United Nations' High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace Starts

New York, November 12, SPA --The United Nations' High-Level Meeting
on Culture of Peace started at UN headquarters in New York today with
the participation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, kings, emirs, heads of Governments of
a number of countries and heads of international bodies.

Upon arrival at the UN headquarters, the King was received
by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, senior officials of the UN
organization and Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the
United Nations Khalid Al-Nafeesi.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud and the United Nations Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon had a memorial photo-session at Ban's office. Then the
monarch signed in a visitors' note book.

Following that, a number of issues relating to the United Nations
High-level Meeting on Culture of Peace were discussed.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud paid a visit to the current President of the United
Nations General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto in his office.

During the meeting, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques delivered
the following speech:
"In the name of God, the
Merciful, the Compassionate
Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,
His Excellency the President of the General Assembly of the
United Nations,
Dear attendees:
Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you:
Before this gathering of the world leaders, and from the
General Assembly, the conscience of the United Nations, today we say
with one voice that religions wanted by God to make human beings
happy should not be among causes for their misery. A human being is a
counterpart and a partner of the other human being on this planet.
Either they live together in peace and tranquility, or they will be
finished by fires of misunderstanding, grudge and hatred.
The focus across history on the points of disagreement
between the followers of religions and cultures has led to
fanaticism. Because of this, destructive wars flared out and led to
shedding much blood, which have been unjustifiable by logic or sound
thinking. It is time to learn from the hard lessons of the past and
to meet together on the ethics and ideals in which we all believe.
What we differ, will be settled by God on the judgment day. Every
tragedy witnessed in the world today is a result of abandoning a
great principle of the principles called for by all religions and
cultures. All the world's problems could only mean that human beings
renounce the principle of justice.

Terrorism and crime are the enemies of God and the enemies of every
religion and civilization. Had not the principle of tolerance and the
wander surrounding the lives of many young people been absent, they
would not have emerged.
The drugs and crime spread only after the collapse of family ties
which God Almighty wanted that they remain strong and firm.
Our dialogue, which will be conducted in a civilized
manner, is sure - God willing - to revive the noble values, and
consolidate them among peoples and nations. There is no doubt, God
willing, that this would represent a magnificent victory for the best
in mankind's character over the worst in him, giving hope for a
future where justice, security and noble life prevails over
grievance, fear and poverty.
Dear friends:
I thank His Excellency the President of the General Assembly
for organizing this meeting, and I thank my friends, the world
leaders, for coming from the East and West of the world; and I'm
proud of their friendship. Let me, please call on Madrid conferees to
select a committee from among themselves to undertake the
responsibility of dialogue in the days and years to come, confirming
to them and to all countries of the world that our interest in
dialogue emanates from our religion and Islamic values and from our
concern for the humanitarian world and that we will follow-up what we
started, and will extend our hands to all lovers of peace, justice
and tolerance.
In conclusion, I remind you and myself of a verse from
the holy Koran (O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a
male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may
know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most
honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most
righteous of you).
May peace and blessings of God be upon you, thank you".

In a key address at the outset of the meeting, the President of the
current session of the United Nations General Assembly Miguel
d'Escoto Prockmann, expressed thanks to and appreciation of the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
for calling for convoking a meeting for the followers of religions,
considering this meeting as among the most important in the current
time to confront the challenges facing the world.

He suggested that one of the most thorny problems facing mankind
today is that half of the population of the world are suffering from
starvation, malnutrition and poverty, hoping that the world could
take steps to solve these problems.

Then the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
delivered a speech welcoming the attendees and expressed his thanks
to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for calling for this meeting.
He said, "His Majesty, the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, peace be upon you; your
Majesties, leaders of countries and ministers, thank you all for
coming to this meeting. Your presence indicates the importance of
dialogue in the world today. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken
upon itself the initiative to convene this conference. I thank the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for his
crucial and vital role in holding this meeting.

Ban pointed out that the interaction between different
religions and civilizations should be more simultaneously, stressing
that there should be a dialogue such as Madrid's conference which was
held at an invitation of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and gathered us
from all religions, races, and colors.

Following that, President Gloria Arroyo Mkajal of The Philippines
expressed her country's support for the initiative of the Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques calling for dialogue between religions,
cultures and civilizations.
She presented a project, jointly with Pakistan, and adopted
by 60 countries, encouraging dialogue, understanding and cooperation
among religions and cultures for bringing about peace, noting that
mutual understanding, interaction and dialogue between religions and
beliefs constitute an important part of the alliance of
civilizations, culture of peace and promotion of dialogue between the
media and all cultures and civilizations.
For his part, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir
of Kuwait, expressed thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his initiative to convene a
high-level meeting at the General Assembly of the United Nations. He
highly valued the good results of the World Conference for Dialogue
which was held last July in Spain, under the sponsorship of the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
and King Juan Carlos of Spain.

In his speech, Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein commended the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
for his initiative to call for convening UN's high-level meeting on
Culture of Peace on a basis far away from fanaticism.
He said that the prestigious position of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and its respect and appreciation, especially in the Islamic
world, have enabled it to lead this dialogue and to provide for it
the reasons of success in this stage during which Islam is subjected
to a lot of injustice and allegations due to the ignorance of some
people of the essence of this religion that calls for tolerance,
moderation and being far away from extremism, violence and isolation.