Jordan Times
Thursday, May 15, 2008
‘Only political solution
would bring peace to Israel’
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said that after 60 years of
the founding of Israel and despite its military power, the Jewish state failed
to win acceptance in the region.
In a second session of talks with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
yesterday, following a meeting the day before, the Monarch said giving back the
Palestinians their legitimate rights is the only way to ensure the security and
stability for all parties involved in the Middle East conflict.
King Abdullah underlined the vital support expected from Islamic countries for
the Palestinians, who are clinging to their land and facing all types of
hardship at the hands of the Israelis. He said such support is instrumental as
the Palestinian people pursue their dream of a national independent state on
Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which, the King said, is
essential for regional and world peace.
The Monarch commended Bolkiah’s stand on issues pertaining to the Islamic world,
adding that Brunei, as an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, is contributing to better ties between Asia on the one hand and the
Middle East and Islamic world on the other.
For his part, Bolkiah said Brunei highly values the approach Jordan follows to
clarify the true image of Islam as a moderate faith which promotes tolerance and
acceptance of others, citing the issuance of the Amman Message which sums up
orthodox Islam’s stand on relations with other partners in humanity.
Bolkiah, who expressed his country’s willingness to develop bilateral ties,
commended the Kingdom’s economic and development planning and its efforts to
diversify sources of income.
He highlighted in this regard Jordan’s public and private sectors’ partnership
to optimally utilise natural resources, promote investments and find renewable
energy sources.
Following yesterday’s talks, King Abdullah and Bolkiah went on a military tour.
They discussed prospects of exchanging defence expertise and conducting joint
military training.
Brunei, which sent top military officials to the military industries show, SOFEX,
held in Amman last month, is interested in buying defence equipment manufactured
by the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau.
Also yesterday, His Majesty toured Dar Al Ifta in Brunei, which keeps rare
copies of the Holy Koran Bolkiah has collected from Islamic countries in the
Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The old copies represent the era between the 16th and 20th centuries,
handwritten in various types of Arabic calligraphy.
The King also toured the Islamic Arts Gallery.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah, Her Majesty Queen Rania and members of the Brunei
royal family and Jordanian delegates visited the Brunei Museum, which was built
in 1965.