Jordan Times
Sunday, October 16, 2005
King visits Pakistan, pledges continued support for quake relief
ISLAMABAD (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on
Friday concluded a three-day Asian tour to rally support for the campaign he
launched in defence of Islam in the face of extremists' attempts to mar its true
image.
At the meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf yesterday, the King
expressed sympathy with the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit the
northern parts of the country, claiming thousands of lives and leaving many
without a roof over their heads.
King Abdullah told the Pakistani president that Jordan was ready to send more
relief aid to Pakistan to help the country overcome the catastrophic results of
the quake.
The Kingdom has sent a 12-strong search and rescue team, two planes laden with
food and medical supplies, as well as a fully equipped field hospital to the
quake-affected area.
Jordanian officials reported from Islamabad yesterday that the field hospital,
set up in Rawalkot northeast of Islamabad, had started offering medical
services, while the Jordanian rescue team was carrying out its mission in
Balakot city, 80 per cent of which was destroyed in the quake. When search and
rescue efforts end in Balakot, the rescue team will join the field hospital
staff, the officials said.
Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian announced on Saturday that its cargo planes would
transport relief supplies to earthquake victims in Pakistan starting on Monday.
RJ President and Chief Executive Officer Samer Majali said the Airbus-310 cargo
planes would make four consecutive flights at the rate of one a day carrying
food and medical supplies.
Each aircraft would carry 28 tonnes of relief supplies to Islamabad, Majali
said, adding that the flights will be coordinated with the United Nations.
Musharraf voiced his appreciation for the Kingdom's assistance and commended its
swift response to the disaster in his country.
King Abdullah briefed President Musharraf on the steps Jordan has taken to
counter the attempts to distort the true image of Islam. He stressed the need
for cooperation between Amman, Islamabad and the rest of the Islamic world in
this endeavour.
The Monarch briefed the Pakistani president on the international Islamic
conference hosted in Amman in July, highlighting recommendations issued by the
180 participating Muslim clerics and thinkers from 45 countries to put Islam
back in its true perspective as a faith of tolerance, understanding and
moderation.
King Abdullah also pointed to the Amman Message, which was issued last year to
spell out Jordan's stand on true Islam and its relation with other religions and
cultures. The document was Jordan's response to extremist approaches to Islam
that sanction violence and terrorism in the name of religion.
At the political level, the talks focused on the Middle East peace process. Both
sides agreed on the need to push this process forward to achieve a just and
lasting peace and empower the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate
rights and establish their independent state.
The two leaders urged the international community to do its utmost to ensure the
continuation of the peace process after Israel's recent withdrawal from Gaza.
The world, they agreed, should also help the Palestinian National Authority in
its efforts to build institutions that can realise the aspirations of the
Palestinian people.
On Iraq, the two sides stressed that all sections of the Iraqi society should be
partners in the ongoing political process, which was essential for rebuilding a
stable and secure Iraq.
Discussions also covered mechanisms of cooperation, particularly in the fields
of education and culture.
In addition, they agreed on increasing the trade volume and economic and
investment cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier Friday, His Majesty continued his talks in Kuala Lumpur, meeting with
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in
various fields by activating already signed agreements.
During the meeting, the King announced that Jordan has increased the number of
seats allocated for Malaysian students, especially those interested in studying
Arabic and Islamic Sharia.
Praising the Malaysian model of modernisation, which succeeded in preserving the
cultural and Islamic identity of this Asian country, the Monarch reviewed
Jordan's development and economic plans aimed at achieving sustainable
development.
The King and the Malaysian premier agreed that the Amman Message was in harmony
with a project launched by Badawi titled “Islam Hadhari” or civilised Islam.
The project, according to Islam Online, highlights the importance of progress —
with an Islamic perspective — in the economic, social, and political fields. It
emphasises the need for balanced development, which covers both physical and
spiritual development within the framework of a holistic development approach.
On Thursday, King Abdullah held talks with Malaysian King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
on bilateral ties and challenges facing the Muslim world.
The talks also covered the situation in the Middle East and Iraq.
King Abdullah started his tour in Jakarata, where he and Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhyono emphasised the importance of coordination between the
Kingdom, Indonesia and the rest of the Muslim world to present the true picture
of Islam.
The delegation accompanying the Monarch on the tour included the King's Personal
Envoy and Special Adviser HRH Prince Ghazi, Royal Court Chief Faisal Fayez,
Deputy Director of National Security and acting Director of King's Office Marouf
Bakhit and Foreign Minister Farouq Qasrawi.