Foreign Secretary David Miliband launches 10th Hajj Delegation 2009

Foreign Secretary David Miliband Launches

Tenth Hajj Delegation 2009

Dr. Mozammel Haque

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has launched this year’s UK Hajj Delegation to Saudi Arabia, yesterday, Tuesday, the 27th of October 2009 from the Blue Room of the Foreign Secretary’s Residence, London, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, Lord Adam Patel and diplomats and other members of the Hajj Delegation, guests and community leaders. Twenty-five thousand UK Muslims will go this year to perform the annual pilgrimage in Makkah with the British government offering advice, support and medical care to its citizens going there. British Hajj Delegation is a team that will provide on the ground medical and consular support for British pilgrims attending the Hajj later next month.

Referring to recently held Eid Reception at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Foreign Secretary said three messages came through for the non-Muslims to understand better some of the importance of the Hajj; “one is the message of empathy for others that was brought home to me by the various conversations I had. The second is the Islamic belief in the interconnectiveness of all people, which I think is a very important theme. And thirdly the values of Islam of compassion, of equality, of sacrifice, that are an important part of this important time of the year. And I think these are very important messages for all of us, whether or not we’re Muslim or non Muslim, and the chance for the whole of Britain to be educated about the faith and commitments of two million of our fellow citizens is I think an important wider message that comes through this Hajj Delegation that is now such an important part of British Muslim life,” mentioned Foreign Secretary.

Referring to French Hajj Delegation, Miliband, M.P. said, “I gather that our French friends have now copied us and now have a French Hajj Delegation. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and so we should welcome the fact, in a funny way, that Britain is not now the only European country with a Government sponsored Hajj Delegation, but it certainly gives me great pleasure that ours is the first and the best Hajj Delegation. And I’m confident that this year’s Hajj Delegation will live up to the enormously high standard of its predecessors and make the contribution to British society as well as more broadly, that I think is very, very important.”

Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, said, “During Hajj, millions of Muslims from all over the world gather in the same spots to perform the same rituals at the same times, standing together on equal footing and dressed as one.”

Speaking about the importance of Hajj, Prince Mohammad said, “Hajj is a true reflection of the exalted principles of equality, modesty and human brotherhood that are at the heart of Islam. This also makes Hajj the most impressive manifestation of Islam’s ability to cross borders and cultures and unite nations.”

Speaking about the recent development of the Haramain for the convenience of the Pilgrims, the Saudi Ambassador mentioned the massive expansion programme and new projects have been implemented. He said, “Those who will perform Hajj this year will see stunning developments.”

“The huge expansion of the Mas’a, the extensive development of the Mena area and the expansion of the open courtyard around the Holy Mosque are just a few examples of such accomplishments,” mentioned the Saudi Ambassador.

Prince Mohammad also spoke about the Swine Flu and the medical preparation that the Government of Saudi Arabia has undertaken. As regards the vaccination against HINI Flu, the Saudi Ambassador said, “This year, however, the Saudi Health Authorities have taken additional measures to deal with any adverse effects of this new strain of flu.”

“The Kingdom has taken additional precautions by stockpiling sufficient quantities of anti-viral drugs. There will be three laboratories in Makkah and a fourth at the Holy places of Mina and Muzdalifah, specially dedicated to conducting tests on anyone displaying symptoms of the HINI flu Virus. Moreover an additional 15,000 medical personnel have been recruited to serve the needs of the pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah and the other Holy places,” mentioned the Saudi Ambassador.

Prince Mohammad also added, “In addition the Saudi Health authorities have launched a system for the automated tracking of epidemics during the Hajj season which will create a centralised database, which will assist the development of health services for pilgrims this year and beyond.,”

The Saudi Ambassador also informed, “Out of approximately two million British Muslims in the United Kingdom, about 50,000 on average, performed Hajj or Umrah last year and the year before. A similar or a larger number is expected this year. Mentioning about the British Hujjaj, the Saudi Ambassador assured that the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques will do everything it can to ensure that this year’s pilgrimage begins and concludes safely and peacefully, that the mission of the British Hajj Delegation is a successful one, and that the British Pilgrims’ journey to the Holy places in Saudi Arabia is a safe and fulfilling one.”

Praising the British Hajj Delegation, the Saudi Ambassador expressed his “sincere thanks and appreciation firstly to the Foreign Secretary and secondly to the Hajj Desk at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – for the invaluable support they extend annually to the British Hajj Delegation, said Prince Mohammad and also thanked the chairman and all members of the British Hajj Delegation “for their contribution to the success of the Hajj pilgrimage.”

