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Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. (AP)
Last update - 21:14 25/03/2008
Saudi King plans first interfaith conference to include Jews
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: Muslims, Christianity 

In a rare departure from government practice, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is planning to convene an interfaith conference for Muslims, Christians and Jews, according to the Saudi-owned Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper.

The call for religious dialog to include Jews is the first by the monarch, whose country's regulations prohibit the importation of non-Muslim religious objects including crucifixes and stars of David.

The Saudi King said representatives of the three major monotheistic faiths need to work together "to defend humanity" from harm, speaking in an address he delivered in Riyadh on Monday.
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Al-Sharq al-Awsat, which is published in London, quoted King Abdullah as saying he had discussed idea of a summit to promote religious dialog a number of months ago with the Pope.

"I proposed to him to address God by means of the commandments he commanded the monotheistic faiths in the bible, the New Testament, and the Koran," the king said.

The monarch said he is disturbed by the breakdown of the family unit across the world, as well as the damaged to the principle of "loyalty to humanity."

"I plan, god willing, to hold summits - not just one - so as to hear the opinion of my Muslim brothers all over the world. We will start to meet with our brothers in every faith I have mentioned - the bible and the New Testament," he said.

King Abdullah said the kingdom's top clerics had given him the green light to pursue the idea.

In response to the Saudi initiative, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said, "our hands are extended to any peace initiative, or to any dialogue whose goal is to bring an end to terror and violence. I have said many times that the true way to reach the long-awaited peace is through interfaith dialogue."

Rabbi David Rosen, head of inter-religious relations at the American Jewish Committee, said he was delighted by the Saudi announcement.

"Religion is all too often the problem, so it has to also be the solution, or at least part of the solution, and I think that the tragedy of the political initiatives to bring peace has been the failure to include the religious dimension," he said.

