Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz's statement to the Arab and Islamic Nations and the International Community
In the name of God the Merciful, and peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions
Dear brothers in the Arab and Islamic nations:
May God's peace, mercy and the blessings be upon you.
With the heart of a believer in the Almighty God who says in His Book: "And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty" and "fitnah (sedition) is worse than killing." This sedition and discord, which has found a fertile ground in our Arab and Islamic worlds, and which has been given every facility by those biased and hateful towards our nation to the degree that they has been deluded to think that they have gained strength by spreading terrorism and corruption in the world. They went further in their falsehood, ignoring the words of God Almighty: "Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs."
It is shameful and disgraceful that these terrorists are doing this in the name of religion, killing the people whose killing God Almighty has forbidden, and mutilating their bodies and taking pride in publishing this. They do all of this in the name of a religion that is innocent of them. They have distorted the image of Islam, with its purity and humanity, and smeared it with all sorts of bad qualities by their actions, their injustice, and their crimes, making all those who do not know the reality of Islam believe that what is committed by these traitors expresses the message of the Prophet of mercy, peace be upon him, of whom God Almighty said: "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the world."
From the cradle of revelation and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), I call on leaders and scholars of the Islamic nation to carry out their duty towards God Almighty, and to stand in the face of those trying to hijack Islam and present it to the world as a religion of extremism, hatred, and terrorism, and to speak the word of truth, and not fear anybody. Our nation today is passing through a critical, historic stage, and history will be witness against those who have been the tool exploited by the enemies to disperse and tear the nation and tarnish the pure image of Islam.
In addition to all of this, we see the blood of our brothers in Palestine shed in collective massacres that have not excluded anyone. War crimes are committed against humanity without any human or moral deterrence. Terrorism has gained various forms, whether groups, organizations or countries which makes it most dangerous in potential, intentions and plots. All of this is happening while the international community is watching silently with all its institutions and organizations, including human rights organizations. This community is silently observing what is happening in the whole region and is indifferent to what is occurring, as if what is happening does not concern it. This silence has no justification. Is the world not aware that this will lead to the emergence of a generation that believes only in violence, rejects peace and believes in the clash and not dialogue among civilizations?
I mention here that ten years ago, at the Riyadh conference, we called for the establishment of the International Centre for Counter-terrorism. The proposal was supported by the entire world at the time. The aim is to coordinate among states, but we were disappointed afterwards because of the lack of serious interaction by the international community with this idea, which has led to lack of activation of the proposed center in a way that achieves the great hopes we pinned on it.
Today, we say to those who fail to carry out their historic responsibilities against terrorism for temporary interests or suspicious schemes that they will be its first victims tomorrow, as if they have not learned from the experience of the recent past that did not spare anyone.
O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness. O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness. O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness 'And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.'
Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you.