The Saudi Ambassador concluded his speech by “wishing the British Hajj Delegation and all British Muslims who are performing Hajj this year, a safe journey, a blissful visit to the Holy Places, an accepted Hajj and a safe return to their homes and loved ones.”

The British Hajj Delegation teams will leave for Jeddah on 11 November and is scheduled to return on 5 December.

Launch of Hajj Awareness Week at House of Lords

Launch of National Hajj Awareness
Week at House of Lords

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, Patron of the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH) launched the National Hajj Awareness Week at the House of Lords on Wednesday, the 21 October 2008. While launching the Hajj Awareness Week, Lord Ahmed mentioned some of the achievements of the ABH: 25,000 British Muslims go for Hajj every year and many thousands do Umrah and there was a need for British Muslims facilities not only consular advice but more important health advice and other kind of advice which is now available in Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat and particularly in Makkah.

The purpose of this national event was to raise awareness of the Health & Safety issues amongst the 25000 prospective British Hajj & Umrah pilgrims who will start travelling from next week to join over 2 million other pilgrims in Makkah to perform Hajj. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Steve McCabe MP, Roger Godsiff MP, Hazza Al Hasher from Saudi Embassy (London) and officials from various Government departments were present to support this event.

The British Pilgrims are at greater risk of accidents and contracting infectious diseases such as meningitis, hepatitis, influenza etc. “It is particularly important that pilgrims must be aware of the precautionary measures towards the recent Swine flu threat and that they must get vaccinated before their departure to Saudi”, said Lord Ahmed of Rotherham.

I had the opportunity to interview Lord Ahmed, the patron of the Association of British Hujjaj. Speaking about the importance of launching this event, Lord Ahmed said, “Every year the ABH launches the Hajj Awareness Week. It is important that we raise awareness because hundreds and thousands Muslims from the United Kingdom go for Hajj and Umrah every year 25, 000 of them for Hajj. We are unique in the sense that Government provides facilities in Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafah through the Hajj Delegation which was established ten years ago.”

Lord Ahmed also congratulated the efforts of the Saudi Government saying, “the Saudi Government has been very kind in supporting this effort too.”

Lord Ahmed advised to take Meningitis and Swine Flu jab. “Sometime health and safety issues are not the priority of our community; we want to make sure that people are aware that Meningitis is a killer and people should be protected against the Meningitis jab. Secondly, Swine Flu is also a killer now and the government expects thousands of people are contracting it, so therefore it is important that people have a flu jab against that,.” advised Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed also mentioned about fraud tour operators. “There are great majority of the tour operators they provide an excellent service and they do very hard work; but occasionally we get total fraud like last year in East London a Bengali gentleman who committed a fraud; he called himself a Kibla Hajj Services. That man, rightly so, Thank God, he was sentenced for six years. And I hope that the money he transferred to Bangladesh should be returned. 350 people were stunned with 2500 pounds per head. This is a lot of money and these are poor people and they had lost their passports. They saved the money for their life time. Unfortunately these types of things happened. And that should not be allowed.”

Lord Ahmed advised people to be vigilant and also to obtain a receipt from tour operators. “People need to be vigilant and they should report this matter if this happens to the police and also to the Trading Standard offices. But the most important thing is we know some people do not use credit cards or cheque books. Any money you give you must obtain a receipt from the tour operators.”

Lord Ahmed also mentioned that the people should make sure that these tour operators are ATOL registered, they should have some certification from the BIS and the Aviation Authority. “They should have government approval as well as a company which is responsible for looking after their things,” said Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed also said that cheapest is not necessarily the best. “I think people should look at this year packages which are being offered. Cheapest is not necessarily the best. We know every body should go for cost effective but they should go for quality,” advised Lord Ahmed.

Another aspect which Lord Ahmed emphasized is about the religiosity of Hajj itself. “Hajj does not mean suffering; it does not mean hardship, it means worship. This is not an option, this is not going for holiday, this is part of Islam and people should be looking for the fulfilment of that spirituality,” mentioned Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed would like to see more mosques to hold seminars and training programme so people should be mentally prepared. “We need to make sure that we should have host these events in regions. Next Sunday, in Midland, they are launching this event and then in Yorkshire and Scotland. So people become more aware. We would like more mosques to hold seminars and training programmes so people should be mentally prepared,” said Lord Ahmed.

