JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday hoped that the interfaith dialogue would help remove mistrust and suspicions from the minds of believers of different religions and boost world peace and unity. “A dialogue which emphasizes what we hold in common as human beings... will make us realize that values and principles uniting us are more than those dividing us,” he told Italy’s La Repubblica daily on the eve of the World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid.
King Abdullah, who called the dialogue in order to end human suffering caused by wars and social and economic problems, will open the conference at Madrid’s Auditorium Hotel today in the presence of nearly 200 religious leaders from around the world.
“We are a nation with a sublime mission and a deeply rooted cultural heritage. Our religion urges us to embrace the principle of dialogue and to cooperate and coexist in peace with others, and promote understanding, peace, accord and good values among people,” the king said.
He cautioned against the forces of extremism, injustice and darkness that often seek to exaggerate and exploit differences between cultures and societies for the purpose of instigating conflicts and wars.
“You will find these forces in panic when they feel that there is an effort to engage in dialogue and promote understanding instead of confrontation and rivalry. These same forces know that dialogue is the effective way to abort their evil plans,” he said in a reference to Al-Qaeda’s denunciation of the interfaith dialogue.
The Saudi leader said he was optimistic about the conference. “My optimism stems from the broad positive response to the call for dialogue from many circles inside and outside the Muslim world.”
Asked about the significance of the participation of Shiite leaders in the Makkah dialogue conference, he said: “We always look forward to establishing accord and peace, not only among Muslims and their various groups but also between the peoples of the world with all their beliefs.”
In his wide-ranging interview, Abdullah also spoke about the Kingdom’s efforts to stabilize the world oil market, its strategy to stamp out terrorism, its position on Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West and his efforts to bring about a just Middle East peace settlement.
King Abdullah said the recent increase in oil output by producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, had not been effective in curbing prices. “This demonstrates the extent of the effect of other causes and factors on market prices outside the framework of supply and demand, most importantly speculation and energy taxes,” he explained.
He referred to efforts made by Saudi Arabia to promote dialogue between oil producers and consumers, including the formation of a world energy forum and a center for oil research and studies. He urged the G-8 industrialized countries to support the existing programs in the energy sector rather than duplicate efforts by starting similar ones.
Speaking about the global food crisis, the king said: “The world has to put this crisis at the top of its priorities. It must double international efforts to address the food crisis because the crisis has a direct bearing on the life of every human being.”
Saudi Arabia has dealt with the crisis at three main levels: Providing $500 million to the World Food Program, pursuing medium-and long-term strategies to launch agricultural investment initiatives and launching the “energy for the poor” initiative during the Jeddah Energy Conference last month.
The agricultural initiative, he said, was not only limited to buying land or leasing it but included technology transfer and exchange of expertise and setting up of agricultural companies. “This will lead to an increase in crops and provide food to the world.”
King Abdullah said the Arab peace initiative, which he originally proposed, was aimed at achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East settlement. He urged the international community to pressure Israel to accept the peace initiatives in order to solve the longest crisis in modern history.
Asked about Iran’s growing influence in Iraq, the king said Iraq should be kept free from external interference.
“Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, we call for abandoning the language of tension and escalation and the adoption of diplomatic solutions. As long as diplomatic efforts are active and ongoing, I do not think there is room for discussing other options,” Abdullah said.
Commenting on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi-nejad’s statements concerning the elimination of Israel, the king said: “The responsibility for statements made by certain countries lies with the countries that make them.”
Abdullah said the Kingdom would support every possible international effort to resolve the crisis in the region and protect the rights of its people.
He said the Kingdom had made remarkable progress in fighting the scourge of terrorism. “We have adopted a comprehensive anti-terror strategy that not only focuses on the security side but also includes preventing financing of terrorism and dealing with its intellectual roots as well as rehabilitating the followers of deviant ideologies after giving them counseling,” he pointed out.
“We are working assiduously toward achieving closer regional and international cooperation in order to confront terrorism,” he said, adding that the Kingdom would continue its anti-terror campaign until the phenomenon was completely eliminated.
“We still believe that the international community can exert greater efforts ... to tighten the noose on terrorist networks, wherever they exist, and deprive them of any safe havens.”
