The Preparatory Committee for the First International Conference of the ASEAN member states held a press conference in the Malaysian capital today, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Mahmoud bin Hussein Qattan and the Advisor to the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Advocacy and Guidance Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Gmeijan, Judge of Anti-Terrorism Court Dr. Dato Fat'h Al-Bari and the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic University of Malaysia Ismail Petra, in the state of Clintan Johari Ben Matt. Saudi Ambassador delivered the opening speech, stressing that Saudi Arabia since its establishment by King Abdulaziz, has been based on moderation in the Islamic approach. Since that time, he added, the Kingdom has always sought to establish this principle through cooperation with Islamic countries, which follows the same approach. The Kingdom of Malaysia holds this conference because it has a long experience in the call for moderation in Islam, indicated that Saudi Arabia and Malaysia meet in the same approach and work together to highlight the true image of Islam, away from the distorted picture, as some of external media are working to distort Islam through some misconceptions of some of people adhering to Islam and through these conferences we are working to consolidate the true image of Islam, among the different Islamic generations and Islamic peoples as a whole, the ambassador concluded. For his part, Advisor to the Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Al-Gmeihan said that one of the most important objectives of the conference is to clarify the truth of Islam, its tolerance and moderation, in the doctrine and practice.
