June 25, 2004

THE CROWN PRINCE TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE: THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES IS ALWAYS FOLLOWING THE ISSUE OF TERRORISM. THE KINGDOM IS CAPABLE OF DOING MORE THAN IT HAS DONE. FOR THE SAKE OF MERCY TOWARD THE ERRANT GROUP, WE MAINTAINED PATIENCE AND REFRAINED FROM DOING CERTAIN THINGS. WE HAVE BEEN PATIENT ALL THIS TIME... BUT OUR PATIENCE HAS LIMITS. PRINCE NAIF IBN ABDUL AZIZ EMPHASIZES THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND STABILITY DESPITE ALL INCIDENTS OF TERRORISM. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at his palace in Jeddah Ulema and thinkers who have participated in the 3rd National Forum for Intellectual Dialogue. A number of participants spoke about the hot issues of today including women rights, role of educational institutions in spreading moderate thinking, ways of confronting the anti-Islam campaign in western media, the role of religious, social educational and information institutions in defending the faith and nation. On his part, Crown Prince Abdullah lauded the results of the dialogue, urging for more experiences. He called for tolerance to deal with terrorists. "But there are limits for tolerance", he said. He noted that terrorists were targeting foreigners and are now moving to attack policemen. Crown Prince Abdullah said the deviant group was triggered by the enemies of Islam to create confusion on the situation of the Saudi economy. The audience was attended by Prince Mishaal Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; other princes; ministers and officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard warned that the Kingdom's patience with terrorists was running out and insisted authorities are up to dealing with the criminals. He warned there could be no compromise in defending Islam and Saudi Arabia and protecting foreigners in the Kingdom and said scholars and clerics must do more to fight extremism. Addressing participants in the Third National Dialogue Forum on women's issues in Madinah, Prince Abdullah said here the coming days would bring good news in the fight against terrorism. His comments were broadcast live on Saudi television. The Prince said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is very closely following the situation. "As you know, these despicable incidents were being committed by the sons of this country. As a brother and citizen I must say I am appalled and sickened by what happened," he said. But he vowed the Kingdom "is capable of doing more than it has done. For the sake of mercy toward the errant group, we maintained patience and refrained from doing certain things that I cannot disclose now. We have been patient all this time... but our patience has limits," the crown prince said. The delegates presented him with the recommendations from the three-day forum which made waves in the national and international media. The recommendations underlined the important role of women in society and called for protection of their rights within the framework of Islam. Prince Abdullah said the terrorists changed their tactics and began targeting innocent people on the street. Their pretext had been the presence of foreigners in the country, whose protection was the duty of every citizen, the prince said. "It is not just the responsibility of Fahd, Abdullah, Sultan or Mishal" a reference to himself and his brothers "but the entire Saudi people." Now the terrorists were also targeting "the security men, who are your sons and brothers, and have committed very shameful acts. It pains me to say that these individuals hail from this country, which is known for its adherence to Islamic teachings and for its commitment to meeting its obligations toward its people and the Muslim and Arab nation." Prince Abdullah again reiterated that the "enemies of Islam" were behind the terrorist attacks. "You all know those enemies, and the entire world knows them," he added. He said there would be no compromise toward any threats to the religion and the country. "Islam is above all considerations, and when it comes to defending the religion and the country the opinion of this or that person will not be sought. Your brothers are now maintaining self-restraint. What you have witnessed over the past days is unprecedented." Prince Abdullah told citizens to put their trust in their people and in the security forces, who "remain vigilant day and night to protect the country and its people." He urged Saudi scholars, clerics and intellectuals to put more effort into countering the wave of terror, reiterating that those who maintain silence about what is happening would be considered complicit with terrorists. The National Dialogue on "Woman's Rights, Duties and Education" concluded had concluded in Al Madinah. 70 male and female intellectuals participated in the three-day deliberations of the Dialogue. Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein, the General President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophets' Mosque in Al-Madinah who is also Chairman of the National Forum for 3rd Intellectual Dialogue, inaugurated the dialogue which focused on a woman, her rights, religious duties, work and education. In a joint press conference, Dr. Abdullah Ibn Omar Nassif and Dr. Abdullah Ibn Salih Al-Obaid, Deputy Chairmen of the National Forum for 3rd Intellectual Dialogue shed light on the dialogue's deliberations. Then Dr. Al-Obaid read a press statement issued by the participants who reached a number of recommendations that were submitted to the Crown Prince. The recommendations emphasized the importance that women should enjoy all their rights guaranteed by religion and which agree with religious teachings. The participants expressed their appreciation of and thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, for supporting the noble and pioneering dialogue initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard. They also praised Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation for supporting and encouraging the idea of this dialogue. The National Dialogue on "Woman's Rights, Duties and Education" was launched in Al Madinah Al Munawarrah. A group of male and female intellectuals were participating in the three-day deliberations of the Dialogue. Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein, the President of the affairs of Al-Haram mosque in Makkah and the Prophets' mosque in Al-Madinah, opened the national dialogue. In his speech, Sheikh Al-Hussein, who is also chairman of King Abdul Aziz Center for the National Dialogue, highlighted the clearly defined status and honor of woman in Islam. The Chairman of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs Saleh Al-Hussein said civic debate must be based on Islamic teachings and embrace plurality. "Islam guarantees equality and does not differentiate between people based on race, sex or color," he said. "It is a natural state that is achieved through ensuring people enjoy the same legal rights, dignity and obligations," said the Sheikh, who chairs the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue which sponsors the conference. But he warned women working outside the home would not find enough time to raise their children and demanded a balance between women's rights and their obligations. The forum is the third of its kind since the center was established in August 2003 at the initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah. The center means to offer a platform for dialogue between all sides of the spectrum of opinion. The second forum in January this year debated issues ranging from extremism, nepotism and violence to politics and economics. The Madinah forum was widely expected to take up hot issues such as segregation and women driving. Seventy Saudi Arabian scholars and intellectuals participated in the first day of the Third National Dialogue Forum in Madinah to address the rights of women, in particular prompt and full delivery of justice to women. Women's Rights and Duties and their Relation to Education was the overall theme of the three-day forum that is being attended by 30 women. The theme was chosen in view of the effective participation of women in the previous national dialogue that was held in Makkah to discuss ways to eliminate religious extremism in the Kingdom, according to officials at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, the organizing party. In Al Madinah, the organizers hoped to create an environment conducive for Saudi intellectuals and scholars to discuss the position of women in Saudi society and to find out the best ways to develop their status in line with Islamic teachings and regulations. The conference covered four areas of discussion: women rights and duties, women and work, women and education and women and society. The first two sessions of the meeting were dedicated to a discussion on developing the Saudi judicial system and its effectiveness in delivering justice to women and thereby ensuring their rights. Yousuf Al-Jaber, a professor at the Teachers colleges in Al-Ahsa, discussed in a paper that was highly appreciated by the participants the possible ways to develop the judicial system as regards women rights. There are certain loopholes in the Saudi judicial system that prevent a woman from getting her full rights, according to the researcher who declared that some women are socially aggrieved because their rights are overlooked. Al-Jaber traced the reason for the loopholes to an absence of a legislative constitution to implement the present judicial laws. This absence has in most cases led to the failure in delivering the degree of justice each woman seeks, he said. He recommended the formation of a committee of specialists in Islamic sciences to come up with a codified judicial system that would form the nucleus of more specialized courtrooms. The researcher also called for the formation of specialized administrations to provide judicial and executive support to female litigants. Among his other recommendations was use of technology to develop the functioning of the Justice Ministry, by making it accessible to all men and women. Najla Al-Mubarak, a professor of Islamic studies at the Colleges of Girls Education, discussed the Islamic point of view with regard to women rights and duties. Maintaining that women and men are originally equal, she put forth procedures that she felt should be taken in order to save women s rights in conservative Saudi society. She also discussed the procedures in the context of the roles of the ministries of Education, Islamic Affairs, Social Affairs and Justice. Haifa Jamal Alail, the dean of Effat College, was optimistic about what the meeting might come up with, especially since many topics that used to be overlooked were now being discussed openly. Jamal Alail was at the meeting looking for more legitimate rights for women by getting rid of some of the traditions with which society deals with them. She wanted more participation for Saudi women in social life and for opening up more education and job opportunities. We asked for being allowed to practice our role in courts as lawyers and for opening up separate departments for women within each government establishment, Alail said. The existence of a separate supreme committee to follow up our own affairs is also wanted. Fatmah Al-Otaibi, a lecturer at King Saud University noted that the great changes that the world is going through, and Saudi Arabia in particular, make women participation in national development a vital necessity. Yet she believes that women problems should not be taken in isolation as the problem involves Saudi society as a whole, the men included. The main reason behind the present plight of Saudi women is the executive procedures through which their rights are dealt with, she said. On the other hand Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at his office the Speaker of Jordanian Parliament Eng. Abdul Hadi Al-Majali and his accompanying delegation. Al-Majali conveyed the greetings of King of Jordan to Crown Prince Abdullah. Jordanian Parliament Speaker noted the strong relations between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of Shoura Council Sheikh Saleh Ibn Humaid and member of Shoura Council Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Oraier. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, received the delegation from Jordanian Councils of Representatives and Nobles. The delegation was led by the head of the Representatives' Council Eng. Abdul Hadi Al-majali. Eng. Al-majali expressed solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against attempts to harm it. "Saudi Arabia has always supported Muslims all over the world, " he added. On his part, Prince Naif noted that the relations between the two countries are "strong." He described what had happened in Saudi Arabia as "an unusual occurrence for the people of the Kingdom. But these youths have been brain-washed and become tools to achieve goals against the Kingdom and its religion under wrongly perceived slogans which have nothing to do with Islam." He stressed on the capabilities of security men, emphasizing the country's economic prosperity and stability despite all such incidents. On the other hand Saudi Arabia is the target of international terrorism because it is the World's largest Oil exporter and the major supporter of Muslim World's issues, according to Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland. In a lecture, which he delivered in Berlin last night, Prince Turki Al-Faisal said that killings and kidnappings are crimes and should be countered, stressing that the Kingdom is one of the most stable countries and the phenomena of terrorism will be annihilated because the Saudi people are aware that terrorism is primarily directed against their country's stability, and not against foreigners. He pointed out that terrorism is not a strange phenomena since Germany witnessed terrorist acts in 70s and 80s and no one had said at that time that Germany was not stable. He said that the national dialogue has concluded that these terrorist attacks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "serve the Zionism interests." On his part, Dieter Spranger, the former German Minister of Development and International Cooperation said that the Kingdom is considered as a partner of Germany in political, economic and scientific fields. In Washington The 9-11 Commission confirmed that it has found no evidence that the government of Saudi Arabia funded Al-Qaeda. The 9-11 Commission also confirmed that it has found no evidence that the 9-11 hijackers received funding from Saudi citizens Omar Al-Bayoumi and Osama Bassnan, or from Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, wife of Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan. According to the 9-11 Commission's Staff Statement No. 15: "we found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior officials within the Saudi government funded al Qaeda." According to the 9-11 Commission's Staff Statement No. 16: "No credible evidence exists that the operatives received substantial funding from any person in the United States. Specifically, there is no evidence that Mihdhar and Hazmi received funding from Saudi citizens Omar al Bayoumi and Osama Bassnan, or that Saudi Princess Haifa al Faisal provided any funds to the conspiracy either directly or indirectly." Adel Al-Jubeir, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Crown Prince Abdullah, stated: "The 9-11 Commission has dispelled two of the most outrageous myths about Saudi Arabia. Unlike the insinuations in a previous Congressional report, which perpetuated these myths instead of investigating them, now there are clear statements by an independent commission that separate fact from fiction." Recently, Saudi Arabia has received praise both internationally and in the United States for its efforts in the financial war on terrorism. A report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organization established by G-8 nations, concludes that Saudi Arabia is "in line with the best international practices" and meets or exceeds all FATF recommendations in the areas of money laundering and terrorist financing. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia will not give in to Al-Qaeda's demands to free jailed militants to secure the release of an American the group kidnapped last week, Saudi official sources said. Al-Qaeda has threatened that unless Saudi authorities free the militants by Friday it will kill the hostage, engineer Paul Marshal Johnson. "There is no way they are going to agree to their demands," Nawaf Obaid, a senior Saudi security consultant, said. "There is no way they will release any of those militants who have been key to providing information to disrupt operations of those (militants) outside." Saudi government foreign affairs adviser Adel Al-Jubeir told CNN that his government was looking into the situation and consulting the United States on what actions to take. "And then we will make decisions on what the next steps are, but our history has been one of not negotiating with terrorists," he said. Reacting to the threat made by the captors, the US Embassy in Riyadh categorically rejected the demands saying that it would not make any concessions to individuals or groups holding its citizens. It added that it would lend its maximum support to the Saudi government for the release of the captive. "Our hearts go out to Johnson and family and our goal is his release and his safe return to his loved ones as soon as possible," said Robert Keith, the press attaché at the embassy. The threat to kill Johnson, which follows a spate of suicide bombings and shootings in the past six weeks, raised the stakes in Al-Qaeda's war to drive out Westerners from the world's largest oil exporter. On a website, Al-Qaeda showed Johnson, kidnapped in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, blindfolded and sitting in a chair with one sleeve of his orange uniform ripped off showing a tattoo. An accompanying statement said: "If the Saudi government wants to secure the release of the American hostage, they must release our mujahedeen held hostage in its jails. They have 72 hours from today (Tuesday) or else we will sacrifice him." Saudi officials have visited 124 Saudis detained at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and held talks with American officials about their possible handover, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. A ministry source quoted by the Saudi Press Agency said a Saudi security team had also discussed the conditions under which the prisoners were being held. "The Saudi security team charged with