An international forum on children's education and development opened here on Monday under the patronage of Prince Salman, Emir of Riyadh region. Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, officially opened the event and toured an exhibition of publishers and books written by local and international authors. In a speech, Khoja thanked King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for his commitment to the development of education in the Kingdom. Khoja said that the world has realized that spending on children's education is not wasted. He said Islam focuses on children's upbringing and education. “Our religion urges us to look after our children.” He said this was clearly spelt out in the behavior of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who advised parents to take care of their children and to raise them as Muslims. Khoja said it was the responsibility of Muslims to equip their children with knowledge so that they can contribute to the development of their countries and communities. He said modern telecommunications has turned the world into a global village and it was important to teach children about the dangers lurking in the world. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Dr. Abdullah Al-Jasser, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information; Dr. Nasser Bin Saleh Al-Hujailan, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Cultural Affairs; Dr. Riyadh Najm, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Information Affairs; Saleh Al-Moghaileeth, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry for International Cultural Relations; and Abdullah Bin Fahd Al-Hussain, Director General of the Saudi Press Agency.
