Saudi king and Pope Benedict: Interfaith dialogue
Photo:AP
Saudi king to organize interfaith conference with Jewish participants
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud announces that he will organize interfaith conference involving Christians, Muslims, Jews. Morality, breakdown of traditional values will be among topics up for discussion
Saudi King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud announced Tuesday that he will organize a series of meetings involving representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths in an attempt to foster dialogue between adherents of the three main monotheistic faiths.
The king announced that his goal in generating this interfaith dialogue is to attempt to prevent the rapid decline in morals and traditional family values rampant in society, and to restore loyalty and caring as guiding principles in our world.
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The London-based Arab language publications al-Hayat and al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Tuesday that the Saudi monarch had stated that humanity is currently facing a serious moral crisis. He also noted that he spoke to Pope Benedict XVI regarding these proposed interfaith meetings, and that “the pontiff greeted him at eye level as a fellow human being in a meeting that he will not soon forget.”
Saudi clerics, revealed the king, were also enthusiastic regarding this interfaith conference. “With Allah’s aid, we will meet our brethren of the Torah and the New Testament. Together we will prevent the decay of morality and family values in our society, and replace the contempt and hurtfulness omnipresent in our world with genuine human fealty.”
