Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, and Head of the Saudi delegation to the 10th Islamic Summit Conference, which is currently in progress, denounced extremists as deviant from the Islamic faith and called for an intellectual campaign to counter militancy.
Addressing the Summit Conference on Friday, Crown Prince Abdullah said that extremism contravenes the teachings of Islam, which teach mercy, tolerance and moderation. He said that those who aim to terrorise and kill innocent people in no way represent the values of Islam.
Crown Prince Abdullah urged the Islamic Summit to adopt strict measures to confront extremism and terrorism, to correct mistaken ideas, and clarify the true Islamic teachings to Muslim youth, by, among other things, expanding the authority of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council, an affiliate of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
The Crown Prince attributed economic weakness in Muslim countries to their failure to keep pace with rapid developments in the international community, and to open their economies to boost growth, investment opportunities and the creation of employment for Muslim youth. “It is not the responsibility of this Summit to establish economic plans for Muslim countries, but we can promote development by encouraging trade between Muslim countries in a manner that meets the aspirations of all,” he said.
Crown Prince Abdullah proposed boosting the financial resources of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which finance exports among Muslim countries. He announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would be the first country to extend financial support for trade exchange between Muslim countries, and added that the Kingdom would consult with IDB Governors to review details in this respect.
The Crown Prince proposed the formation of a five-member Islamic Committee of Peace to tackle problems among Muslim countries, and problems between Muslims and others.
He urged the Summit to extend moral and material support to the Palestinian people to enable them to regain their legitimate rights, primarily their right to establish an independent state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital. He condemned Israeli aggression, and urged the international community to exercise pressure on Israel to comply with UN resolutions.
“We should extend unwavering support to Iraq to enable it to overcome its present difficulties and establish its independence and sovereign power, to allow the Iraqi people to live in peace and harmony with their neighbours,” he said.
Source: SPA