following up the conditions of Saudi detainees in Guantanamo visited them there to check on their situation, help bring about their release and ensure they are in touch with their families," the source told SPA. "The team met all 124 Saudi detainees and found that they are generally in good physical and psychological shape and that all those who were wounded during the Afghan war have recovered," the source said. He did not give the date of the visit but said it was the second of its kind. The statement comes against a backdrop of press reports about the anguish of the families of the detainees, who are among roughly 600 prisoners held during the US war on Afghanistan in late 2001. Treatment of foreigners being held in Guantanamo Bay has come under renewed scrutiny since the scandal over the abuse of prisoners by US troops in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Some Saudi families have been complaining that they had not received any letters from their detained sons for several months. Many families, as well as lawyers, have said the detainees are young and had gone to Afghanistan to participate in relief work. "The Saudi security team held several meetings with those responsible for their detention and discussed the situation of the detainees as a whole and the possibility of their handover to the Kingdom or (at least) those who have not been proven guilty," the Interior Ministry source said. "The team is continuously pursuing its work in an effort to help end the issue of Saudi detainees in Guantanamo as soon as possible," he said. The team brought back letters from the prisoners who chose to write to their relatives, he added. Washington has classified the Guantanamo prisoners as "illegal combatants" rather than as prisoners of war, drawing worldwide criticism from governments and human rights groups. Charges have been laid against only a handful of the detainees from 42 countries being held at the base. Human rights groups have called on US authorities either to charge the prisoners under the Geneva Convention or free them. On the other hand the OIC said it will "actively assist" the Iraqi administration as it takes power. The Istanbul Declaration was adopted at the closing session of the three-day foreign ministers' conference. The OIC includes all of Iraq's neighbors and its support is important for the interim government ahead of the planned June 30 handover of power. The neighbors -- Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait -- and regional power Egypt on Tuesday held a meeting on the sidelines of the OIC and issued a similar statement backing Baghdad. The statement also said Muslim countries would help each other reform, but added that changes should come from within. The members also declared their support for the Palestinian people and called on the United States and other powers to "stop the Israeli aggression." "We have decided to actively assist Iraq in its transition and in meeting its needs," the declaration said. "We support the steps toward ending the occupation in Iraq," it added. "We equally support the process in which the Iraqis will assume their sovereignty. We state that this assumption of sovereignty must be full." The declaration did not elaborate and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul gave few details at a news conference. "We believe that Islamic countries need to be more active," he said, adding that under Turkey's upcoming chairmanship, the OIC would "channel" the capabilities of the Islamic world toward Iraq. Most members strongly opposed the U.S.-led war that drove Saddam Hussein from power and any aid is likely to be political or economic. There is little support in Islamic countries for sending peacekeepers to help U.S.-led forces. "The issue is not sending forces. What the situation in Iraq needs now is that Iraqis exercise their sovereignty in full," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters. The Istanbul declaration also welcomed last week's U.N. resolution on Iraq, which endorsed the transfer of sovereignty from the U.S.-led administration and authorized a multinational force. Reform in the Islamic world was also a key issue at the meeting, especially in light of Washington's calls for increased democracy in the Islamic world. Many Muslim leaders have regarded the U.S. calls as interference in their domestic affairs. "We, as the OIC members, will assist each other in our progress and reform, which should come from within. The OIC, as an institution, will also develop ways and means for supporting progress in a collective framework," the declaration said. The OIC declaration also urged the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia to work to stop "the Israeli aggression in all its forms, secure international protection for the Palestinian people ... and seek a lasting solution through the implementation of the road map." The "road map" peace plan envisages a Palestinian state by next year but its implementation has been stalled by continuing violence. The declaration also condemned terrorism, including state terrorism. "We agree to redouble our efforts in fighting this international scourge," it said. In the speech of the Muslim World League read on behalf of Dr Abdullah Abdul Mohsen Al turki by Dr Abdul Rahman Al Ayfan MWL condemned the terrorist acts that took place in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco and other countries and said that deviant thinking is growing through youth minds. He drew attention of the dangers of terrorism and its impact on the image of Muslims, and said they are a real challenge to the Muslim nation, which need a firm stand. The statement said the situation in Palestine needs more unity from the part of the Muslim nation in order to face the situation suffered by the nation. ] MWL drew attention to the dangers of terrorism and its impact on the security of the nation and its relations with other nations and civilizations. The statement called on the world to face its responsibility towards the appalling crimes committed against humanity, and called upon the Iraqi people to preserve their national unity and concentrate on rebuilding its legal institutions and country, while respecting the rights of all people.