King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, held a dialogue here Wednesday evening with a group of participants of the Madrid Conference, in which representatives of Islam, Christianity and Judaism were given a chance to deliver speeches. The King, in his address, called for an end to “the killing, enmity and excesses on others rights” ... “because religions are immaculate, and all of them are sent by God.” “As you know, the human soul is certainly prone to evil, and I think the world has become aware of these matters because these have no benefits,” he said. A representative of the Christian community reiterated the commitment of Christianity to encourage efforts for peace, justice, understanding and cordiality among all peoples. He said everybody has the right to freedom, happiness and progress. A representative of Judaism said Jews are confident that peace and reconciliation will prevail. “The dialogue you kicked off in Madrid in addition to New York are yet more proof of your religious moderation,” he told the King. A representative of Muslims described the King's initiatives for dialogue as “an Islamic and humanitarian practice.” In reply, the King said “‘had the world distanced itself from wars and conflicts... and instead opted to fight poverty and disease, we would have not seen the poverty and diseases of today.” During the dialogue, the King also noted that the election of Barack Obama to the White House was “yet more evidence that the American people are a real democratic people.” He wished Obama all success in bringing good to the world and hoped that other world leaders and their nations become friends. A woman, who participated in the dialogue said that her ancestors were brought as slaves from Africa to the United States and that despite slavery, her family clung on to its Islamic identity. She said that dialogue among followers of religions is important because many of her extended family members were Christians, and so the King's initiative would help end divisions among them. – SPA Bush lauds initiative NEW YORK - US President George W. Bush lauded the initiative of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for a high-level meeting on interfaith dialogue at the UN headquarters. Bush said during talks with the King here Thursday that the convening of the meeting at the UN headquarters was an appreciation for the role of King Abdullah in promoting the culture of peace and dialogue among the followers of various faiths. He also underscored the importance the US or any US president attaches to the Saudi-US relations, recognizing that the Kingdom has a pivotal role in solving regional issues. President Bush and King Abdullah discussed issues including Middle East peace efforts. They also discussed the upcoming global financial summit. The president looks forward to seeing King Abdullah in Washington this weekend at global economic crisis talks, said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
