Saudi Arabia open to interfaith dialogue to combat religious intolerance, says US Special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism

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Updated 30 June 2022

Saudi Arabia open to interfaith dialogue to combat religious intolerance, says US Special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism

Saudi Arabia open to interfaith dialogue to combat religious intolerance, says US Special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism
  • Historian and Holocaust scholar "encouraged" by the Kingdom's openness to interfaith dialogue 
  • Palestine-Israel conflict has led to misunderstanding and animosity between Jews and Muslims 

RIYADH: Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, said in an interview with Arab News that openness and honesty when addressing important topics such as antisemitism or hate of Muslims is how change can happen.

Repeatedly confronted by real-world antisemitism, she is perhaps best known for the libel suit filed against her, in the UK, by the Holocaust denier David Irving. Lipstadt won the case in 2000, with the judge describing Irving as a “neo-Nazi polemicist” who engaged in “racist and antisemitic” discourse.

Lipstadt’s visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden’s trip to the Kingdom next month and at a time when US-Saudi relations have been in “one of the downs,” as Prince Turki Al-Faisal said in a previous interview on Arab News’ “Frankly Speaking” when describing the fluctuating but strategic relationship.

On May 24, Vice President Kamala Harris swore in the Emory University historian and professor as special envoy. Only a month later, she made her first international trip to the Kingdom, telling media outlets that “Saudi Arabia is a very important country in the Gulf and it has shown a willingness and openness to hosting me.”




Lipstadt on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion held at Arab News headquarters in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Basheer Saleh)

On the sidelines of a roundtable discussion held at Arab News headquarters in Riyadh, she noted how “depiction of the Jew, that in years past, often decades passed, the Jew was demonized. The Jew was spoken about in very derogatory language and that had its impact outside the Kingdom in the rest of the Muslim world.” She added that she has observed the change in notion and was “exceptionally encouraged” upon meeting people who recognize the need for change.

“That’s the first step: Recognizing your own shortcomings, whether you’re an individual, whether you’re a community, whether you’re a family or whether you’re a nation, and saying ‘we want to change.’ Only an honest person can do that. And I have seen some of that here (in Saudi Arabia) and I find that very encouraging,” said Lipstadt.

For years, interfaith dialogue has been encouraged with various religious groups, scholars and leaders alike. Open dialogue is a means of acknowledging and getting to the root cause, as Lipstadt said in the roundtable, and understanding how “prejudice operates, the way in which Jew hatred or antisemitism operates. And more importantly, the way in which hatred of one group morphs into hatred of another group, that the same operating principles in every prejudice, whether it’s racism, whether it’s antisemitism, whether it’s hatred of Muslims, whatever it might be, that it operates the same way.”

She added: “You can’t take what I call a silo approach — I fight one, but not the other. You have to fight across the board, but you also have to take them seriously. And too often there’s been a failure to certainly take antisemitism seriously in many countries. And what I have found so interesting and encouraging here in Saudi Arabia is the way in which things are changing.”

BIO: Deborah Esther Lipstadt

Occupation: Special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism with the rank of ambassador

Other posts: Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies

Published works:

- The Zionist career of Louis Lipsky, 1900-1921 (1982)

- Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust (1986)

- Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory (1993)

- Betrifft: Leugnen des Holocaust (1994)

- History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (2005)

- The Eichmann Trial (2011)

- Holocaust: An American Understanding (2016)

- Antisemitism: Here and Now (2019)

Education:

- B.A. from City College of New York

- M.A. and Ph.D. from Brandeis University

Religious and interfaith scholars believe that such discussions and cross-cultural dialogues build bridges, promote peace and are a means toward ending ancient animosities.

In 2016, the American Jewish Committee and the Islamic Society of North America announced a seemingly unlikely alliance of 31 members that included Imam Mohammed Magid and Lipstadt. The announcement came amid growing xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric in the US and across Europe.

Europe and the US have taken different approaches in the postwar era on hate speech and antisemitism, with some European countries making Holocaust denial illegal.

"My country is not perfect. And my president, the secretary of state to whom I report and other leaders acknowledge our shortcomings. And we don’t go out preaching to the world ‘we’re perfect and you should change.’ But what we’re saying is these are issues that concern us within the boundaries of the US and concern us outside the boundaries of the US,” said Lipstadt.

“We don’t come to preach. We come to talk and to teach, and to explore together how things can be made better.”




Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt’s visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden’s trip to the Saudi Arabia next month. (AN Photo/Basheer Saleh)

One of Lipstadt’s main fields of expertise is in serving the Holocaust cause. For decades and over several administrations, she was a historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both offered her presidential appointments to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and President George W. Bush asked her to represent the White House at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

“As a great believer in interfaith dialogue and interfaith work cooperation, it can’t be just dialogue — if it’s dialogue, it’s just words,” she said.

She noted how striking and emotion-provoking Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa’s visit to the former Nazi extermination camp of Auschwitz was for her. Al-Issa joined a group from the American Jewish Committee and prominent Muslim religious leaders in 2020 in what was called an “unprecedented visit.”

“As a scholar of the Holocaust and as someone who has visited there many times, and as a scholar of antisemitism and my knowledge of the change in attitudes and the change in this country and the portrayal of the Jew… I was tremendously moved,” she said.




Lipstadt with Saleh Al Dowais, Chief Operations Officer at SRMG, the publisher of Arab News, Asharq Al Awsat & several other prominent titles. (AN Photo/Basheer Saleh)

The dialogue surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has, for some time now, driven a wedge between the religions, with a growing sentiment against all parties involved. Lipstadt believes that people have the issues confused, the political issues in particular, which is something she said “my country takes very seriously.”

“Antisemitism transcends the political issue, the issue of Israelis and Palestinians. It’s not to say it isn’t serious, of course it’s serious, but we can’t wait to address antisemitism until that is resolved. They both should be addressed together,” said Lipstadt.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, recently met with Lipstadt and shared with her Saudi Arabia’s meaningful strides in promoting peace, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue.

Lipstadt described the conversation as "wonderful."


446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom
Updated 11 sec ago

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom
  • Platform offers hobby clubs for people to develop their interests and meet like-minded individuals

RIYADH: A rapid rise in the number of hobby clubs in Saudi Arabia is helping to bring communities together, as well as broaden people’s interests and opportunities.

Since the launch of the Hawi initiative, part of the Saudi Quality of Life program, in October 2022, 446 hobby clubs have been established in 50 cities and provinces around the Kingdom.

From pottery making, fashion, and collecting valuable items, to artisanry, public speaking and reading, the platform offers hobby clubs for people to develop their interests and meet like-minded individuals.

In recent weeks, events, activities and gatherings around the country have been organized or supervised by Hawi in cooperation with amateur clubs, attracting people from all age groups.

The activities and events are associated with the Quality of Life Program Center, which aims to register 6,000 amateur clubs in the Kingdom by 2030.

Khalid Albaker, the center’s CEO, said: “These tours play an important role in effective communication between the Hawi portal, amateur clubs, and their members, as they contribute to creating a fun, engaging, and secure atmosphere where people can practice their hobbies.

He said the leadership places a lot of emphasis on the hobby sector, and is keen to improve both the quality of life for individuals and society by providing the necessary resources to fulfill Saudi Vision 2030.

“The hobby sector is part of a comprehensive plan that seeks to achieve and benefit all segments of society, as well as for individuals’ lives to flourish through the practice of favored hobbies,” Albaker said. 


Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body
Updated 04 June 2023

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body
  • Recognition of environmental and community achievements
  • Access to special databases, 18k experts linked to global body

The King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has been officially announced as a government member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The authority was recently granted IUCN membership in recognition of its efforts to empower local communities in nature conservation and wildlife protection, and the restoration of key flora and fauna throughout the country.

It is one of the first entities in the Kingdom to obtain IUCN membership, allowing it to draw on international databases specialized in wildlife protection, and the expertise of 18,000 specialists linked to the world body.

The authority will now be able to form partnerships, exchange experiences with members, and participate in the IUCN quadrennial meetings and conferences.

The authority seeks, through this membership, to ensure the sustainability of the environment, in line with the objectives and goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan and the Saudi Green initiative.  

Fahad Al-Shuwaier, director general of communication at King Salman Royal Reserve, told Arab News that the authority applied for the membership with comprehensive detail of all its environmental projects.

Al-Shuwaier said the IUCN advisory board meets every three months to discuss applications received from across the world.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Bouq, director general of wildlife conservation at the National Center for Wildlife Development, said the IUCN membership would aid in following best international practice.

Al-Bouq cited the example of the Farasan Islands’ Archipelago Reserve that became a UNESCO-listed entity by adhering to international benchmarks. 

“The membership gives you guidelines and allows you to benefit from the expertise of a large number of international experts,” added Al-Bouq.

“When talking about biodiversity, you need a huge company of international experts, as it is impossible to attract experts in every subspecialty in biodiversity.

“You may find one expert who specializes in a certain branch of microbiology, and sometimes you find a very small number of experts who specialize in other disciplines,” he explained.