Officials from Business, Innovation & Skills Department (BIS) and Metropolitan police also highlighted the issue of exploitation of the pilgrims by some tour operators. Members of Parliament Steve McCabe and Roger Godsiff commended the hard work of the ABH, UK towards the welfare and well being of the pilgrims. They strongly urged the British Muslim community that they should be aware of the illegal activities of some unscrupulous and rogue Hajj tour operators who are causing tremendous hardship and difficulties to the British Hajj & Umrah pilgrims and they also expressed their full support to ensure that the Hajj & Umrah travel industry is regulated.

“The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (A.B.H) the National Hajj specific organisation is organising high profile publicity campaign during this week through press and electronic media, and also organising seminars and educational training programs to raise awareness of pre-travel Health & Safety issues amongst prospective Hajj pilgrims to prevent such tragic incidents in future”, said Khalid Pervez, General Secretary of the Association of British Hujjaj.

Recent Expansion of Haramain

This is the season of Hajj. It is necessary to write something about the developments and expansion of the Haramain, The Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and the Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah al-Munawwarah.

Expansion of Masjid al-Haram
In 1988 King Fahd laid the foundation stone for the third Saudi expansion of the Sacred Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. The prime aim of the multi-million dollar programme was to make the places of Hajj more safely accessible to ever greater numbers. The development incorporated an expansion of the western wing of the existing Masjid al-Haram and a subsequent enlargement of the building to hold more than a million worshippers. The expansion included over 60,000 square metre of prayer area on the enlarged roof, in addition to another almost 86,000 square metre in the surrounding plaza. An elaborate new entrance and 18 smaller entranceways have also been built.

The safety and comfort of the Hajjis has become a major concern for the authorities. The newly laid floor titles are made of specially developed heat-resistant marble and the whole structure is cooled by one of the world’s largest air-conditioning units. To facilitate the movement of the worshippers to the newly developed of area of the Masjid al-Haram during the busiest seasons, additional escalators are incorporated along side a number of fixed stairways in the northern and southern sides of the building.

In November 2004, King Abdullah announced the launching of the giant development projects in Makkah al-Mukarramah at a total cost of more than 35 billion Saudi Riyals. The seven projects include Jabal Omar Development Project, Parallel Road Development Project, Jabal Khandamah Development Project, Shi’b Amir Development Project, Northern Haram (Al-Shamiyah) Development Project and Ajyad Hospital Development Project. In April 2007, the Makkah Development Authority, the Makkah Municipality and the Presidency of the Haramain Affairs announced a further expansion project, to be completed by 2020. The master plan for the development of the city’s central district aims at accommodating three million residents and eight million pilgrims. Further expansion of the Masaa will reduce overcrowding and will be completed before the next Hajj season. Plans are also under way to air-condition the entire built-up area of the Masjid al-Haram.

The 55-year old Ajyad Hospital in Makkah which is located close to the Grand Masjid has been demolished. The 3,000 square meter space where the hospital was located will be added to the Masjid al-Haram’s courtyard, creating prayer space for some 7,000 worshippers. A modern high-tech hospital is being built on a 110,000 square foot plot to the south east of the Masjid to satisfy the needs of pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors of the Holy Haram.

Expansion of Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah
Work on the Prophet’s Mosque began in 1985 and was completed in 1994. It increased the total area of the Mosque almost five-fold. A unique feature of the expansion project was the development of the 27 main plazas. Each plaza is now capped by a state-of-the-art sliding dome, which can be rapidly opened or closed according to the weather and can be used in unison or separately as required. The project also necessitated the building of six additional minarets, the most powerful visual sign of the Mosque, each 105 metre high construction being crowned with a 4 ton gold-plated crescent.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah laid the foundation stone for a SR. 4.7 billion ($1.25 billion) expansion project at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The expansion project includes the installation of 182 sunshades in the Mosque’s courtyards which will give shade to more than 200,000 worshippers visiting the Mosque at any time. The development project also includes the expansion of the Mosque’s eastern courtyard by a further 37,000 square metres creating additional prayer space for 70,000 worshippers.

First Hajj flights arrived in Jeddah
More than 3,000 foreign pilgrims on 19 flights arrived at the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) on Tuesday, 20th of October, the first day for the arrival of Hajj flights in the present Hajj season. Director General of King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) Mazen Khashoggi told reporters that this year’s Hajj would witness a qualitative shift in pilgrim services. Pilgrims are being received at 13 gates. Eight new air bridges will be ready for serving them shortly, the official said.

Regarding the new arrangement for the smooth arrival and departure of pilgrim aircraft, the director said, “The peak season of arrivals and departures of pilgrims this year has been extended to 21 days instead of 10 days as in the past. The number of inbound flights each hour at the beginning of Hajj will be limited to six for arrival and five for departure at the end.”

