JEDDAH, 17 September 2003 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday received top education officials and urged them to stand firm against anti-Saudi media campaigns and protect Saudi students from deviant thoughts and ideologies.
“They have assembled a large number of journalists to tell lies, in which they have found their dignity and faith,” the crown prince said while condemning the strident smear campaign against Saudi Arabia by the Western media. “People who have faith in God and their nation will not fear anybody,” he added.
Earlier, in a separate reception, King Fahd urged the officials including Education Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed, Dr. Khider Al-Qurashi, deputy education minister for girls affairs, and regional education directors to improve the country’s education standard.
“It’s our duty to prioritize education in order to improve educational standard,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as telling the reception at Al-Salam Palace here. King Fahd also said that education must strengthen the Islamic faith. “Saudi people should be proud of their religion and nation,” he added. King Fahd called upon the officials to learn from the experiences of other nations to promote education.
In his address, Prince Abdullah reminded education officials and teachers of their great responsibility in shaping the future of the country. He warned against excessiveness saying, “It’s prohibited by God.” He also urged them to instill patriotism in students. “Unfortunately I hear and see patriotic fervor lacking in our students,” he said.
Prince Abdullah said the Western media targeted Saudi Arabia because of its strong commitment to Islam. “There are many other Muslim countries, bigger than ours. Why do they target us? Because we are the leading Islamic nation and God willing we will remain so forever,” he said.
The crown prince said the enemies of the Kingdom were trying to spread chaos and confusion in the country, not only in politics but in other key areas. “They want to give an impression that we have erred in many areas. I don’t say that mistakes have not been made, but we have been working to correct them,” he said while urging Saudis to stand firm against such false campaigns.
Al-Rasheed, meanwhile, highlighted the remarkable strides made by the education sector. There are nearly 30,000 schools with about five million students. The government spends about 26 percent of the national budget on education. He estimated the rate of illiteracy among men at eight percent and among women 24 percent.
“Education officials in the country will remain vigilant to prevent corrupt people from making inroads into our educational institutions, be they from the ministry’s staff or others,” he said. He emphasized the importance of open forums to exchange thoughts and views. He also noted the role of educational institutions in strengthening national security. “Any person who puts our unity, security and stability in danger is a criminal,” he said.
King Fahd and the crown prince were presented with copies of the 100th issue of Al-Maarifa magazine published by the Education Ministry.
Private University: Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday laid the foundation for a private university project in Buraidah, capital of the central region of Qasim. The university’s colleges are expected to enroll 3,000 students. The project’s first phase is estimated to cost SR115 million. Prince Sultan has donated SR10 million to the project.
SR1.6 Billion to Be Paid: King Fahd has issued a Royal Decree urging authorities to pay SR1.6 billion in arrears to wheat and barley farmers for the 1421H season. Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghaneim said the payment would be made within the next two weeks.