He said that “what links these experiences to each other is usually international organizations.” International partnerships were important for determining standards. 

“When dealing with any organization that deals with protection, the first thing you need to do is to draw a baseline, and then examine the international standards that you aspire to reach, and thus draw (up) a plan to implement these standards.”

He said the most important part of the system was community involvement, a key factor recommended by international organizations concerned with protected areas. The main objective was not to prevent people from entering such areas, but to regulate the sustainable use of natural resources, said Al-Bouq.


Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry
Updated 04 June 2023

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry
  • Saudi Arabia calls on Sudan factions to agree to new ceasefire

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United States are keen to resume formal talks between the delegations of Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

“Saudi Arabia and the United States remain steadfast in their commitment to the people of Sudan and call upon the parties to agree to and effectively implement a new ceasefire,” the statement said.
 

 

The ministry said that the delegations of the Sudanese fighting factions are still in Jeddah, and continue to engage in daily negotiations.

“Those discussions are focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance and reaching agreement on near term steps the party must take before the Jeddah talks resume,” according to the statement. 

It added: “Facilitators stand ready to resume formal talks and remind parties that they must implement their obligations under the May 11 Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan.”

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
For weeks, Saudi Arabia and the US have been mediating between the warring parties. On May 21, both countries successfully brokered a temporary cease-fire agreement to help with the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Their efforts, however, were dealt a blow when the military announced on Wednesday it would no longer participate in the cease-fire talks held in Jeddah.

The fighting has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, resulting in widespread looting and destruction of residential areas across the country. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.65 million people who fled to safer areas in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Residents reported intense fighting over the past two days in Khartoum and its neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri.
Loud sounds of shelling and gunfire were heard early Sunday in parts of Omdurman, as the military’s aircraft flew over the capital.
Fighting was also reported in the northern part of the Darfur region, which had witnessed some of the worst battles since the fighting began on April 15.


 


KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib
Updated 04 June 2023

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

Riyadh: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) provided prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians mutilated during the war in Yemen during the month of April, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Prosthetic Limbs and Rehabilitation Center project in Marib Governorate provided various medical services to citizens who had lost their limbs. The prostheses were manufactured and mounted, and 60 patients underwent rehabilitation through physiotherapy; 156 patients were given specialized consultations.
Amputations performed on civilians have been a prominent feature of the vicious war in Yemen, with many requiring assistance from KSrelief after suffering life-changing injuries from bombs and landmines.
Elsewhere, the center managed on Saturday to distribute 75 food packages to more than 549 displaced families in Gezira state, in Sudan, as part of the Saudi relief air bridge that KSrelief is running to help the Sudanese people.


Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair
Updated 03 June 2023

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair
  • The decision came during the 11th annual meeting of the Global Research Council in The Hague
  • The Kingdom presented a working paper on the challenges and opportunities faced by the research councils in the MENA region

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has been re-elected to represent the Middle East and North Africa region on the governing board of the Global Research Council during its 11th annual meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Dr. Munir Eldesouki, will continue to represent Saudi Arabia at the GRC and his re-election reaffirms the Kingdom’s prominent position in the scientific and research fields and its commitment to enhancing joint cooperation among research centers in the MENA region.
This achievement is also a testament to the unwavering support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is head of the Higher Committee of Research, Development and Innovation.
During the annual meeting, which took place from May 29 to June 2, Eldesouki chaired a meeting of the heads of research councils from the MENA region and participated in a panel discussion on the funding of climate change research, in which the participants endorsed a statement to strengthen international cooperation, research outputs, scientific communication, financing strategies, taking into account social and economic conditions, local cultures and knowledge, capacity building in science, innovation and entrepreneurship, and identifying best practices.
Eldesouki, who is also the general supervisor of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, met with a number of heads of international research councils from Singapore, Canada, the US, Turkiye, Britain and Germany to discuss areas of cooperation on the sidelines of the annual meeting.
The Kingdom presented a working paper on the challenges and opportunities faced by the research councils in the MENA region and the delegation participated in a number of other key meetings, including the council’s executive committee, the international consultative committee, and the working groups concerned with equality, diversity and inclusion, responsible evaluation of research, and international multilateral funding.
Saudi Arabia has played a pivotal role in the GRC’s work since its establishment in 2012, including strengthening cooperation between research funding institutions, exchanging best practices and expertise in supporting scientific research, and exploring ways to support the scientific community across the world.
The Kingdom currently occupies the position of vice-chair of the GRC’s board of governors and also represents the regional research councils of the MENA region on the board, as well as on the executive committee.