Key principles of Islam are universal - Home Secretary

Key principles of Islam are Universal - Alan Johnson

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The key principles of Islam – the right to life, the right to worship, justice, freedom of expression and equality of opportunity – are universal. They apply to every nation, every faith group and every race. More fundamentally, we are celebrating common values which are a product of centuries of co-operation and collaboration,” said the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, M.P., while delivering his speech at the Eid-ul-Fitr reception at the Durbar Hall of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London, on Monday, the 12th of October 2009 in the presence of other three Cabinet Ministers; Saudi, Syrian, Sudanese, Turkish and other diplomats, community leaders, businessmen and media people.

While giving the historical background of deep relationship between Britain and Islam, after saying Eid Mubarak and thanking the Muslim community, the Home Secretary, said, “In the British Museum, there is a gold coin, minted in England in the 8th Century. On the front, it bears the name of King Offa of Mercia, an Anglo-Saxon king, whose dyke remains a tourist attraction. Inscribed in Arabic on the other side, by a Kentish coin maker, are a few phrases from the Qu’ran. So this is in the 8th century. Historians will long debate the coins’ significance. But at the very least, it serves as a reminder that the links between this country and Islam have very deep roots.”

Speaking about the British Muslim contribution, the Home Secretary said, “Tonight we are celebrating a relationship that’s exemplified by the contribution that Muslims make to every aspect of British life – in politics, academia, law, sport, the arts, healthcare, humanitarian aid, the military, business and finance. Islamic Relief received £6million during Ramadan thanks to UK Muslim communities. I think that’s a tremendous achievement that we should all applaud.”

Home Secretary also mentioned about the threat from the far right racist. “The threat from the far right racist it affects us all and it requires a united response,” Johnson said.

Home Secretary also mentioned, “There is a responsibility on government to tackle social exclusion, deprivation and discrimination in all its forms – we know that in our schools and universities, only a fraction of the potential of young Pakistanis and Bangladeshis is realised, despite significant improvements in recent years. And we know that there are Muslim communities in the UK which are disproportionately affected by poverty and unemployment, or face discrimination and harassment because of their faith or race.”

We celebrate the values of Ramadan-David Miliband Foreign Secretary

We celebrate the values of Ramadan:
Social Justice, compassion - Miliband

Dr. Mozammel Haque

If I understand rightly the values of Ramadan, the values that we celebrate tonight, the values of responsibility, the values of social justice, the values of compassion, the values that say something more important than ourselves - and those are important values that we should celebrate as a country and not just as a community here tonight, said the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, M.P., while inaugurating the Eid-ul-Fitr reception at the Durbar Hall of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London, yesterday, Monday, 12th of October 2009 in the presence of other three Cabinet Ministers; Saudi, Syrian, Sudanese, Turkish and other diplomats, community leaders, businessmen and media people.

Miliband said, “those of you who are British citizens, each and every one of you is an ambassador for the best of what Britain can be. And I’ve spoken tonight who’ve on Foreign Office Missions to Bangladesh, people who are passionately engaged on issues of Darfur, people who care deeply about the plight of the Palestinians, people who are concerned about human rights in Sri Lanka. All of you are ambassadors for the sort of world we want to see, not just sort of Britain we want to see.”

“I think it’s important to say very clearly and very loudly that the sort of engagement we are beginning to develop from Britain’s Muslim communities to Muslim communities around the world, talking about the sort of Britain we want to see as well as the sort of world that we want to see, that is a huge new dimension to our diplomacy and one that I think gives us the potential to be even stronger diplomatic power in the years ahead,” said the British Foreign Secretary.

“So tonight is a chance to say, to say thank you to those of you who’ve engaged in our work but also to encourage more of you to be part of the honest, critical outward looking dialogue that I think is the heart of modern foreign policy,” said Miliband and added, “That we have Muslim communities who are immensely proud of their faith but are also immensely proud of being British and that is I think an important point of unity tonight.”

Miliband also mentioned, “Maybe I feel it especially because I am the first generation in my family to have been born in Britain, but I know this is a country that welcomes people, that brings the best out of people and that brings people together. And if tonight can be part of that process of bringing people together, of sharing what we have in common and debating where we have differences, and of committing together to be an outward looking force for our country; then we will not just be celebrating marking an important part of our holy calendar, we will also be contributing to the strength of this country.”

