RIYADH, 29 November — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday blasted Western critics of Saudi Arabia for targeting the Holy Qur’an.
“Some foreign newspapers have said that the Holy Qur’an is the cause of crimes... God forbid,” Prince Abdullah told a meeting of provincial governors, tribal chiefs and commanders of the National Guard.
“This is your Qur’an... We greatly respect it and sacrifice our lives in the service of this religion, this nation and the king,” the crown prince added in a speech carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Prince Abdullah has repeatedly criticized the Western media for its anti-Saudi smear campaign in similar meetings with officials since the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan.
On Monday, Prince Abdullah charged that the Kingdom was targeted because it is the only country in the world that applies Islamic law.
He reiterated that such campaigns are from states “you know very well ... But, God willing, they will be defeated, and Islam will remain strong, by the grace of God, and the help of dedicated Muslims.”
Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Saudi Arabia has been accused by sections of the Western media, notably The New York Times, of being soft on terrorism and of encouraging extremism.
Riyadh has strongly refuted the accusations and underlines its commitment to combating terrorism.
