MINA, 24 February — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd yesterday blasted Israel for making a mockery of UN resolutions on occupied territories and urged the international community to force the Jewish state to honor them.
“Israel has made a mockery of UN resolutions and human rights. Many resolutions have been passed relating to Israel but none has been implemented, and no move has been made to put them into force,” the king said in a joint address to pilgrims with Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
“From this great place (Mina), we call upon the world community to shoulder its responsibilities and take steps to put an end to Israeli aggression and the relevant UN resolutions be implemented to restore peace in the region based on justice and equality,” the king and crown prince said.
The pilgrims yesterday performed the ritual of stoning the devil peacefully for the second consecutive day. The faithful packed the 1,600-meter Jamrat area in Mina and threw seven pebbles each at three concrete pillars, representing the devil, chanting “God is Great.”
They will spend the night in the valley to perform the stoning for the third day, before leaving the area for Makkah for the farewell tawaf (circling of the Holy Kaaba), the last ritual of the pilgrimage.
In their wide-ranging address, which covered current topics including Riyadh’s declared stand on terrorism, King Fahd and Prince Abdullah stated that Saudi Arabia will stand solidly behind the Palestinians.
“Our stand on the Palestine issue has remained unchanged. We have been calling for the enforcement of what is right and the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions. The Palestine crisis has gone through several phases and in each phase Israel has appeared far more obstinate and overbearing than ever before,” they explained. “Israel has been subjecting our brothers to various kinds of tyranny and persecution.”
The Saudi leaders reiterated the Kingdom will do whatever is possible to defend Muslim causes anywhere in the world. “Our line of thinking remains unchanged as it is inspired by deep-rooted religious concepts and reinforced by moral principles.”
King Fahd and Prince Abdullah reaffirmed the Kingdom’s rejection of all forms of terrorism. “As we see it, terror does bring mischief to the land and seeks to bring about its ruin. The Holy Qur’an forbids doing evil and mischief.”
They, however, called for a clear-cut definition of terrorism and stressed the need to consider the right of the peoples under occupation to resistance. “Such resistance is quite legitimate whereas terrorism spreads mischief in the land and its perpetrators ought to be punished, no matter who they are or where they may be,” they added.
The royal address spelled out a number of things Muslims have to do to keep themselves strong.
“They must return to Islam and hold fast to its teachings; avoid disputes and settle their differences in the light of Shariah; and integrate their policies.
“Islam forbids aggression; opposes backwardness and calls for the adoption of measures conducive to development in accordance with a wise scheme that is free from bigotry and deviation.”
The king and the crown prince stressed the need for Muslims following a balanced policy advocated by Islam.
“Muslims should spread the message of Islam among other communities in a beautiful way and in a convincing manner. Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in the best way,” they said, quoting a verse from the Holy Qur’an.
Muslims should lead mankind to pursue at all times a policy that is just and is capable of preserving man’s rights and protecting his dignity. God says in the Qur’an: “We have honored the sons of Adam.” That would put an end to all forms of violence, tyranny, and despotism, they said.
The world would then move from the phase of conflict and the logic of aggression and revenge to a phase marked by stability and illuminated by justice and equality under the slogan of meaningful dialogue, they added.
They said a Muslim has a positive role to play in this world. “He is doing all that is in his ability to perform this role which aims at promoting the welfare of mankind, reinforcing peace and stability, protecting human rights, averting evil, eliminating injustice and making others happy. Islam is a religion of mercy for all mankind,” they explained.
God does not countenance mischief, for it is He who says: “There is the type of man whose speech about this world’s life might dazzle thee, and he calls God to witness about what is in his heart; yet he is the most contentious of enemies. When he turns his back, his aim everywhere is to spread mischief on the earth and destroy crops and progeny but God loveth not mischief.”
They described the standing of the more than two million pilgrims in the plains of Arafat as “awe-inspiring.” The scene was quite majestic and unparalleled in the world. “It is the Islamic creed that binds you together and turns you into brothers in faith loving one another.
“The atmosphere is one of perfect amity and harmony. An aura of serenity, calm and spirituality dominates the scene. The unity of Muslims is projected in its most ideal form, and human equality is at its best,” they said.
The Saudi leaders said the Kingdom felt honored for being responsible for the proper maintenance of the holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah. They also highlighted the country’s efforts in the service of the guests of God. “We have executed giant projects to ensure the welfare and comfort of pilgrims.”
The king and the crown prince prayed that God may accept the Haj and Umrah of the pilgrims and forgive their sins. “He who performs the pilgrimage without being a party to obscenities and wickedness will return as pure as on the day he was born,” they said quoting a saying of the Prophet.
King Fahd and Prince Abdullah reaffirmed the Kingdom’s strong adherence to Shariah. “It is a source of pride for us that ever since the foundation of this state was laid down by King Abdul Aziz, the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the teachings of the Prophet) reigned supreme in this country.”
“All the good lies in abiding by the Qur’an and the Sunnah, in putting what they call for into effect, and in promoting them in a tactful and persuasive way. On the other hand, it is self-defeating and outright folly to keep away from them or consult some other authority instead,” they said and urged Muslims to follow Islam in all walks of their life.
The Saudi leaders stated that the Kingdom will not back down from its policies and principles. “This can be explained by the fact that its policy is built on solid religious foundations and is inspired by divine teachings. Our relations with our Muslim brothers are governed by religious fraternity in compliance with Allah’s command: “The believers are brothers.”
Likewise Saudi policy toward Muslims is influenced by a saying of the Prophet that runs as follows: “Back up your brother right or wrong,” meaning to stand by him when he falls victim to injustice and to restrain him if he is in the wrong.
Referring to the relations with non-Muslims, the king and the crown prince said that they are governed by Islamic teachings and principles. “God has made us a moderate nation to set an example for other communities. Our religion commands us to be kind and just to non-Muslims.”
Earlier yesterday, King Fahd received at his Mina palace Muslim dignitaries and heads of Haj missions who took part in this year’s Haj. The dignitaries included President A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury of Bangladesh, President Maaouya Ould Sidi Ahmad Taya of Mauritania, President Idriss Deby of Chad and President Cassam Uteem of Mauritius.
The function was attended by Crown Prince Abdullah, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation and other princes and officials including Intelligence Chief Prince Nawaf, Interior Minister Prince Naif and Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed.
Addressing the reception, Haj Minister Iyad Madani commended the efforts made by various government agencies to provide all facilities to pilgrims. Baihin Saruddin, Brunei’s religious affairs minister, thanked the Saudi government for taking care of the pilgrims.
Muslims are “in need of power to protect their rights and holy places as well as to support those who need our support, like the Palestinians,” he added.