Geneva Conference calls for International Dialogue Centre

Geneva Conference calls for setting up an International Dialogue Centre

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Geneva Interfaith Conference affirmed its support for the establishment of an international dialogue centre that would pursue the Kng Abdullah’s historic initiative at the conclusion of the Two-day International conference on Interfaith dialogue, organised by the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL), held at the Inter.Continental Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, from 30 September to 1st October, 2009.

The main theme of the conference was ‘The Impact of King Abdullah’s Inter-Religious Dialogue Initiative in Disseminating Human Values’. Other topics for discussion in the conference were: King Abdullah’s Initiative and the Scope of Coexistence Among the Various Civilisations; the Role of Religion and Culture in Promoting Dialogue; the Impact of Religious Values in Reforming Societies; and the Role of Media in Strengthening Dialogue and Human Values.

The conference, organised by Muslim World League, was opened in Geneva on Wednesday, 30th of September 2009 under the patronage of Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz and was participated by 150 religious and academic figures representing different religions and cultures from nearly 40 countries, including the US, the UK, China, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan and the Philippines. Among them, besides others, were Bandar Al-Eiban, President of the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia; William Baker, President of Christians and Muslims for Peace in the US; Rev. Xue Cheng, Vice Chairman of Buddhist Association of China; Faisal bin Muammar, Saudi Deputy Minister of Education; Sri Ravi Shankar, a renowned scholar on Hinduism; and Mohammad Ali Al-Taskhiri, General-Secretary of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought in Iran.

The conference was opened by Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz, represented by Mrs. Muriel Berst, councillor of the Swiss delegation at the United Nations’ European headquarters in Geneva. She pledged Switzerland’s all-out support for the Saudi King’s initiative and praised the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. She commended the impact of religions in promoting a utopian ideal.

In the opening session, Dr. Bandar Al-Eiban, President of the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia, who delivered the Kingdom’s speech, emphasized the importance of focusing on values shared by all religions. “The focus on differences by followers of different faiths and cultures had led to fanaticism and destructive wars,” he said and noted that the conference will provide a good opportunity to enhance cooperation among representatives of beliefs and cultures and to encourage dialogue as well as enhance the pillars of international cooperation for realizing coexistence.

The aims and objectives of the conference
At the very beginning of the conference, the Secretary General of the MWL, Dr. Abdullah Mohsin Al-Turki spelled out the objectives of the conference. He said that the Geneva meeting would generate global and popular support for the King’s initiative to promote a culture of dialogue among nations, organisations and individuals. “The main objectives of the king’s initiative are to uphold human values, establish justice, promote cooperation, protect human rights, preserve the family and end conflicts.” “King Abdullah’s interfaith dialogue initiative aims at disseminating human values, promoting coexistence of the people of different faiths, spreading the values of peace and security, fighting evil in the world and promoting cooperation between communities,” Dr. Al-Turki said.

The other objective of the conference, according to Dr. Al-Turki, was to spread human values that are shared by all religions. “This will encourage them to work jointly to solve pressing humanitarian problems, such as poverty, family violence, drug abuse and terrorism and violation of human rights,” he said.

Deliberations of the Conference
During the two-day conference, the delegates and participants asked the Geneva conference to give a clear vision and plan for the future and also to give a clear direction for future interfaith dialogue. Three important directions came out from the deliberations of the conference: one was a call for the establishment of an international research institute for training of the younger generations; another was to nurture the culture of dialogue among the younger generations to make the historic initiative launched by the Custodian of the Holy Mosques King Abdullah and also the role of the media in the interfaith dialogue and the role of the international media. .

1. Establishment of an International Dialogue Centre
Bava Jain, Secretary General of the World Council of Religious Leaders told reporters: “His Majesty King Abdullah has done his part in paving the foundation for this historic initiative by visiting the Vatican, meeting the Pope, organizing the Madrid conference and bringing together world leaders at the UN General Assembly to discuss the initiative. Now it is our duty to build upon this initiative to make it a big success.”

Mr. Jain called for the establishment of an international training and research institute to educate young religious leaders on the importance of dialogue among people of different faiths. Earlier on the eve of the Geneva Conference, Dr. Al-Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League also spoke about plans to establish an international centre to promote King Abdullah’s interfaith dialogue initiative. There was also a plan to set up an international committee on interfaith dialogue including prominent personalities from across the world. “We want to give a message to the world that Islam and Muslims stand for peace, and Saudi Arabia, its leadership and people want to make their contributions to world peace by promoting dialogue among the followers of different faiths,” he said, hoping that these efforts would help stop the smear campaigns against Islam and Muslims.

Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Rabbi Emeritus Temple Kol Tikvah in the US while presiding over a session titled “The Initiative and the Scope of Coexistence among Civilizations,” said, “Let’s work hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart in this long journey,” and asked the participants to join him in prayer for the success of the initiative.

The Geneva Conference affirmed its support for the establishment of an international dialogue centre that would pursue the king’s historic initiative. It also supported the formation of a Global Islamic Commission involving major organizations concerned with dialogue.

2. Promoting the spirit of culture of dialogue
So far as to promote the culture of dialogue is concerned, MWL Secretary General said, this international forum would create greater understanding among the followers of different religions, promote goodwill within the human family, consolidate the foundations of peace and friendships among nations and to encourage them to work together for the welfare and betterment of all mankind. Shantilal Somaiya, who runs several educational institutions in Mumbai, India, said he was ready to provide every support to organize a similar conference in India.

President of Christians and Muslims for Peace, William Baker, wanted more discussions on major issues and said, “I am happy that this dialogue is being initiated by Saudis. It will help remove the misconceptions about Saudi Arabia and its people in this part of the world,” Baker said. “We need to move forward now by taking the dialogue initiative to the public and discuss issues such as poverty, occupation of homeland and human rights violation.”

Senator Adil Akhmetov of Kazakhstan emphasized the need to develop the culture of dialogue in families and children.” If we teach our children the importance of dialogue and coexistence and about the unity of religions it will make them world citizens and ambassadors of peace,” Senator Akhmetov said.

The final communiqué said the participants would appreciate the inclusion of more women and youths in future dialogue forums. They also called for greater cooperation between faith communities in fighting poverty, ignorance, diseases and disasters.

Secretary-General of the MWL told reporters at the conclusion of the two-day international interfaith conference in Geneva that his organisations is ready to participate in conferences and forums organized by any other institution to promote interfaith dialogue initiated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and also indicated that the next conference would be held in Southeast Asia next year.

International media and the spread of culture of dialogue
Father Econos Nabeel Haddad, Executive Director of the Jordanian Centre for Religious Coexistence Research said, “Dialogue is an essential choice for societies to make progress and achieve peace” and urged the media to play an important role to spread the spirit of dialogue and coexistence all over the world.

The Geneva Conference urged the Muslim World League to convene a world conference on the “Mission of the International Media in Promoting Interfaith Dialogue”. The conference also urged international media to spread the culture of dialogue and prevent the culture of violence, stopping publication of violent art productions. It also rejected racial discrimination and racial superiority. “Differences in human beings and diversity of ethnicities and religions are realities permitted by God.”

This is the fourth international conference was held in connection with promoting interfaith dialogue at the initiative of the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. The first was held in Makkah, the second in Madrid and the third at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah initiated an interfaith dialogue as a way to boost tolerance and understanding, in particular between the Muslim, Christian and Hindu cultures to strengthening world peace and stability.

King Abdullah’s Journey to Interfaith Dialogue
King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue three years ago in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King traveled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world. The visit heralded a new era in the relations between two Abrahamic faiths that have so much in common yet have seldom been at peace with each other.

King Abdullah hosted the first historic interfaith dialogue conference in Makkah in June 2008. The Makkah conference, which was held on 4 June, 2008, brought together about 500 Muslim leaders from around the world in order to set an agenda for the building of better relations between Muslims and followers of other faiths. Kind Abdullah said, “It is therefore incumbent upon us to declare to the world that difference must not lead to conflict and confrontation, and to state that the tragedies that have occurred in human history were not attributable to religion, but were the result of extremism with which some adherents of every divinely revealed religion, and of every political ideology, have been afflicted.”

The second conference on Dialogue was held in Madrid on 16 July, 2008, which was attended by around 300 eminent personalities and representatives from among the followers of the three revealed religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, as well as by representatives of Oriental philosophies, cultures and civilizations. “If we want this historic encounter to succeed, we must look to the things that unite us: Our profound faith in God, the noble principles and elevated ethics that represent the foundation of religions,” the king told the Madrid conference.

Then King Abdullah took his battle of hearts and minds to the global centre-stage at the UN. A Two-day interfaith conference titled “High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace” was held at the UN headquarters from 12-13 November 2008 to promote the culture of peace and dialogue among the followers of various faiths. UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann invited leaders of 192 member countries and observers, including the Vatican, to attend the conference. Many world leaders including US President George W. Bush, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Israeli President Shimon Peres, King Abdallah of Jordan, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attended at the conference.

