initiative which was welcomed by the religious communities.

As the Chairman of the Committee for dialogue among religions David Rousseau said "the hand that reaches out to Christians and Jews should be greeted".

As political analyst Dr. Morris Jones said "if one of the leaders can accomplish peace, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is the best leader to do so".

He explained that the United States of America "is full of hope that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz can do much to achieve peace in the entire region".

Dr. Jones added "the United States can not make peace alone, it needs strong friends. And despite the many difficulties facing the region, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz accomplished much and among these accomplishments is combating terrorism".

He said "it is very important to begin to resolve the very long-standing issue of the Middle East peace. And many of the people in the world rely on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and they are optimistic about his approaches and strategies".

In the following report, Saudi Press Agency reviews the efforts made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to promote dialogue between Muslims to maintain the unity and solidarity towards the dangers that surround them, and to establish dialogue with others in order to make peace and security prevail throughout the land, and to enlighten non-Muslims about the tolerance and justice of Islam.

That what was confirmed by the King of humanity: the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in his speech before the Islamic International Conference for Dialogue, where he addressed the participants saying "You meet today to say to the world around us, with a glory bestowed on us by Allah, that we represent a voice of justice and moral values of humanity, and we are a voice of coexistence and fair dialogue, a voice of wisdom as God say (Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better)".

The King added "What a great nation is ours, and what difficult challenges face us at a time when its own sons turn extremists and turn against its just approach, challenging the moderation of Islam and its fair and noble objectives. For such a situation, my call came to confront the challenges of ignorance and narrow mindedness in order to let the world appreciate the concepts and perspectives of Islam's message without enmity and hostility" (O mankind We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has the fear from Allah).

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has mapped out the ways for dialogue with the followers of divine messages, civilizations and cultures and identified those ways in shared values called by the divine messages -which came from God- for the good of human beings and for preserving his dignity, promoting the values of morality, and the behaviors that shun deception, treason, crime, terrorism and lying. These ways eventually establish morality, honesty and justice.

Among the most prominent decisions reached by the participants in the Islamic International Conference for Dialogue is the establishment of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Communication among civilizations. The center aims to promote the culture of dialogue, and develop its skills according to scientific and accurate principles. Another decision called for the initiation of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Award for Civilized Dialogue which will be granted to the personalities and global bodies that contribute to developing dialogue and achieve its objectives.

As it has been voiced time and again by the King, Saudi Arabia has call for coexistence and wise and fair dialogue for the benefit of humans and preservation of his dignity, and promotion of the values of morality. For this position, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia still gains day after day the respect and appreciation of world leaders and scholars of Islamic and non-Islamic countries because of its sincere and tireless efforts for peace and stability in the world.

Over the previous years, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was calling on several occasions for bringing about peace to replace disputes and conflicts and for taking dialogue as an approach to bridge gaps among the followers of divine messages, cultures and civilizations.

In this context, the King's initiative for peace in the Middle East adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut in 2002 which became known as the Arab Peace Initiative is yet another prominent milestone.

Within the Kingdom's keenness to promote the role of the United Nations and enhance international cooperation, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - then Crown Prince- participated in September 2000 together with the leaders of the world and their representatives in the UN Millennium Summit, organized by the United Nations at its headquarters in New York.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud delivered a speech before the world leaders and heads of delegations, saying that "The UN Charter called for tolerance and good neighborliness" but we should ask ourselves how far away we are now from preserving the basic human rights".

He added "Human rights as we understand them as Muslims are gifts from the God. No one has the right to confiscate them. They are not certificates of good conduct provided by some people to others based on alleged wrong claim of moral superiority over others. These rights and principles are in the depth of every human civilization and can not be viewed in isolation from the roots of civilization in question. It is also difficult to impose on any person or society concepts rejected by his or their beliefs, principles and morals".

During a symposium, held in the month of Shaaban 1422 H, under the title "The Image of Islam in the Contemporary Media", organized by the Muslim World League in Makkah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said "The Kingdom calls for dialogue, understanding and cooperation between different peoples, cultures and looks forward to the Muslim World League to prepare for a global program on dialogue among civilizations and coexistence among different cultures and communication among peoples, according to Islamic rules which were recorded in history as calls for understanding and cooperation between nations and as Muslims civilized advantages which conveyed to the Muslims humanity meanings of peace, love, communication and cooperation for the interest of human dignity".

