Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques receives Bush in New York, discussions tackle Dialogue Conference, int'l developments

King Abdullah says enough killing, hostility, bloodshed

Full text of final declaration of Interfaith Dialogue Conference in UN

Prince Saud Al-Faisal: We reject Israeli adoption of selective parts of Arab peace initiative

Ban Ki-moon says Arab initiative pivotal to go ahead with peace process

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at his guest residence in New York the U.S. President George W. Bush.

At the outset of the meeting, the U.S. President expressed welcome of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the United States of America, lauding the initiative of the monarch for a high-level meeting on culture of peace, currently ongoing at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

President Bush said the convening of the meeting at the headquarters of the world organization is considered an honor and appreciation for the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in circulating the culture of peace and rapprochement among the followers of religions.

He said that his personal participation and delivery of a speech before the meeting is in appreciation of the leading role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the Middle East and the world levels.

President Bush also underscored the great importance the United States or any U.S. president attaches to the U.S. - Saudi relations, recognizing that the Kingdom has a pivotal and basic role to play to reach solutions to the region's issues.

He expressed deep gratitude for his relation with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the friendship emerged between him and the King and the wisdom, knowledge, transparency and frankness the king is enjoying.

Then they discussed the developments of the financial crisis inflicting the world today, the best ways to limit its repercussions and the need to unite the international efforts to achieve this goal, including the convening of group 20 Economic Summit at the White House in Washington at the invitation of the U.S. President.

The talks also covered the overall incidents at the regional and international arena.

At the conclusion of the audience, they had a memorial photo-taking session.

The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Prince Abdul-Ilah bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Dr. Ghazi bin Abdulrahman Al-Gosaibi, Minister of Labor; Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance; Dr. Iyad bin Ameen Madani, Minister of Culture and Information; Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Ambassador to the United States.

On the U.S. side, the meeting was attended by Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State and a number of senior officials.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz received in New York a group of participants of Madrid conference on dialogue among followers of religions and civilizations.

Speaking on the occasion, the King said "In the name of Allah Almighty, Most Gracious, and Most Merciful.

Honorable brothers:

I would like to welcome you and hope that this dialogue will constitute a beginning for the good of the humanity. The human-being has no one else other than his brother whatever is the case, and I do believe that the previous days and years will not return, God willing. Whatever has taken place in terms of killing, enmity and excesses on others' rights is quite enough.

Thanks to Allah Almighty, who has made you followers of all religions, because religions are immaculate, and all of them are sent by God. Allah urges us to enhance fraternity and to do good things for those who are disabled, poor, needy and sick.

I believe you and others, Allah willing, urge for the love of the human being towards his brother.

When the person thinks about the past and the mistakes that had been committed, he asks:" What are the causes?" As you know the human soul is certainly prone to evil, and I think the world has become aware of these matters because these have no benefits.

Till when blood shedding could continue and why there be enmity and for what justification?

Allah Almighty in all religions has urged for mercy and I think that any person who commits a sin against another person will repent and become remorseful to the greatest extent.

Why such an aggression. Religions have nothing to do with such kinds of acts, but it is Satan and the political acts that have penetrated into and confounded religions.

King said "Now, humanity needs people like you to guide them and explain to them the facts because Allah Almighty ordered us to seek His help against the Satan and the self because if Satan and the self join forces, this means that a person becomes governed by evil and animosity against others.

We are humans. We are creatures of Allah Almighty. There is no evidence permitting a person's animosity against his fellow men except for the one that commits evil against them.

This is what I wanted to explain to you this evening and I hope you and I will nurture ourselves with patience because only patience can benefit a human being.

I also wish you diligent steps in your spiritual influence. Every person of a religion should urge his people to follow fraternization, affinity and affection and above all frankness and truthfulness.

I greet you and I greet every human being in this world regardless of what he is. An important point remains, which is the family that binds a person to his family, home and sons. Now, you all know that the family has begun to disintegrate and unfortunately, this trend has also reached us in the Middle East. If sons and daughters grow up and one reaches 18 years of age, he leaves home.

He is part of you and we don't know his fate because children do things and parents have no right to stop them. You know what the family is. It joins the father, the mother and the children. This is what we desire for the entire world, individuals and groups, to preserve. Thank you."

Then representatives of Islam, Christianity and Judaism were given chances to deliver speeches before the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

A representative of the Christian community confirmed the commitment of Christianity to encourage efforts aiming at bringing about peace, justice, understanding and cordiality among all peoples of the world, noting that everybody has the right to freedom, happiness and progress.

A representative of Judaism said Jews are confident that peace and reconciliation will prevail. The dialogue you kicked off in Madrid in addition to New York activity are yet another proof of your religious moderation, he told the King.

A representative of Muslims thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for calling for Makkah, Madrid and New York meetings for the followers of religions, describing the move as an Islamic a humanitarian practice.

He said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was chosen by the will of Allah Almighty as key to good for the entire world and a lock against evil, wishing him to succeed in his endeavor to bridge the gap among religions and reach whatever appeases Allah.

