King, Pope Stress Peace, Justice
Khaled Almaeena
VATICAN CITY, 7 November 2007 � Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah held a historic meeting yesterday with Pope Benedict XVI and called for dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews in order to promote peace, justice and moral values.
The warmth exuded by the two leaders on a chilly morning set the tone for the day. Greeting the king with a smile, the pope was effusive and eloquent in his actions as he warmly welcomed the Saudi monarch. The two leaders clasped hands on meeting and smiled before embarking on their historic talks.
The king and the pope held talks for about 60 minutes in the pontiff�s library with the help of interpreters. Benedict spoke in Italian and the king in Arabic. The Vatican said the meeting was cordial.
During the meeting, King Abdullah emphasized that dialogue between religions and cultures was essential in order to promote tolerance, get rid of violence and achieve peace and security for all peoples.
The Vatican talks assume great importance as King Abdullah met the pope, the leader of Roman Catholics, as custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
�This is a historic meeting. It provides an opportunity for a meaningful Muslim-Christian dialogue,� said an Italian observer. An Italian woman, who has been a Vatican observer for years, said: �The pope is viewed as a conservative right-wing person. Though he is dogmatic, it should be noted that he did oppose the war in Iraq.�
Several people in the media were of the view that it is important to maintain the lines of communication at the highest level so that no misunderstanding can occur. An Italian banker said: �This meeting will go a long way to removing misconception that people of both faiths have about each other.� Abdullah, who is the first Saudi king to have an audience with a pope, has emphasized the need for an international cultural dialogue to eradicate malicious thoughts. He also urged Italy to play a greater role in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. The king and the pope emphasized the need for interfaith and intercultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews �for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family,� the Vatican said.
Both sides also emphasized the need for a �just solution� to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
�Views were exchanged on the situation in the Middle East and on the need to find a just solution to the conflicts affecting the region, especially that between Israelis and Palestinians,� the Vatican added.
King Abdullah and Pope Benedict also stressed that violence and terrorism have no religion or nation. �All countries and peoples should work together to eradicate terrorism,� they added.
Benedict has said he wants to reach out to all countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The Vatican�s official newspaper L�Osservatore Romano said the Vatican hoped the meeting would produce a frank dialogue between the two sides. There are hundreds of thousands of Christian guest workers in Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah, who arrived here on Monday on the second leg of a European tour, also met separately with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Abdullah had visited the Vatican twice before as crown prince and deputy prime minister.
At the end of the meeting, Abdullah presented Benedict with a traditional Middle Eastern gift � a golden sword studded with jewels � as well as a gold and silver statue of a palm tree and a man riding a camel. The king received a 16th-century engraving of the Vatican from the pope.
Benedict sparked anger in the Muslim world in September last year when he delivered a speech which was interpreted as linking Islam to violence. He said he was misunderstood and regretted offending Muslims. Since then, he has met a number of Islamic leaders and a year ago visited predominantly Muslim Turkey. The Vatican has said it wants to pursue a dialogue with moderate Muslims.
�The Vatican authorities expressed their hope for the prosperity of all the inhabitants of the country (Saudi Arabia), and mention was made of the positive and industrious presence of Christians,� the Vatican statement said.
L�Osservatore Romano in an article published ahead of the meeting said the spirit of the talks could be best summed up with the words: �Know each other, know each other, know each other. Each one of us has always something to learn from someone else.�
Yesterday�s meeting came just weeks after 138 Muslim clerics and intellectuals wrote a letter to Benedict and other Christian leaders, urging greater understanding and respect between Muslims and Christians.
King Abdullah and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi later attended a meeting of the Saudi-Italian Business Council.
Trade exchange between the two countries amounted to $8.3 billion in 2006 with Saudi exports reaching $5.3 billion. The king also visited the Municipality of Rome.
Expatriates in the Kingdom welcomed the king�s meeting with the pope and said it would promote high-level dialogue between the two religions.