Realizing the Islamic nation's suffering, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud suggested that it is important and necessary to hold a meeting for the leaders of the Islamic nation to consider such challenges and pressing issues facing the nation. In this context, he called for holding the extraordinary summit of the leaders of Islamic countries in Makkah, to set up a comprehensive plan of action to address obstacles that prevent achieving the aspirations of Islamic countries, to coordinate concepts and principles of tolerance and enlighten moderation and deepen the culture of dialogue among nations and civilizations which enable the nation to play its proper role in contributing again in the march of human civilization.

In response to the kind invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the leaders of the Islamic nation, the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit was held in Makkah from 7-8 December, 2005.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud delivered a speech in which he confirmed that a strong believer in his God does not despair of his mercy and that Islamic unity will not be achieved by bloodshed allegedly claimed by extremists. Takfeer (flagging people as infidels) can not be found in fertile land of the spirit of tolerance and spreading of moderation, he said.

He expressed hope to see a unified Islamic nation, a rule that eliminates injustice and oppression, the spread of moderation that embodies the tolerance of Islam, Muslim inventors and industrialists in addition to an advanced Islamic technology of Muslim youth working for their life as their hereafter.

The Conference emphasized that the dialogue based on respect, mutual understanding and equality among peoples is essential to build a world of tolerance, cooperation and trust between nations.

The Conference also underscored the importance of deepening dialogue and promoting moderation.

In February 2006, the King addressed the guests of Al-Janadriya festival including scientists, intellectuals and media men, saying that "During such circumstances facing the nation including the attack targeting its entity, symbols and thought, it is the duty of its sons and thinkers, in particular, to highlight the true face of the nation; the face of tolerance, justice and moderation. They have also to explain to the whole world that what is being done by a few fanatic extremists does not reflect the spirit of the nation, its heritage and authenticity as it reflects the destructive fantasies found in the minds of these criminals".

He added "In front of these elite people of thought and opinion, I denounce the notion of a clash among civilizations and I call to replace it by the idea of a constructive peaceful coexistence among civilizations. I call for making the next stage in relations between the countries and nations a stage of real dialogue where each side respects the other, its sanctities, beliefs and identity".

In an interview with Russian News Agency Itar Tass on 21 February 2007, he confirmed that "We should realize that all human civilizations share one origin. Also, the civilizations benefited from each other and the realities of human evolution clearly prove the fact of integration among civilizations. This is what we should learn and work on establishing it between peoples in order to ensure respect for the cultures of each other and to stand in the face of all calls for division, segregation and discrimination among them".

During his visit to Poland in 2007, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques inaugurated King Abdullah Center to Promote Dialogue and Cultural Exchanges in Janikowo, which was established at an initiative of the people of the city following the separation surgery for Polish Siamese twins Olga and Daria, who belong to the city in recognition of the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to end the suffering of the Siamese twins and to separate them at his own expense.

The beloved King agreed that the center be named after him. The center is concerned of dialogue among cultures, including Islamic culture and the teaching of languages, including Arabic.

Addressing a gathering of heads of Hajj missions last year (1428 H.), the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said "The divine religions, including the doctrine of Prophet Ibrahim, share major principles and great values which form the concept of humanity and distinguish the human from other creatures. They are principles of truthfulness, honesty, tolerance, solidarity, equality, human dignity, and family, without which no society could emerge".

He focused on what combines religions, beliefs and cultures. He said "I ask you and I ask whoever happen to hear me now or read my words later, to remember what brings religions, beliefs and cultures together. We should emphasize what is common. Also, we should adhere the concepts of morality and family, and to appease Allah the Almighty. So, we go beyond our differences and bridge the gaps between us, and together create a world of peace and understanding and the progress and prosperity become in our interest".

The call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to dialogue came to emphasize his noble endeavor in this regard when he received at his palace in Riyadh the participants in the 6th Forum of Dialogue of Civilizations between Japan and Islamic World, which was held in Riyadh from 15 -17 Rabee Awal 1429 H. He said "I avail myself of this opportunity to share with you what is in my mind, hoping that you listen to these short words because I want to hear from you.

