The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud chaired the Cabinet’s weekly session at Al-Salam Palace here today.
At the outset of the session, the King prayed to Almighty God to grace the new Hijra year with peace and blessings for the Muslim nation, and to enhance the nation’s cohesion and cooperation in all matters.
King Fahd urged Muslim leaders and peoples to follow the tradition of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and adhere to the Shari’ah to enable the nation to steer through present and future dangers and challenges. “Islam calls for peace, and renounces violence and terrorism in all forms. The Holy Quran and Sunnah (sayings and deeds of the Prophet) call for peace for all mankind, regardless of religion, colour and language,” the King said.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Acting Minister of Information, Dr Madani bin Abdulqadir Alaqi, said that the King reaffirmed that Islam is a universal and moderate religion, which can offer strength and solace to Muslims amidst current crises.
On the Palestinian issue, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques noted that the tragic situation of the Palestinian people who suffer at the hands of continual Israeli aggression makes imperative that the international community act to curb the escalation of the crisis, in which Israel threatens to terminate the peace process and comprehensively destroy Palestinian infrastructure, houses and farms, and assassinate and detain leading Palestinian figures. The King stressed that the Palestinian people and their leadership are in dire need of Arab, Islamic and international support at this juncture, when the world is distracted from the Palestinian issue and preoccupied with other crises. He indicated that this situation, with the absence of the enforcement of international legitimacy against Israeli aggression, allows Israel to persist in its destruction and killing of civilians.
The King said that the Kingdom is keenly following the development of events in the region and debates between members of the United Nations Security Council, and pursuing consultation and efforts aimed at saving the region from the detrimental consequences of war on Iraq, and finding a peaceful resolution of the crisis. He added that the elimination of weapons of mass destruction is obligatory, without the exception of any country in the region, in order preserve security and stability.
Alaqi said that the Cabinet then reviewed a number of domestic matters and took the following decisions:
The Cabinet decided to set up a Supreme Authority for Food and Medicine Control. The Authority, which will undertake all procedural, executive and control functions of current food and drug governmental organizations, will report directly to the Prime Minister. It will be responsible for the following: the safety, security, validity and effectiveness of food and medicine provision for humans and animals; the safety of biological and chemical products, cosmetics and pesticides; safeguarding the impact of electronic products on public health, and scrutinising standards of medical and diagnostic devices. The Authority will also set explicit plans for provision of food and drugs, conduct relevant studies, monitor the implementation of procedures relating to the issue of licenses for food, medicine and medical equipment to factories, exchange and publish information in cooperation with relevant local and international bodies, and build databases for food and drugs in the Kingdom.
The meeting authorized the Investigation and General Prosecution Authority independently to participate in a Committee formed according to paragraph B of Article 27 of the Executive Act of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances, 1988.
The Cabinet decided to enforce the unified act for juveniles, the unified act for prosecution, and the unified act for civil legal procedures, issued by the 22nd Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit meeting held in Muscat, Oman, on 31 December 2001. The laws will act as a guidance system for a period of four years.
Source: SPA
