This refers to the news report “Riyadh terms Aleppo massacre ‘war crime’” (Jan. 3). King Salman has ordered a Kingdom-wide fundraising campaign to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, besides announcing personal donations of SR100 million ($26.7 million) from the top leaders of the country, led by the monarch himself.
The world in general remains engaged — directly or indirectly — in wars and conflicts, or is in deficit of action to minimize their impact. An Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) study in 2014 found that just 11 out of the 162 countries covered by the IEP were not involved in conflict of one kind or another. By 2016, the number of countries free from conflict fell to only 10.
The Global Peace Index 2016 report said: “The world is becoming a more dangerous place.” Most current hostilities are largely the making of the US or other Western countries. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are at least three countries that stand as unmistakable testimony of how world leadership has failed to resolve conflict.
Amid such a bleak background, Saudi Arabia is quietly playing a constructive role in bringing about relief and an extent of peace in trouble-spots, thus mitigating the suffering of the people to a large extent. It has become necessary to deal with countries, forces or groups that are not tired of creating trouble or sedition, which sometimes lead to full-blown conflict. This may require world-class diplomacy, rigorous global efforts via seminars and conferences to campaign against the criminal behavior of leaders such as Syria’s Bashar Assad, and military action if required.
The media is choked with news of gory incidents and stories of those who are exacerbating conflicts, supplemented with photos and graphics. However, they remain silent on the notable efforts of countries such as Saudi Arabia in carrying out humanitarian works and peaceful measures to resolve conflict. This is like lighting a torch in dark times. I wish that a group of countries would unite to resolve international crises in which Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, can play a greater role.
— Atiqurrahman, Makkah
Saudi role deserves praise
