MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman has welcomed the heads of this year’s Haj delegations from Arab and Islamic countries.
During the ceremony, he made clear that the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman would spare no effort in providing all means, resources and technical support to ensure that the pilgrimage is both easy and comfortable.
He added that the leadership of the Kingdom, which is blessed with the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, considers serving and caring for the pilgrims as its greatest mission. This has been so from the days of the Kingdom’s founder, the late King Abdul Aziz, and continues today with King Salman.
Prince Faisal called on all Muslim scholars everywhere in the world to emphasize the values of tolerance, harmony and peaceful coexistence which true Islam symbolizes and calls for. He also pointed out when establishing the nascent Islamic State in Madinah, which was the first capital of Islam, the first step of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was to issue a charter defining and organizing the relationship between the individual and society.
Prince Faisal pointed out that circumstances then called for safeguarding the young and fragile society, and with his unparalleled vision and political brilliance, the exceptional leader Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was aware that nothing would protect this society but the virtues of tolerance, harmony and peaceful coexistence between the society’s wide variety of people. In turn, there was no better way to guarantee peaceful coexistence than the acknowledgement by the Muslim State while still in its cradle, of the peculiarities, problems, customs and traditions of each constituent community.
Prince Faisal went on to say that the “Charter of Madinah,” which the Prophet (pbuh) issued upon his arrival in Madinah from Makkah emphasized the principles of compassion, protection of people and property, cooperation in protecting the homeland, and justice and social solidarity, as the ethos to which the ruler and all his compatriots adhered and were committed to.
Prince Faisal explained that since the dawn of Islam, Madinah had embodied the application of Islamic teachings as regards coexistence with others, and has been living proof that Islam is a religion that accepts differences and respects them, and values diversity without discrimination on the basis of shape, color or creed.
“These are our pure unadulterated Islamic values,” he said. “They have nothing to do whatsoever with crimes and acts of extremism and terrorism some criminals perpetrate in the name of Islam. Their deplorable behavior does not stem from religious or humane motives but is simply merciless criminal behavior from twisted minds driven by their own whims.”
Prince Faisal urges tolerance and peaceful coexistence
Prince Faisal urges tolerance and peaceful coexistence