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      1.   and i believe in the faerie queen !! 12:12  |  v ictor hardman 25/03/08
      2.   Religion is the problem, not the answer. 12:16  |  Michael 25/03/08
      3.   Praise the God of all Creation!!! May He [God of all] bring us to 12:19  |  Virginia 25/03/08
      4.   Let`s See Him Hold It In Mecca 12:20  |  Yishai Kohen 25/03/08
      5.   Maybe it`s time to try anything? 12:23  |  a wandering Jew 25/03/08
      6.   Wow? A courageous Arab leader. Probs will soon be dead. 12:25  |  Allon 25/03/08
      7.   wow!!!!!! a middle eastern monarch with vision 12:28  |  seth thomas 25/03/08
      8.   Israel could use a Dose of Saudi Wisdom 12:46  |  Markus 25/03/08
      9.   King Abdullah 12:47  |  Dik 25/03/08
      10.   Judenrein Saudi Arabia 13:09  |  foxfire 25/03/08
      11.   Is it still Purim? 13:15  |  Joseph 25/03/08
      12.   sham-- 13:23  |  bob 25/03/08
      13.   A BIG ThankYou King Abdullah! Appreciate! An idea to seize! 13:24  |  AliciaYasmeen 25/03/08
      14.   Hi King Abdullah, may I come? I love to make new friends. 13:25  |  AliciaYasmeen 25/03/08
      15.   Neturei Karta 13:26  |  John 25/03/08
      16.   Now, now Y. Kohen @ 4...Let it go. There is a time of war and a 13:27  |  time of Peace 25/03/08
      17.   isn`t that sweet 13:34  |  Rosie Glasses 25/03/08
      18.   Your part of the "covenant", God has kept for you.How long before 13:35  |  you see? 25/03/08
      19.   KING ABDULLAH FINANCES TERRORISTS 13:39  |  petra 25/03/08
      20.   #4 LOL DOUBTFUL. 13:40  |  petra 25/03/08
      21.   Bet they will invite Neturei Karta 13:44  |  Ralph Levy 25/03/08
      22.   Time Of Peace: Peace Is A 2-Way Street 13:48  |  Yishai Kohen 25/03/08
      23.   to Michael (#2) 13:52  |  Israeli 25/03/08
      24.   A step in the right direction 13:58  |  Nechama 25/03/08
      25.   King Abdallah is a world class leader 14:01  |  El-Birawi 25/03/08
      26.   What about us? 14:02  |  Peter 25/03/08
      27.   Wrong Yishai, not how it reads.Peace may be a"2 way street" but.. 14:06  |  Time of Peace 25/03/08
      28.   A potentially significant step 14:09  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      29.   Nechama, Amen. Praise God for the gift of Hope!!! 14:20  |  InHisWords 25/03/08
      30.   Saudi Chieftain and summit 14:20  |  Brod 25/03/08
      31.   A potentially significant step part 2 14:22  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      32.   Great initiative!! 14:23  |  ScotGuy 25/03/08
      33.   Saudi Arabia only MidEast Country serious about peace 14:28  |  Jeff 25/03/08
      34.   Interfaith summit 14:30  |  Anita Cuillerier 25/03/08
      35.   Doha`s deceptive conference 14:33  |  HS 25/03/08
      36.   A Welcome Idea 14:34  |  Shimon Z. Klein 25/03/08
      37.   A potentially significant step part 3 14:35  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      38.   Saudi King 14:40  |  Joe 25/03/08
      39.   Jeff #33 14:46  |  Brod 25/03/08
      40.   Conference would need respect. Religions don`t respect each other 14:55  |  Michael 25/03/08
      41.   May Heaven and Saudi King Abdullah teach something to the cynics 15:04  |  FOR faith hope love 25/03/08
      42.   Michael #40 15:16  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      43.   Yes Michael. However, common ground is there. First and foremost 15:18  |  The Basis 25/03/08
      44.   #40 michael is sucked in and misses the point 15:23  |  v hardman 25/03/08
      45.   After the King spoke... 15:29  |  Witness 25/03/08
      46.   42 and 43 vague similarities are not enough. 15:34  |  Michael 25/03/08
      47.   To V Hardman #44, you too miss the point 15:50  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      48.   more people die under atheism 15:50  |  paul 25/03/08
      49.   Saudi King and bridging the faith gap 15:53  |  Jack Paulden 25/03/08
      50.   "The Truth shall set you free" Truth is not a "vague similarity" 16:00  |  Reasoning together 25/03/08
      51.   Was the topic of the interfaith conference announced Michael #46 16:16  |  Cape Town Interfaith 25/03/08
      52.   Rosyds. First Practice Humanity Yourself Saudi Arabia 16:17  |  George 25/03/08
      53.   Nothing to be excited about. Reality in Saudi VASTLY DIFFERENT 16:23  |  George 25/03/08
      54.   Nothing to be excited about. Reality in Saudi VASTLY DIFFERENT 16:24  |  George 25/03/08
      55.   Paul 48. Religion has killed millions and continues to kill. 16:24  |  Michael 25/03/08
      56.   Read the Psalms 16:24  |  Michael 25/03/08
      57.   Saudi King, the next Nobel Prize for peace 16:25  |  MR 25/03/08
      58.   Dik # 9 16:26  |  Mohammed 25/03/08
      59.   Great News... a welcomed change from.... 16:27  |  Rami 25/03/08
      60.   Y. Kohen 16:29  |  Joseph 25/03/08
      61.   CHENEY`S IDEA TO FIGHT "TERRORISTS" 16:30  |  indrajaya 25/03/08
      62.   Great Idea. But will Israels Sephardic and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis 16:39  |  Semsem 25/03/08
      63.   Lerner, Finkelstien, Yoffie and Weiss, Levy, Hass 16:41  |  Aryeh 25/03/08
      64.   of course, as long as they hate Israel ... 16:41  |  felix 25/03/08
      65.   SERVER OF GOD 16:44  |  x Time 25/03/08
      66.   Is it true that Saudi King has Jewish Blood? 16:45  |  Robert/Montreal 25/03/08
      67.   It brought tears to my eye. Other one is more vigilant. 16:54  |  Stephen. 25/03/08
      68.   A LAUGHING STOCK IT WILL BECOME 16:54  |  indrajaya 25/03/08
      69.   Response to Basis 17:01  |  x Time 25/03/08
      70.   michael in montreal # 66 17:02  |  johnson 25/03/08
      71.   The Sauid King Wants Peace..... 17:04  |  Dora