Jordan Times
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
King meets with Islamic
conference participants
AMMAN (Petra) — Participants in the International Islamic Conference on Monday
said they highly valued His Majesty King Abdullah's initiative in inviting
scholars from different schools of Islamic thought to meet in the Kingdom.
During a meeting with the King yesterday, heads of delegations attending the
event commended the King's speech, which they described as an important document
that underlines the moderation and tolerance of Islam.
King Abdullah expressed his appreciation of efforts exerted by the Ummah's
scholars and intellectuals in clarifying the image of Islam and spreading the
religion's true principles.
The Monarch underlined the need to unify the Islamic schools of thought to stand
up to issues encountered by Islam and Muslims.
On the sidelines of the conference, King Abdullah met with former Sudanese
President Abdul Rahman Sewar Al Thahab, Secretary General of the Organisation of
Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the International
Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Hojjatoleslam Mohammad
Taskhiri and President of Iran's International Cultural and Islamic Relations
Organisation and head of the Iranian delegation Hojjatoleslam Mohammadi Eraqi.
The Monarch also received Abbas Al Jarari, adviser to the Moroccan King; Abdul
Hadi Abu Talib, a member in the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and Al al Bayt
Foundation for Islamic Thought; Chairman of the Sunna and Sira Council at Qatar
University Sheikh Yousef Al Qaradawi; Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero and the
accompanying delegation from Nigeria; Mufti of Egypt Ali Jumaa; Egyptian
Minister of Awqaf Mahmoud Zaqzouq; and President of Al Azhar University Ahmad Al
Tayyeb.
In addition, the King met with Chief Palestinian Islamic Justice Sheikh Taysir
Al Tamimi, Mufti of Al Quds and Palestine Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, former Tunisian
Prime Minister Al Hadi Al Bakkoush, President of the Higher Islamic Council in
Tunisia Ali Alshabi and Tunisian Minister of Religious Affairs Boubaker El
Akhzouri. Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations Nehad
Awad, Secretary General of the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League Sayyed Mohammed
Musawi and the league's Deputy Director General Sayyed Mohammad Allawi also met
with King Abdullah yesterday.
HRH Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad, the King's private adviser and personal
representative and chairman of the board of trustees of Al al Bayt Foundation
for Islamic Thought, attended the meetings.