JEDDAH, 23 October 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan yesterday called upon Muslims to uphold the Islamic values of tolerance and humanness.
In a joint message to the nation on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, King Abdullah and Prince Sultan urged Muslims to strengthen their unity and solidarity to confront the growing challenges.
The two leaders hoped that the Eid would usher in a new era of progress and prosperity for the people all over the Islamic world. “The last Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as a blessing for the whole world. His is a message of love, tolerance, benevolence and goodness,” the message said.
The message, which was read out on Saudi Television by Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani, urged Muslims to make the great values they acquired through Ramadan fasting as part and parcel of their daily life and manners.
“We have to make these values as a permanent hallmark of our manners as individuals in an Islamic society,” he explained.
The king and crown prince also called upon every Saudi to do their duty in the nation-building process. “You should also have strong faith in the Ummah and work for the welfare of the whole humanity.”
They urged Saudis to make use of Eid Al-Fitr as an occasion to spread love, brotherhood and happiness among all members of society. “We should engage in righteous deeds and the wealthy among us should help the poor in order to make all people in our country happy,” they added.
Abdullah and Sultan referred to the great blessings bestowed by God on the Kingdom, being the cradle of Islam and emphasized the government’s strong commitment to Islam as a faith, law and way of life.
In their Eid message, the king and crown prince remembered the members of the Saudi security forces who were martyred fighting Al-Qaeda militants over the past three years and wished that God would reward them by granting a place in Paradise.
The message also called upon Saudi citizens to stand united and work together to strengthen the country’s security and stability.
King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, meanwhile, sent messages of Eid greetings to world leaders including Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, President Mahmud Ahmedinejad of Iran, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, King Abdallah of Jordan, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan.
Abdullah and Sultan are expected to take part in Eid Al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah this morning along with nearly two million faithful including foreign pilgrims.
King Abdullah, who arrived in Makkah on Oct. 12, had a very busy itinerary. He received a number of world leaders including Jordan’s King Abdallah, Sanegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
He also met with Iraqi religious scholars who came to take part in a reconciliation meeting, and wished them every success in their efforts to bring peace and stability to the war-torn country.
