SHEIKH SAID THE PATRONIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL QURAN CONTEST BY THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS IN ITSELF A BOUNTY FROM THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE CONTEST PLAYS A REMARKABLE ROLE IN ENHANCING RELATIONS AMONG THE SONS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD. 'BY THE HOLY QURAN, THE MUSLIMS CAN REVIVE THEIR GLORY AND DEFEAT THEIR ENEMIES', HE SAID. HE NOTED THAT THE VICIOUS CAMPAIGNS BEING LAUNCHED AGAINST MUSLIMS AIM AT KEEPING THEM AWAY FROM THEIR HOLY QURAN AND THE SUNNAH. 'THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, SINCE THE ERA OF THE LATE KING ABDULAZIZ, HAS BEEN HOLDING HIGH THE BANNER OF THE HOLY QURAN', HE ADDED. AL AL-SEHIKH SAID THE MADINAH-BASED KING FAHD HOLY QURAN PRINTING COMPLEX HAS SO FAR ISSUED MORE THAN 200 MILLION COPIES OF THE HOLY QURAN AND THE TRANSLATION OF ITS MEANINGS INTO MORE THAN 50 LANGUAGES'. 'WE SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT ADHERENCE TO THE HOLY QURAN IS A SIGN OF CIVILIZATION AND STRENGTH AND NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS AND BACKWARDNESS', HE SAID. POINTING OUT THAT THE HOLY QURAN IS AGAINST TERRORISM, AL AL-SHEIKH SAID 'BY SAYING THAT THE MUSLIMS ARE FASCISTS, THEY AIM AT TERRORIZING THE PEOPLE AND MAKING THEM HATE ISLAM, DESPITE THE CLEAR FACT THAT ISLAM IS THE RELIGION OF JUSTICE AND MERCY.' 'FALSELY, THEY CLAIM THAT THE HOLY QURAN MEMORIZATION SCHOOLS ADVOCATE HATRED OF OTHERS AND BEHAVING IN AN INTOLERANT MANNER', HE ADDED. --MORE