German Consul General Michael Zickerick said: �King Abdullah�s meeting the head of the Catholic Church is a very good step. Both are spiritual and world leaders and any kind of contact and dialogue between the two is helpful. I believe that a lot can come out of this meeting in the context of the present situation between Christians and Muslims.�
Ethiopian Consul General Tekleab Kebede said he was very happy at the Vatican meeting. �This is a clear indication that there is good intention and willingness and openness to communicate between all faiths. It is a big breakthrough for communication and tolerance,� he added.
For George Vilson of Nanma, a cultural organization, it was an epoch-making meeting and would promote religious harmony. �This will pave the way for high-level interfaith dialogue and King Abdullah should be congratulated for taking this initiative,� he added.
Erik Asi, an electrical engineer, said King Abdullah�s meeting with the pope was a good sign. �It symbolizes the message that religion is not a barrier to promoting understanding.�
Ces Espia, a teacher, said King Abdullah�s traveling to Rome was a big thing. �It reflects the king�s search for unity and brotherhood. Although he comes from the Islamic world, where religion is sine qua non to the Islamic way of life, he has not deemed it a barrier to his search for things that matter to his people,� he added.
Ron Jacobe, an accountant in Riyadh, emphasized the importance of dialogue between religions to achieve world peace.
�Unfortunately the history of the relationship between Islam and Christianity is clouded with conflicts and misunderstandings. Though the latter part of the 20th century contributed a lot to the prevailing intellectual atmosphere accepting polyphony and pluralism as the hall mark of contemporary world, the inter-religious relationships never wholly abandoned the medieval parameters of mistrust and hate. This is a major cause for concern for all who believe in peaceful coexistence and possible united efforts for peace and justice,� said P.J.J. Antony.
�Under these circumstances King Abdullah�s bold initiative is a historical step toward nurturing fraternal ties between the world�s two major religions which trace their paternal origins to Prophet Abraham. The meeting between King Abdullah and Pope Benedict is destined to pave way for increased tolerance and better understanding between Islam and Christianity. Both leaders have much in common as both are conservative in faith but willing to go the extra mile for peace and harmony hence I have real hopes about the positive consequences of this epoch-making meeting. I personally look forward to better religious conditions for Muslim minorities in Christian majority nations and vice versa,� Antony said.
Miguel Constantino, a waiter in Jeddah, said it was hard to believe (that the king and pope have met) but it was a good way of closing the gap between Muslims and Christians.
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, head of the media department of the Jeddah Municipality, said King Abdullah�s visit to the Vatican was a good step that will promote dialogue between Muslims and the whole world. �The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is the first Muslim leader at this time to take initiatives for promoting peace and this visit is a fine example,� he added.
Amjad Zamzami, Saudi employee of a private company, said: �King Abdullah made us all proud with this visit, because it is time to show the world that we don�t hate anyone.� He said that such a visit was highly important especially during this time, when the gap got wider between Muslims and the rest of the world.
Fawaz Al-Zahrani, 35, a Saudi Qur�an teacher at a public high school, said it was a good idea for the king to visit the Vatican especially at a time when the picture of Islam is distorted. �It goes to show Muslim good will.�
Abdullah Khoojah, 27, a Saudi architect in a Jeddah-based consultancy company, said that many people around the world have a negative impression of Islam and have related it to hate and terrorism and this visit would eventually help in clearing that image.
�It would surely reflect a positive reaction and pave the way in the long run toward clarifying Islam and its message of peace,� he said.
�The visit is a bit late. It should have happened long ago,� said Osama Al-Aqqad, Saudi communication manager at a multimedia company. He said that Muslims and their leaders should have projected the correct image of Islam long before it got distorted. �We should have had more religious and cultural understanding with the rest of the world instead of waiting for a reason to do it,� he noted.
� Additional input from P.K. Abdul Ghafour, K.S. Ramkumar, Hasan Hatrash and Francis Salud in Jeddah, Rodolfo C. Estimo Jr. and Bien Custodio in Riyadh, and Dinan Arana in Dammam.
Source: Arab News
