King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has urged Islamic scholars to come up with an effective program to educate the young generation about true Islamic principles to enable them to avoid fanaticism and extremism. In a speech, read by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, at an international Islamic conference here Saturday, the King said the conference serves as a good opportunity to remove the misconceptions instilled in the minds of the young generation about Islam and to protect them from alien thoughts which have no roots in Islam. Earlier, under the patronage of King Abdullah, Prince Khaled opened the Islamic World Conference organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) entitled the “Islamic World: Issues and Solutions.” The King said the conference provides a unique opportunity to scholars, who are the inheritors of the prophets, to work together to find radical solutions to problems facing the Ummah. Changes in the world today have made the Kingdom realize the importance of ensuring Muslim societies are not diverted from true Islamic principles, said King Abdullah. “Based on the guidance laid down in the Qur'an and in the Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia keeps a tab on the developments in the Muslim World, and pays special attention to the problems confronting the people,” the King said. The Monarch said deviations from Islamic principles have produced terrorism which the Kingdom has strongly and firmly confronted and tackled. This has enabled the Kingdom to maintain the country's security and stability. “Undoubtedly, terrorism was a product of ignorance of the Islamic principles which advocate moderation, flexibility and tolerance,” the King added. King Abdullah said the conference was being held in the land of revelation and noted that Almighty Allah has honored the Kingdom with the chance to serve the guests of Allah, visitors and Umrah performers. Allah has also guided the Kingdom's leadership to strictly abide by the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah, which is the Kingdom's constitution. He said eminent scholars will be meeting to find practical solutions and remedies to the problems facing the Ummah. These solutions can only be found in true Islamic teachings and principles which advocate moderation and tolerance. “By virtue of following these principles, you are confronting all the attempts being made by the enemies of the Ummah to break its unity and raise sectarian slogans, which contradict Allah's saying that ‘believers are brothers'.” In his key note speech, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki, MWL's Secretary General, said: “As the Muslim World League is watching some Muslim countries going through a critical phase, it realizes its duty toward the Ummah and its religion to extend a helping hand in addressing their issues and solving their problems. By doing so it's trying to save this Ummah from falling prey to the evil of sedition.” For these reasons, Dr. Al-Turki said, the distinguished scholars, imbued with knowledge and wisdom and having the interests of Muslims at heart, have been invited to find solutions to the problems faced by the Ummah. Present at the inaugural session were Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information; Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Bin Humaid, Chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council and a number of scholars and officials.