King Abdullah's Vision of World Peace and Stability

King Abdullah’s Vision of
World Peace and Stability

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Saudi Arabia marks its 79th National Day on Wednesday, 23 September 2009, not only to remember the country’s unification at the hands of King Abdul Aziz to bring peace to the region and to restore the true faith of Islam but also to celebrate the dramatic development in the educational, health and economic sectors. “The National Day of Saudi Arabia is different from other countries. It is not an occasion to remember liberation from colonialists but rather an occasion to celebrate the unity of our people,” said Prince Abdul Rahman, Deputy Minister of Defence and Aviation.

King Abdullah’s vision of world peace and stability was demonstrated in the field of education, international politics and religion. His quest for world peace drives him to establish a university which will bring world scholars and scientists in a platform to bring world peace and solidarity. Similarly, in order to bring conflict-free world, King Abdullah gave an Arab Peace Initiative which can be basis to bring peace and permanent solution to the Middle East conflict. Thirdly, King Abdullah’s first historic initiative to bring world peace through interfaith dialogue and understanding makes the Saudi National Day something which makes the country can feel proud of.

King Abdullah’s gift to the nation: KAUST
On Wednesday, Saudis are celebrating the double booms: because of National day, a day to commemorate the unification and establishment of Saudi Arabia and the second is the inauguration of a high tech multi-billion King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) outside of Jeddah in September 2009. A dream came true when the Custodian of the Two Holy mosques inaugurated the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). “I have been thinking and dreaming about it for the last 25 years,” the king has said many times. The new university is King Abdullah’s dream project.

King Abdullah said, “Undoubtedly, scientific centres that embrace all peoples are the first line of defence against extremism. And today this university will become a House of Wisdom.”

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the establishment of the SR10 billion university on Oct. 21, 2007, King Abdullah said, “As a new Bait Al-Hikma, KAUST will be a beacon for peace, hope and reconciliation, and shall serve the people of the Kingdom and benefit all the peoples of the world in keeping with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, which explains that God created mankind in order for us to come to know each other.”

He added, “Throughout history power has attached itself after God to science. And the Islamic nation knows too well that it will not be powerful unless it depends on after God, science. For science and faith cannot compete except in unhealthy souls and God has graced us with our minds, which we use to understand and recognise God’s laws of nature.”

“We hope that the university carries out its noble humanitarian message in a pure and clean atmosphere, taking the help of God and then that of enlightened intellectuals all over the world, without any bias or discrimination,” he added, desiring that the new university serves as a bridge between cultures and nations.

The launching of KAUST was nothing short of historic. It will serve as a lighthouse of knowledge for all mankind. The new university has been described as the King’s gift to the nation, but it develops and sets out as an international centre of research excellence where students and their professors have been selected purely for academic qualities and potential. Thus it will also be the King’s gift to the world.

The establishment of the new university with a $10 billion endowment has created huge excitement in the world academic community. The university received more than 7,400 applications from potential students. To date, KAUST has registered 817 students representing 61 countries; of this group, 374 postgraduate students began classes this month (September), while the rest will enrol at the beginning of 2010. Incoming students in the inaugural class represent 116 undergraduate institutions from many regions of the world including China (14 percent), Mexico (12 percent), Saudi Arabia (11 percent) and the US (8 percent). The university’s aim is to expand to 2,000 students within eight to 10 years.

Consider another fact: KAUST personnel represent 45 countries. These accomplished research scientists and educators hail from around the world. The top countries of origin are the US (14), Germany (7), Canada (6) and China (6). By all accounts, KAUST is a unique graduate research university that has brought the world to Saudi Arabia — and Saudi Arabia to the world.

King Abdullah’s Arab Peace Initiative
The other source of pride for the Saudi nation is King Abdullah’s contribution in the field of international politics to bring fair, comprehensive and permanent solution of the the Middle East conflict. King Abdullah’s Arab Peace Initiative remains the foundation of all efforts to bring justice to the Palestinian people.

In 2002, King Abdullah proposed Arab Peace Initiative, considered by many as a promising Saudi attempt to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during a 2002 Summit in Beirut, was adopted in Beirut in 2002 and reconfirmed by other Arab Summits, including the 2006 and 2007 Arab Summits in Riyadh. The plan offers full normalization of relations in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from all Arab Territories occupied during the 1967 War, including Jerusalem.

