JEDDAH, 11 September 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday banned citizens from kissing his hand or that of any member of the royal family, saying only fathers and mothers deserved such reverence.
“Brothers, there is something in my mind that I want to tell you. Kissing hands is something alien to our values and ethics, and is refused by free and honest people,” he told delegations of princes, officials and ordinary citizens at Al-Salam Palace here.
He continued: “It also leads to bowing, which violates God’s law as the faithful bow only to the one and only God. Hence I hereby declare my total rejection of this matter, and I ask everyone not to kiss the hand of anyone except their parents as a mark of devotion.”
