King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia yesterday opened what is being described as "an unprecedented conclave of Muslim leaders" in the holy city of Mecca. Addressing the summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Countries (OIC), which opened during the night due to the fact that participants were fasting for the Holy month of Ramadan, King Abdullah urged Muslims to stand united in the face of growing challenges. “Sedition is worse than killing,” the king said and called for dialogue among the various Muslim sects. He proposed the establishment of a dialogue center to promote inter-sectarian harmony. The proposal was received with thunderous applause from the assembled galaxy of Muslim leaders.
Earlier, King Abdullah received the Muslim leaders at his palace, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. In a gesture that would be interpreted as a sign of the summit’s success, King Abdullah made Ahmadinejad to sit right beside him. Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad was on the king’s other side. The influential Saudi newspaper Arab news said that "there was optimism and a sense of delight among the hosts, as well as their foreign guests."
Syria is high on the agenda of the summit, with the Muslim world split between those like Iran who support the current Syrian government of Bashir el Assad and thos who are against.
Azerbaijan, an active member of the Organisation of the Islamic Countries, is represented in the summit by its Foreign Minister Elmar Mamadyarov.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev last night attended an Iftar party in Baku on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan hosted by Head of the Caucasian Muslims` Board Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade at his residence. The event kicked off with the recitation of verses from the Quran. Adressing the event, Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade thanked the Head of State for accepting his invitation to attend the Iftar party. He also thanked the religious figures for attending the event.
Ramadan ends this weekend and will be followed by several days of Eid celebrations.
source: commonspace.eu
photo: King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia flanked by the Iranian and Qatari leaders at the opening of the OIC summit in Mecca on 14 August. (Picture courtesy of the Saudi News Agency - SPA.)
