MAKKAH, 21 October 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday received the delegates taking part in the Iraqi national reconciliation conference in Makkah and wished them every success in their efforts to bring about national unity.
“I welcome you in your second country and wish you every success in your efforts as you are brothers in Islam and we don’t want anybody to interfere in the affairs of the Islamic nation,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as telling the delegates.
King Abdullah expressed his confidence in the ability of Iraqi delegates to reach a consensus on ending the bloodbath in the war-torn country. “You are an efficient and patriotic people and above all you have the Islamic faith,” the king said.
Meanwhile, the Shiite and Sunni leaders attending the conference approved the Makkah Document, which they labeled a fatwa (religious ruling) against Muslims killing Muslims.
One delegate described the document in three words: “Haram, haram, haram. It’s forbidden to take the life of a fellow Muslim. Islam does not sanction it.”
The delegates asked the people of Iraq to be wary of the nefarious designs of the enemy and urged them not to fall in their trap.
Speaking to Arab News, Iraqi media delegates said the Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq were living peacefully until the Americans occupied the country.
They said the real culprits were the Baathists who were trying to sow the seeds of dissension. They blamed the American occupation for exacerbating the sectarian violence. They said the document would have huge impact as it is issued in the holiest place of Islam and in the blessed month of Ramadan.
“This fatwa will remove any confusion among the minds of the Muslim masses. The Shiite and Sunni ulema (religious scholars) have in one voice called for unity and assured the Islamic nation that they will be able to stop this inter-Muslim bloodshed,” one delegate said.
The scene at Safa Palace in Makkah was spiritually charged. Delegates were overwhelmed with emotion after listening to the prayers of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque, following the completion of the recitation of the Holy Qur’an during Ramadan. Sudais beseeched Allah to help the Iraqi brethren to overcome the worst crisis in their country.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference, which is hosting this conference, has succeeded in bringing about solidarity among all Muslims.
