June 4, 2008
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOSQUE IS:
Saudi king calls for end to Islamic extremism (Donna Abu-Nasr, Jun 4, 2008, AP)
Islam must do away with the dangers of extremism and present the religion's positive message, Saudi King Abdullah said Wednesday as he opened a conference of Muslim figures aimed at launching a dialogue with Christians and Jews.The three-day gathering in the holy city of Mecca seeks a unified Muslim voice ahead of the interfaith dialogue. In particular, Saudi Arabia hopes to promote reconciliation between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
"You have gathered today to tell the whole world that ... we are a voice of justice and values and humanity, that we are a voice of coexistence and a just and rational dialogue," Abdullah told the 500 Muslim delegates from 50 Muslim nations in his opening speech.
Abdullah walked into the conference hall Wednesday with powerful Iranian politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who later sat on the king's left on the stage, sending a message that the Sunni kingdom does not have a problem with moderate Shiites like him.
The Sa'uds are going to need to spend as much repudiating Salafism as they did fostering it. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 4, 2008 3:37 PM
The problem is the Katany (Quahtani),Ateyba (Uteibi), Meteyr (Mutairi) tribes who have been their rivals, aren't likely to listen to them.
Charles Doughty's Travels in Arabia Desertica
does come in handy.
And they would not be sitting there doing that if GW Bush had not gone into Iraq and kept the US there.
The message is clear - you can reform your selves or some one will reform you. Choose wisely.
Posted by: Mikey at June 4, 2008 5:00 PMDoes "sow the wind, reap the whirlwind" appear in the Quran?
Regards,
Ric