Recently, Abdullah has visited Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in what the Saudi Arabian government calls “an attempt to restart the stalled Middle East peace process and promote Arab unity and cooperation.’ Saudi Arabian efforts, including the hosting of Palestinians factions at a meeting in Makkah in February 2007 played a pivotal role in the stabilization of internal politics in the country and the commitment to form a national unity government.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in Washington to emphasize the Kingdom’s determination to move forward with the Middle East peace process. “A bold and historic step is required to end this conflict and divert the resources of the region from war and destruction to peace and development,” Prince Saud said.

Prince Saud called for a “comprehensive approach” addressing final status issues during the negotiating phase. “The whole world knows what a settlement should look like –n withdrawal from all the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, a just settlement for the refugees, and an equitable settlement of issues such as water and security.” Prince Saud stressed the necessity of Israel doing its fair share by agreeing to a complete settlement freeze and providing necessities for Palestinians.

US Secretary of State Clinton reiterated the need for the Kingdom to take a leadership role facilitating peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. Saudi leadership is “absolutely vital to achieving ....lasting peace,” she said.

King Abdullah’s Interfaith Dialogue
In the field of religion, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah initiated an interfaith dialogue as a way to boost tolerance and understanding, in particular between the Muslim, Christian and Hindu cultures to strengthening world peace and stability.

On the occasion of the fourth interfaith conference, which opens in Geneva, Switzerland on 30 September 2009 with the participation of as many as 166 religious leaders and intellectuals from several countries, the Secretary General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League, Dr. Abdullah Mohsin Al-Turki, said the Geneva conference is a continuation of efforts that began in Makkah to promote interfaith dialogue. “King Abdullah’s interfaith dialogue initiative aims at disseminating human values, promoting coexistence of the people of different faiths, spreading the values of peace and security, fighting evil in the world and promoting cooperation between communities,” Al-Turki said.

The two-day conference at Geneva InterContinental would discuss a number of papers under the banner “The Impact of King Abdullah’s Initiative in Disseminating Human Values.” Religious leaders, academics and other prominent personalities from around the world, including the US, the UK, China, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan and the Philippines, take part in the event, which is scheduled to be opened by the President of Switzerland on Wednesday, 30 September, 2009.

King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue three years ago in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King traveled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world. The visit heralded a new era in the relations between two Abrahamic faiths that have so much in common yet have seldom been at peace with each other.

King Abdullah hosted the first historic interfaith dialogue conference in Makkah in June 2008. The Makkah conference, which was held on 4 June, 2008, brought together about 500 Muslim leaders from around the world in order to set an agenda for the building of better relations between Muslims and followers of other faiths.“We are the voice of justice and moral values, we are the voice of rational and just co-existence and dialogue, the voice of wisdom and admonition, and dialogue with the best way possible as Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and discuss with them in ways that are best’,” the King said.

Kind Abdullah also said, “It is therefore incumbent upon us to declare to the world that difference must not lead to conflict and confrontation, and to state that the tragedies that have occurred in human history were not attributable to religion, but were the result of extremism with which some adherents of every divinely revealed religion, and of every political ideology, have been afflicted.”

The second conference on Dialogue was held in Madrid on 16 July, 2008, which was attended by around 300 eminent personalities and representatives from among the followers of the three revealed religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, as well as by representatives of Oriental philosophies, cultures and civilizations. Among the attendees were the Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress Michael Schneider and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, in charge of dialogue between the Vatican and Muslims and the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “If we want this historic encounter to succeed, we must look to the things that unite us: Our profound faith in God, the noble principles and elevated ethics that represent the foundation of religions,” the king told the Madrid conference.

Then King Abdullah took his battle of hearts and minds to the global centre-stage at the UN. A Two-day interfaith conference titled “High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace” was held at the UN headquarters from 12-13 November 2008 to promote the culture of peace and dialogue among the followers of various faiths. UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann invited leaders of 192 member countries and observers, including the Vatican, to attend the conference. Many world leaders including US President George W. Bush, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Israeli President Shimon Peres, King Abdallah of Jordan, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attended at the conference.

Conclusion
I would like to conclude with a quote from King Abdullah who points out the core values established by his father three-quarters of a century ago:

“The late King Abdul Aziz founded and united this state on the basis of Islamic Shari’ah. Consequently, unity replaced division; love replaced enmity and cooperation replaced antagonism. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a peace-loving country that respects human rights and works to utilise its wealth to achieve the aspirations of its own people as well as those of Arab and Islamic countries within a joint humanitarian concept, just as all the world’s peace-loving countries do. In conclusion, let me appeal to Allah Almighty to preserve our country and let it continue to enjoy security and stability.”