Islam Is a Religion of Peace, Says Abdullah

RIYADH – Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday reaffirmed that Islam is a religion of peace and moderation.

The crown prince was delivering the inaugural address at an international conference on Islam and terrorism, organized by Imam Muhammad in Saud Islamic University.

“Islam condemns all forms of terrorism and we must strive to correct wrong perceptions about our religion,” he said. “This is my vision.

More than 200 experts on terrorism and academics from European, American and Asian universities and think-tanks attended the event, titled “The Stand of Islam on Terrorism, Violence and Extremism.”

Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Angary, in a keynote address for the conference, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terror.

Constant clashes between the West and the Islamic world were a bad omen for the future of the world, the education minister said, adding that the three-day conference was intended to clarify these misconceptions.

Dr. Al-Angary also underlined the importance of unearthing the roots of terrorism and extremism.

He said Islamic teachings called for dialogue, and asked the faithful to expose lies and accusations about the religion.

Later, the crown prince laid the foundation stone of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University’s SR350-million women’s campus and of an SRI00 million project for a college of languages, translation and computing.

The university has been trying to shed its extremist image after it emerged that a number of terror suspects on the government’s most-wanted list were IMSIU graduates.

On the sidelines of the conference, it screened a documentary highlighting the growth of the university and its contribution to curbing extremism and violence.

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