King attends Arab Islamic American summit in Saudi Arabia

AMMAN — Only a holistic approach can address the complex layers of terrorism and extremism, from its evil ideas to its attack on prosperity and security, a challenge that requires coordinated global action at every level, His Majesty King Abdullah said Sunday. 

The remarks came as King Abdullah delivered a speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia and joined by leaders of Arab and Muslim countries, in addition to US President Donald Trump.

In his speech, the Monarch said that terrorist groups employ a false religious identity in order to mislead and polarise our societies and people. 

Terrorist groups do not inhabit the fringes of Islam — they are altogether outside of Islam; they are khawarij, outlaws of Islam, he said. (see full speech) 

Arabs and Muslims make up the majority of terrorists' victims, the King said, adding that intolerance and ignorance will only aid terror groups. It is vital to help everyone, everywhere, understand this, he stressed.

A second and equally vital challenge is to find a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian cause, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, King Abdullah reiterated. 

"No injustice has spread more bitter fruits than the absence of a Palestinian state. This is the core issue for our region, and it has driven radicalism and instability beyond our region and into the Muslim world," His Majesty emphasised, adding that the international community has a direct interest in a just peace, as the Arab and Muslim world has offered its full support for effective negotiations.

Regarding Jerusalem, King Abdullah said that attempts to create new negotiating facts on the ground will have a "catastrophic" impact, stressing that the Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites is an unbreakable historical responsibility, and an honour to undertake on behalf of the Arab and Muslim nations.

His Majesty called upon the world to sharpen public focus on the values that will protect and enrich humanity’s future, namely mutual respect, compassion, and acceptance.

He cited the Amman Message as a “historic, global consensus by Muslim scholars—agreeing who is a Muslim, forbidding takfir, and explicitly recognising the validity of the eight Mathahibs of Islam”.

In his opening address, Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz said that the summit comes to enhance a “genuine” partnership with the US to serve common interests and contribute to realising security, peace and human development.

King Salman highlighted the high values of Islam, including tolerance, mercy, and coexistence, noting that some members of the religion are seeking to present a distorted image, connecting it to violence.

He said that Muslims refuse voices calling for dividing people on the basis of their religious sects or schools of thoughts and affecting relations among Muslim countries.

He also condemned regimes like the Iranian one and its affiliated organisations such as Hizbollah and the Houthis, as well as Daesh and Al Qaeda, for “using Islam as a cover for their political purposes that stir hate, extremism, and sectarian conflicts”.

“The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism since the [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini revolution” in 1979, Agence France Press (AFP) quoted the Saudi king as saying.

In the conclusion, King Salman called for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and finding a political solution for the Syrian crisis, in a way that meets the expectations of Syrian people and preserves the unity and sovereignty of Syria. 

In his speech, US President Donald Trump urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence done in the name of religion, describing the struggle against extremism as a “battle between good and evil”, AFP reported.

Trump also accused Iran of fuelling “the fires of sectarian conflict and terror” and called for its international isolation, according to AFP.

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn in as Regent during the King’s absence.