JEDDAH, 4 January 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday reiterated Saudi Arabia’s resolve to go ahead with political reforms but urged reformists to be patient.
“We should be patient and do things unhurriedly. Everything you do will be a step toward achieving the goal,” he said at a reception for Saudi intellectuals who took part in the national dialogue forum in Makkah last week.
He also urged moderation. “Islam advocates moderation. Everyone of us ... knows it,” the crown prince said.
Some 60 intellectuals, academics and religious experts including nine women who took part in the four-day forum presented a copy of their recommendations to the crown prince.
Prince Abdullah congratulated the participants on the success of the event organized by the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center. “This is a service to religion and the nation; history will not forget your service,” he told the gathering at his palace in Riyadh.
“We must stick to four things: Faith, the nation, patience and work,” he said. He also highlighted the rights of women in Islam.
Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosain, who chaired the Makkah forum, said the response to a questionnaire distributed among participants showed that the forum was a success. He said the participants expressed their views with complete freedom. But Al-Hosain added: “Any judgment on others must be based on correct knowledge and impartiality.”
Dr. Muhammad Abdu Yamani said the dialogue took place in “good spirit” and called for similar events to be held in different parts of the Kingdom. “Dialogue is the best way to convince others,” he added.
Dr. Muhammad Al-Fehaid said all participants agreed they would not barter over Islam and the nation. Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghadami defended the Kingdom’s educational curriculum, saying it had nothing to do with the recent terror attacks.
The Makkah forum ended its deliberations last Wednesday with a call for an end to discrimination among citizens and proposals to fight extremism.
“Frankness, freedom of expression and transparency were the hallmarks of the forum,” said Dr. Rashid Al-Rajeh, its deputy chairman.
The recommendations include measures to root out extremism, immediate reform of academic curricula, and more freedom for media. The next dialogue will focus on women.
Dr. Ayed Al-Qarni, a prominent Islamic scholar, said the dialogue had helped strengthen national unity and mobilize public opinion against all forms of terrorism.
