THE SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF MAKKAH-BASED MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE (MWL) HAS CONDEMNED AND DEPLORED THE STATEMENT OF THE POPE OF THE VATICAN LAST WEEK ABOUT ISLAM AND PROPHET MOHAMMED, PEACE BE ON HIM. ADDRESSING A PRESS CONFERENCE HERE ON TUESDAY EVENING, MWL'S SECRETARY GENERAL DR ABDULLAH AL-TURKI SAID THE MUSLIMS ARE ADVOCATORS OF DIALOGUE, AND REJECTERS OF VIOLENCE AND EXTREMISM, AND ADDED 'WE WANT THE WORLD TO UNDERSTAND OUR RELIGION AS THE FINAL HEAVENLY RELIGION WHICH ADVOCATES FOR THE HAPPINESS OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD AND THE HEREAFTER. DR AL-TURKI EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE WISE AND REASONABLE RESPONSE OF THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THIS DEVELOPMENT. HE SAID THE STATEMENT OF THE POPE WAS HURTFUL TO THE FEELINGS OF THE MUSLIMS. 'HOW IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE VATICAN TO ALLEGE THAT THE POPE HAD FELT SORRY BECAUSE HIS STATEMENT WAS MISUNDERSTOOD', SAID DR AL-TURKI. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD IS IN NEED OF A DIALOGUE , AND SAID THE POPE MADE HIS STATEMENT AS THE TIME WHEN REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS RELIGIONS WERE MEETING IN KAZAKHSTAN WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF A HIGH-RANKING DELEGATION FROM THE VATICAN. DR AL-TURKI SAID THE WISE WESTERNERS EITHER ORIENTALISTS, WRITERS OR RESEARCHERS DON'T ACCEPT SUCH FALSE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIMS.
