Saudi King Calls For Interfaith Dialogue

[DeSwiss]

Saudi king calls for interfaith dialogue

Associated Press
By DONNA ABU-NASR and ABDULLAH SHIHRI
March 25, 2008


After freshly refusing to pardon a woman from her sentence of
100 lashes for being found outside of her home without a male
family member escort, King Abdullah calls for tolerance, restraint
and dialogue between the religions. He says, "I have noticed that
the family system has weakened and that atheism has increased."
{We're obviously not beating our women enough. - DeSwiss}

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - King Abdullah is calling for a dialogue among Muslims, Christians and Jews, the first such proposal from this strictly Muslim kingdom at a time of mounting tensions between followers of Islam and those of other religions. In a speech late Monday, Abdullah said the country's top clerics gave him the green light to pursue his idea. Their backing is crucial in a religiously conservative society that expects decisions taken by its rulers to adhere to Islam's tenets.

The monarch, whose kingdom follows a severe interpretation of Islam known as Wahhabism and bans non-Muslim religious services and symbols, said he discussed the idea with Pope Benedict XVI when they met at the Vatican last year.

"The idea is to ask representatives of all monotheistic religions to sit together with their brothers in faith and sincerity to all religions as we all believe in the same God," the king told delegates to a seminar titled "Culture and the Respect of Religions." His remarks were reported by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"I have noticed that the family system has weakened and that atheism has increased. That is an unacceptable behavior to all religions, to the Quran, the Torah and the Bible," Abdullah said. "We ask God to save humanity. There is a lack of ethics, loyalty and sincerity for our religions and humanity." Abdullah's call is significant. The Saudi monarch is the custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina, a position that lends his words special importance and influence among many Muslims.

His message for tolerance comes at a time of mounting Muslim anger over the republication by Danish newspapers of cartoons of Islam's Prophet Muhammad and the weekend high-profile conversion of a Muslim commentator to Roman Catholicism. Abdullah did not say whether Muslim clerics from Saudi Arabia would be willing to meet with Jewish leaders from Israel. Saudi Arabia and all other Arab nations except Egypt and Jordan do not have diplomatic relations with Israel and generally shun unofficial contacts.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080325/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_interfaith_dialogue">MORE

- Oh, nothing can go wrong here, I'm sure. No way. They've only been harrassing, fighting, maiming, raping, beheading, hanging and finding other unique methods of killing one another for the past 1700 years or so. Its time a breather.

I'm sure that if they sit down and take a few deep breaths, they can work all this contention and strife out in no time flat. All they'll need to do is to to send just one level-headed, conscientious and respectful representative from each of their religions.

Hmmm, never mind....
========================================================================
DeSwiss


http://atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox

[leftofcool]

1. hope unity and change from the Saudi King?

[DeSwiss]

8. And for infidels no less...

- Mohamed must be spinning in his grave....

[eib1]

2. I am areligious,

and yet I can believe that one should always err on the side of mercy.
Where is mercy in the world's great religions?

[harun]

7. Mercy is from God, not from people (n/t)

[DeSwiss]

9. They're saving it for later....

...when they're certain that all the other stuff has failed.

[bushmeister0]

3. Uh, yeah sure, right after he beheads Fawza Falih for witchcraft.

From the A Times Babylon & Beyond:

" was accused of involvement in supernatural occurrences, including the sudden impotence of a man she is said to have bewitched, according to the human rights organization.

Falih admitted to such powers under police interrogation, but retracted her confession, claiming it was made under duress. In 2006, an appeals court ruled that Falih could not be executed because she had recanted. But a lower court, which is guided by the strict interpretation of Wahhabi Islam, reinstated the death penalty to 'protect the creed, souls and property of this country.'"

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/02/saudi-arabia-me.html

And what of 33 year-old Fouad al-Farhan arrested last December and still in solitary detention?

From the Free Fouad web site:

"Fouad Al-Farhan remains in detention for refusing to apologize for his writings critical of corruption and lack of freedom Saudi Arabia, where he hopes meaningful reform will enable his children have a better life."

http://en.freefouad.com/


CNN:

"Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told CNN "He is still being investigated."

"Al-Farhan has yet to be charged with a crime, but under Saudi law can be held without charges for six months."


And don't forget the "Der Iron Pope" Benedict XVI is still struggling with the heresies of Galileo, he's just slightly ahead of Abdullah in the Dark Ages department.

"The Pope had been set to make a speech at La Sapienza University on . Sixty-seven academics had said the Pope condoned the 1633 trial and conviction of the astronomer Galileo for heresy. The Vatican insists the Pope is not 'anti-science' - but in light of the protests they have decided it would be better for him not to attend. Galileo had argued that the Earth revolved around the Sun.
The Vatican says the Pope will now send his speech to La Sapienza, instead of delivering it in person."

http://librabunda.blogspot.com/2008/01/pope-benedict-cancels-visit-to.html

How about we just stop relying on the pushers of ridiculous hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo to rule our lives and get on with treating each other with respect and dignity?

[DeSwiss]

10. ....

"How about we just stop relying on the pushers of ridiculous hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo to rule our lives and get on with treating each other with respect and dignity?"

Well, I'm game so that's me and you. That's two....

[Fredda Weinberg]

4. And religion got man out of the caves and into the first cities

I can't think of anything ancient that wasn't associated with deities of some form.

If the fundamentalists of all denominations united, we'd be defenseless.

[msongs]

5. more likely that farming got people creating cities - religion got people destroying cities nt

[Fredda Weinberg]

6. Farming? Where do you think the original rites came from?

Harvest festivals, solstice observations ... now they're all somebody's holiday.

And yes, they'd destroy each others' cities ... but kept peace among themselves.

Isn't history dark enough w/o rewriting it? Religion may have outlived its usefulness, but it has been an organizing force.

[More Than A Feeling]

11. I think its hilarious that a ruling class that has to pay off preachers of radical Islam

is shaking in its boots at the thought of atheists writing books.

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. The theocrat's message of tolerance: "Convert them first, THEN murder them."

Saudi Arabia is one of the most theocratic country in the world; yes, even compared to Iran and Vatican City. I do not find the king's call for tolerance and dialog to be believable or sincere.