The Secretary General of the Religion and Peace Commission expressed happiness to see representatives of religions sitting at a round table and exchanging cordial real words.

We are looking forward to peace, dialogue and solidarity and we are indebted to your voice which spoke loud for the world to hear it, he concluded.

Commenting on their remarks, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said "had the world distanced itself from wars and conflicts which inflict millions of millions and instead opted to fight poverty and diseases, we would have not seen the poverty and diseases of today".

A representative of the U.S. Islamic Society expressed happiness and gratitude to take part in the dialogue with religious institutions leaders, noting that a collective democracy has made success attainable, referring to the unprecedented election of an African-origin president of America.

He appealed to the Saudi universities to provide the Islamic institutions in the west with necessary information and needs to further explain Islam in the 21st century as a religion of peace and moderation.

Following him, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques noted that the election of Barack Obama to the White House is yet evidence that the American people are a real democratic people, wishing Obama to bring good to the world and other world leaders to become friends to each other's nation.

Then a participant in the dialogue expressed welcome of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in America, saying that "this is a great day because you have delivered a frank speech expressing three phases: Phase I: was the internal consensus among Muslims on the necessity of dialogue which started in Makkah, Phase II: the search for partners in Madrid and we ware successful in that endeavor, and Phase III: is today, the most important station of the world, from where you have sent a clear message to the whole mankind".

He thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for adopting the idea of dialogue and making it the Islamic general tongue.

He called on Christians and Jews to become partners of Muslims in the United States to make the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques a reality, noting that the Islamic Peace Foundation will be launched by the end of this year, a new institution that will focus, he said, on the concept of co-existence and dialogue among Muslims in the U.S. and the Christians and Jews. If this succeeded, it would be an important example, he added.

Another participant said the King's initiative would definitely mean that religion would become a real tool for peace and assist the world to understand the real meaning of Islam, describing this day as historical.

A woman, who participated in the dialogue conference, said that she belongs to those brought as slaves from Africa and despite slavery, her family long clinched to its Islamic identity.

She indicated that dialogue among followers of religions is important because many of her extended family members were still Christians and so, the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques will end such family divisions.

In response to her remarks, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said, "We are all servants of God Almighty thanks to the Lord of All".

Concluding the meeting with the participants in Madrid conference for dialogue among the followers of religions and civilizations, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed hope to see reconciliation, and human ethical principles prevail the world, wishing them every success.

The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Prince Abdul-Ilah bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Miaqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Dr. Ghazi bin Abdulrahman Al-Gosaibi, Minister of Labor; Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance; Dr. Iyad bin Ameen Madani, Minister of Culture and Information; Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Ambassador to the United States; Khalid Al-Nafeesi, Saudi Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received in New York Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

During the audience, the two presidents praised the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques pertaining to holding a high level meeting at the United Nations for dialogue among followers of religions, civilizations and cultures.

They highlighted the remarkable positive response to this noble call and the participation of a large number of leaders of the world in the meeting.

Then, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and the two brotherly countries.

The audience was attended by Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, the President of General Intelligence, and Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hosted a dinner party in honor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as well as other Kings and head of states who will participate in the UN's high-level meeting on Culture of Peace to be held in the Un General assembly tomorrow in response to the initiative of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

The dinner party was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, President of the General Intelligence and a number of officials.

GCC secretary general Abdul-Rahman al-Atiyyah has lauded the pioneering role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as regards the convening of the conference of dialogue among followers of religions and cultures.

In a statement in New York, al-Atiyyah said the conference of dialogue of followers of religions and cultures constitutes a turning point in the history of the United Nations.

King Abdullah's role in this respect provides a clear evidence for his role in the service of the mankind and the values of tolerance, love and cooperation, he said.

Al-Atiyyah said the international support to the initiative of King Abdullah in this regard has reflected the important role of the Gulf region at the regional and international arenas.

He urged the international community to extend continuous and effective support to The initiative of dialogue among followers of religions and cultures so as to the pave the way for moderation in a world facing the problems of extremism and fanaticism.

Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri said that the steps recommended by the United Nations’ Conference for Interfaith Dialogue emphasized the necessity of respecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and abandoning violence, extremism and terrorism.

Hariri praised the speech given by King Abdullah II of Saudi Arabia, as well as the one given by President Michel Sleiman. He added that he regretted that some Lebanese parties, who were followers of the Syrian Regime, were, on a daily basis, still attacking the Kingdom, its leaders and the powerful role it played in Arab and Islamic matters.

Hariri said that such attacks did not reflect the way the majority of Lebanese felt about Saudi Arabia, and he affirmed that critics of the kingdom would not be able to obstruct Saudi support for the Lebanese state’s legitimate institutions.

Lebanese Shiite Spiritual leader Ali Al-Ameen said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was always precedent in the work for promotion of international peace and confrontation of violence and terrorism.

