JEDDAH, 13 February 2003 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday called on Muslims to establish justice, shun violence and promote peaceful coexistence with other nations.

In a wide-ranging message to the two million pilgrims who came for Haj this year, they highlighted Riyadh’s efforts to avert a devastating war against Iraq, and reiterated their opposition to terrorism.

“We have to build confidence among ourselves and with other nations by adhering to the teachings of Islam, which reject isolationism and prevent the seeds of hatred being sown among people,” the message said.

“Islam does not prevent its followers from dealing with people of other faiths. It is a religion of tolerance and calls for peaceful coexistence with other communities,” said King Fahd and Prince Abdullah.

“A careful reading of history brings home the fact that Muslims have never been, and will never be, people who create mischief or support injustice and aggression. In fact, they are the harbingers of mercy, advocates of peace, architects of culture and builders of civilization. They strive for all that is beneficial to mankind,” they said in the keynote message.

The king and the crown prince called for a five-point plan for Muslims to regain their place in the world..

First, they should go back to Islam and its original sources, settle their differences on the basis of Shariah and unify their positions.

Second, they should adopt means of development and keep away from extremism.

Third, they should understand that Islam is a simple and tolerant religion.

Fourth, Muslims should do good and be just to others as long as they do not declare themselves as enemies.

And fifth, they should realize that justice is the basis on which relations between Muslims and the rest of the world rests.

In Islam, Justice has an absolute value and as such is binding on Muslims in all circumstances.

Earlier King Fahd received the heads of state and leaders of foreign Haj delegations who came for Haj. The reception was attended by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Maldives President Maamoun Abdul Qayyoum, Somali President Abdul Qasim Hasan Salad, Senegalese President Abdullah Wade and Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Ahmed Tijan Kabe.

In their message, the Saudi leaders said the Kingdom was trying to spare Iraq a US strike.

“We hope efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully will succeed and wisdom will prevail,” they said.

Riyadh backs “all international efforts aimed at ridding this region and any other part of the world of mass destruction weapons, be they nuclear, chemical or biological,” the official SPA news agency quoted them as saying.

The international community should “assume its responsibilities and seek to limit these lethal weapons.”

They reiterated the Kingdom’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, referring to the Kingdom’s recent initiative to establish peace in the Middle East.

On terrorism, they called on the international community to “distinguish between the right of people to wage a legitimate struggle to regain their occupied lands... and terrorism, which aims at sullying the land.” The Kingdom “condemns terrorism in all its forms,” they said, and the international community should join forces to combat “this dangerous phenomenon.”

They also opposed giving asylum to terrorist elements and organizations under any pretext.

King Fahd and Prince Abdullah urged Muslims to play a constructive role in society. Muslims are urged by their religion to protect the honor and wealth of others. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his last sermon prohibited the killing of innocent people. They said the Muslim way of life must focus on achieving stability, protecting people’s rights, preventing evil, doing away with injustice and allowing for people to lead contented lives.

“Ours is religion of mercy for the whole of humanity,” he added.

The Saudi leaders reminded Muslims that Islam has prohibited creating chaos and trouble in the world. “Muslims are now more in need of adhering to their religious teachings than at any time before,” they stressed.

King Fahd and Prince Abdullah said the Kingdom has been following Shariah in all walks of life.

“The timeless rules and verdicts of this religion are the authority which charts for us our way in life. To these rules we appeal for guidance. They are the basIs of our power and the source of our pride,” they said.

They emphasized the need for Islamic preaching to be done in a more attractive and convincing manner. “We should promote constructive dialogue,” they added. “Humanity should be guided to adopt a fair policy that will preserve for man his rights and uphold his dignity.”

They emphasized four ways of uplifting Muslims.

1) Making a serious effort to acquaint the Muslims with the basics of their religion and its sublime concepts, and how to put its teachings into practice.

2) Eradicating illiteracy through specialist schools, both public and private, so that a joint effort may be made to achieve further progress in the area of general knowledge and to eradicate illiteracy.

3) Making intensified efforts to create among Muslims a deeper awareness of the significance of their history that will help them appreciate their own role in an ever-changing world.

4) Expanding the scope of cooperation among Muslim scholars in order to make it possible for the wheels of progress to start rolling.