Bahrain committee to collect Jerusalem donations

A national committee headed by Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Forces, is to be formed to collect donations for the Al Quds Fund.
The decision to form this committee was taken by the cabinet at its weekly session yesterday in keeping with the recommendations of the Arab Summit held in Cairo on October 21-22.
Yesterday's cabinet session was chaired by Emir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with the attendance of the Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who expressed the hope that the recommendations of the Arab summit would help consolidate Arab solidarity. The cabinet also welcomed the summit decision to hold an Arab summit in Bahrain in 2003.
Dealing with the Al Quds Fund, both Sheikh Hamad and Sheikh Khalifa hailed last week's summit decision to raise funds through donation to finance various projects that preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of Al Quds (Jerusalem) and also to provide necessary economic support to the Holy City. Bahrain has already pledged three and half million dollars.
While urging institutions and citizens to donate generously towards this fund, the two leaders hailed the sentiment of solidarity expressed by the people in Bahrain to the people of Palestine in this critical and difficult time.
Dealing with Arab and international efforts to end Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, the cabinet urged the international community to shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding the Palestinian people against Israeli atrocities and help preserve religious institutions in the Israeli occupied lands from Israeli violation of all accepted international norms and accords.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamad also welcomed the visit to the island of the King of Malaysia, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, and his wife Queen Tunku Siti Aisha. He said the visit would help contribute to the existing brotherly relations between the two Islamic states.