In a statement, he said the Kingdom, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was precedent to this move, direly needed by the world today, noting that many conferences on dialogue among followers of religions were held in the past but, this time, convening the meeting under the supervision of the United Nations gives it a strong boost.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz received New York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

During the audience, the US official welcomed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques wishing him good stay in the city of New York.

The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, other princes, and a number of ministers and senior officials.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz visited the Civilizations' Exhibition organized on the sidelines of the conference of dialogue among followers of religions, civilizations and cultures.

King Abdullah toured the exhibition which was opened on November 12 and will end its activities on November 14. The exhibition is sponsored by a number of Saudi private institutions.

During the tour, the King was briefed on the exhibits which project the efforts of the Muslim as well as non-Muslim scholars who lived under the umbrella of the Islamic civilization.

King Abdullah was accompanied by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, other princes, and a number of ministers and senior officials.

The efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to launch global dialogue among followers of religions and those who belong to different civilizations and cultures have gained the approval of the general assembly of the United Nations to call for a high-level meeting for dialogue among the followers of religions, based on the outcome of Madrid Inter-faith forum for Dialogue which was organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) from 16-18 July 2008 in Madrid upon invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The United Nations general assembly has announced on October 11, 2008 that it would convoke a high-level meeting in New York from 12-13 November 2008 for this purpose upon request of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the name of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Arab group at the United Nations during his speech before the 63rd session of the UN general assembly late September 2008.

The call drew the direct consent of a number of world dignitaries including the General Assembly's current President Miguel D'Escoto, U.S. President George Bush, White House Press Secretary Dana Perini, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Madrid World Forum for Dialogue has recommended that the UN general assembly supports the outcome of that conference to further push dialogue among followers of religions during a special session under the auspices of the world organization.

Participants expressed hope that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud uses his offices to bring about this meeting at the earliest.

Thus, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has dug his name deep in contemporary history as one among the prominent callers for peace and dialogue.

Hence, New York meeting comes as embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to see an end to deterioration of ethics, dismantling of families and peoples disputes.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal said that religious freedom in the Kingdom, the land of the Two Holy Mosques, is a decision for the Ummah (Muslim world) to make.

“The Kingdom is the cradle of Islam and a country where millions of Muslims come every year to perform the Haj and the King is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Thus the Kingdom is responsible for (reflecting) the desire and will of the Ummah worldwide,” Prince Saud said at a press conference with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The foreign minister was replying to a question on whether, by initiating the world interfaith conference which concluded at the United Nations General Assembly meant that Saudi Arabia would tolerate the practicing of other religions within its borders.

When he was asked how the Kingdom could make a call at the UN for religious tolerance when it does not practice it at home, Prince Saudi said: “Discussing religions runs counter to the spirit of both the Madrid and New York conferences. We have agreed on not touching on beliefs and instead focusing on the common values so that people can be brought together with open minds and hearts to achieve more progress.”

“But from the outset, we should stress the importance of changing the self so that you become different from what you are now. Otherwise nothing would be achieved,” he added.

Prince Saud said the unprecedented support garnered at the UN reflects the importance of respecting and glorifying common principles and values shared by countries, “which in essence should make us support the culture of peace and rely on dialogue so as to reject the so-called clash of civilizations and all efforts to divide.”

“All religions call for enhancing peace amongst peoples of the world, for reinforcing common values and for refraining from rekindling conflict and pushing the world toward conflict and confrontation.

Quoting from the King’s speech at the Madrid Conference that had brought together representatives of different religions and faiths from around the world last July, Prince Saud said: “We meet to reiterate that all Divine religions are for the good of man. Hence they should be used as means and principle to achieve man’s happiness. To the world I say that differences should not lead to conflict and confrontation and I make it clear that mankind’s disasters were not from religion but from the extremism of some followers of some religions.”

Prince Saud said it is important to focus on points of common understanding and to avoid controversies so as to understand others’ views of others.

About how to explain Israel’s stand toward the Arab peace initiative, following the statements made by Israeli President Shimon Peres in his speech at the interfaith conference, Prince Saud said he was disappointed that Peres only talked positively about parts of the Arab peace plan and didn’t mention others.

“It is not a peace proposal that you can divide into what is acceptable and what is not acceptable,” Prince Saud said. “It’s a package deal and it was presented as a package deal.

“And so I think we still have a long way to go to be able to say that Israelis and Arabs see eye to eye on how they look at the peace proposal that the King has made.”

The Arab peace plan initiated by Saudi Arabia calls for Arab recognition of the Jewish state in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from all lands captured in the 1967 Mid East war. But Israel objects to relinquishing all territory and the right of all Palestinians to return, and it wants to keep a unified Jerusalem as its capital.

Ban Ki-moon read the declaration issued by the UN interfaith conference, which concluded with participants from 80 nations rejecting the use of religion to justify acts of terrorism, the killing of innocent civilians, violence and coercion.

The declaration expressed concern at “serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, expressions of hatred and harassment of minority religious communities of all faiths.” The participants “underlined the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding and tolerance among human beings, as well as respect for all their diverse religions, cultures and beliefs.”