Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Saudi King proposes inter-faith talks with Christians, Jews
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has proposed inter-faith talks between Muslims, Christians and Jews in a bid to achieve peaceful coexistence as well as to contain a potential threat of family disintegration.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 17:05 March 25, 2008
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has proposed inter-faith talks between Muslims, Christians and Jews in a bid to achieve peaceful coexistence as well as to contain a potential threat of family disintegration.
"We have lost sincerity, morals, fidelity and attachment to our religions and to humanity," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying. He deplored "the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world - a frightening phenomenon that all religions must confront and vanquish."
King Abdullah made the remarks during his meeting with participants of the Sixth Forum of Dialogue Among Civilisations between Japan and the Islamic World at his palace on Monday evening.
The two-day forum called Culture and the Respect of Religions, which concluded on Monday, was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"I ask representatives of all the monotheistic religions to meet with their brothers in faith," King Abdullah told the delegates.
The king went on to say: "I have had an idea which has obsessed me for the past two years as a result of the crisis all humanity is suffering. Such a crisis has marred and caused an imbalance of reason, ethics and humanity. For this reason, I thought and approached our religious scholars in Saudi Arabia to get their consent. Thanks to Allah Almighty, they have agreed," he said adding that the idea is to request all religions to sit together with their brothers faithfully and sincerely as they all believe in the same God.
King Abdullah hinted that he would hold consultations with leaders of Muslims all over the world to get their views on the matter.
"We will then start, God willing, to hold meetings with our brothers in all religions which I mentioned: the Torah and the Gospel to agree on something that will maintain humanity against those who meddle with religions, ethics and family systems," the king said adding that he also intended to address the United Nations on the subject.
King Abdullah added that he had discussed the project with Pope Benedict XVI during his landmark visit to the Vatican last November.
"...accordingly, I planned to visit the Vatican. Then I paid the visit where the Pope warmly welcomed me, a meeting of a human to a human which I will never forget," he said.
He also called for urgent steps to contain family disintegration.
"The situation of a dismantled family system is horrible and should be confronted by all religions," he said.
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