Over the last two years, I was thinking of the crisis facing mankind in the present time. It is a crisis that resulted in the imbalance of reason, morality and the humanity. We lost the honesty, morality, trustfulness, and sincerity for our religions and humanity. The atheism outbreaks a lot, which is not permitted by religions, neither the Quran nor the Torah or the Bible.

Also, I have been informed by my friends in many countries that family system there is disintegrated nowadays. You know the importance of family and the danger of its vanish. Of course, the dearest people for every parent are their children. Let us imagine what would happen if a youth or a young girl has abandoned his father and mother and engulfed in matters not accepted by morality nor religion, nor by Allah the Almighty".

He added "I thought I would call on representatives of divine religions, who definitely share faith and dedication, to come and work together to salvage humanity. Then I approached our Islamic scholars in the Kingdom who, thanks to God Almighty, welcomed the idea."

The encouraging of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for dialogue among civilizations has opened a wide window for the Islamic organizations to defend the Islamic nation and its great pillars.

Crowning the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to enhance communication and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and consensus in concepts among them, a global award for translation was launched and named: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Award for Translation, recognizing that the scientific, intellectual and cultural renaissance is based on mutual translation between languages as a tool to convey the sciences and experiences of nations and peoples. Also, it is based on raising of cultural awareness and establishing scientific ties between the human societies and on awareness of the importance of translation in the exchange of knowledge and strengthening the interaction between the Arab and Islamic culture and other cultures and supporting the dialogue among civilizations and cultures.

Secretary General of Muslim World League (MWL) Dr Abdullah bin Abdul-Mohsin Al-Turki has expressed happiness over the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of the International Conference on Dialogue, due to be organized in Madrid, Spain on July 16, 2008.

In a statement, the Secretary General noted that the Islamic organizations, centers and societies have voiced happiness for the attention given by the Monarch to promote dialogue and his patronage of the conference. Dr Al-Turki said the participants of the conference, which include followers of respected religions, cultures, civilizations and philosophies as well as officials of the international dialogue, have expressed happiness for the inauguration of the conference by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

The inauguration of the conference by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz will positively contribute to its success, he said.

He underlined the importance of dialogue and co-existence among the people of the world irrespective of their religions, cultures and races.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - the cradle of Islam, believes in the importance of openness and cooperation with the rest of the world, he said.

The ministry of culture and information has prepared an integrated information centre for media men who will participate in the coverage of the world conference on dialogue due to be inaugurated on Wednesday.

Undersecretary of the ministry for foreign information Dr Salih al-Namla said all the required arrangements have been made for extending the best possible services to the media men.

He noted that about 600 media men are expected to participate in the coverage of the conference.

Dr al-Namla said on the fringes of the conference an exhibition will be organized to display books which highlight the development achievements accomplished in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the various domains.

He pointed out that a booklet titled "The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz -- A Call for Dialogue' will be distributed to the media men.

Moreover, a directory titled 'A Call for Dialogue' published in various languages has been issued.

The directory contains the speeches earlier delivered by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on various occasion.

Meanwhile Dr al-Namla said the ministry of culture and information has signed a contract with an international Spanish company, specialized in information and public relations, to shed light on the conference in the various parts of the world.

This international Spanish company has more than 50 offices throughout the world.

On the other hand, a meeting will be organized for the Saudi media men and their Spanish counterparts and other media men to further cement relations among the media men.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has lauded the International Conference for Dialogue which will be held in Madrid on Wednesday under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

In press statements he made in Tunis, he said the three-day conference will be an occasion to promote dialogue, rapprochement and understanding among religions and civilizations.

The conference, organized by Muslim World League, is a response to the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for dialogue and the call of the Islamic nation's scholars on the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to hold an international conference for dialogue and invite to it those concerned with dialogue among followers of various divine religions and cultures.

In Moscow, the international conference “Islam to defeat Terrorism” in its final statement urged all countries to encourage the positive competence among cultures and civilizations.

The statement, quoted by the Novosti International, denounced countries and bodies which support and finance terrorism.

The statement hailed The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s initiative, during which he asserted the adoption of dialogue between followers of different religions and cultures to face ignorance, fighting family rupture and the deterioration of morals phenomenon.