By IINA
Riyadh : Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has made history with his call for dialogue among religions, CNN reported yesterday. It said the king became a history-maker by taking this important initiative, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a report in its main bulletin, CNN highlighted the King’s call for dialogue among the three monotheistic religions for the protection of humanity from frivolousness and his role in supporting the peace process in the Mideast.
Octavia Nasser, CNN’s correspondent, said King Abdullah has made history by his initiative, which was welcomed by religious quarters. David Rosen, head of the Religions Dialogue Committee said, “Let us agree to shake hands with the hand that has been extended to Christians and Jews.” Meanwhile, political analyst Dr. Maurice Jones said if it were possible for a leader to accomplish an achievement as regards peace, then King Abdullah is the most capable leader for doing that. “The US is hopeful that King Abdullah is capable of doing a lot for realizing peace in the entire region,” Dr. Jones said.
The US alone cannot realize peace, and it is in need of strong friends for realizing that goal, he said, adding that despite the numerous difficulties facing the region, King Abdullah has been realizing a lot of achievements including combating terrorism. King Abdullah made the call for interfaith dialogue during a meeting with delegates attending a cultural dialogue between Japan and the Muslim world. “I want to call for conferences between the religions to protect humanity from folly,” he told the delegates in Riyadh. He referred to his groundbreaking talks in Rome last November with Pope Benedict XVI.