NEWS BRIEFS AND WASHINGTON NOTES

KING FAHD MEETS WITH SPAIN’S KING JUAN CARLOS

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz met with King Juan Carlos of Spain in Marbella on August 27. The two leaders discussed major international developments as well as bilateral cooperation. King Fahd arrived in Marbella on August 14 from Geneva, Switzerland, where he underwent a successful cataract operation at the Geneva University Hospital on July 29.  While recuperating in Geneva, he met with King of Bahrain Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifah, reviewing international developments, especially in the Middle East, as well as bilateral relations. King Fahd and Shaikh Hamad reiterated their support for the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH MEETS WITH VISITING 

JORDANIAN KING AND SYRIAN PRESIDENT

Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Jordan’s King Abdullah II co-chaired Saudi-Jordanian talks in Jeddah on August 12. The talks reviewed developments in the Middle East, notably the Palestinian issue, the killing of the Palestinian people, destruction of their installations, and violation of their lands, as well as the efforts exerted to find just solutions for the conflict.

On August 26, Crown Prince Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad co-chaired the official round of Saudi-Syrian talks in Jeddah. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East, as well as other developments in the region that might lead to humanitarian disasters and destabilization of security and peace.

SAUDI ARABIA PROVIDES AID FOR NEEDY ON THREE CONTINENTS

Saudi Arabian government and relief organizations sent tens of millions of dollars of relief supplies to needy people in three continents in July. The Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Afghan People delivered to the Afghan Ministry of Health medical supplies for Jalalabad, Mazar Sharif, Herat and Kandahar. Meanwhile, the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) in July distributed large quantities of food to the needy in the African countries of Ghana and Kenya.

On July 29, the Saudi Joint Committee for the Relief of Kosovo and Chechnya allocated ten million dollars for relief aid, as well as health and education projects in Kosovo and Chechnya. Earlier in the month, the committee presented a number of minibuses to kindergartens and nurseries in Pristina and Metrovitsa. The committee sponsors orphans, presents seasonal gifts and organizes outings as well as providing medical services, and has established a printing press to fulfill the need for items such as medical publications, stationery, health forms and doctors’ prescriptions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Supply of the Palestinian Authority announced on July 10 that it had received in Gaza Saudi shipments of food and medical supplies for needy Palestinian families. Also, 60 trucks carrying relief assistance from Saudi Arabia for Palestinians in need arrived in Amman. The trucks carried 500 tons of foodstuffs, 20 tons of medicine and over two million items of clothes for distribution at refugee camps in the occupied West Bank.

WASHINGTON NOTES:

MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE DELEGATION TOURS THE UNITED STATES

The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki led a delegation on a tour of the United States in July that was designed to promote understanding between Muslims and followers of other religions. The delegation visited New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, where members met with religious, civic and cultural leaders. In New York, the delegation met with the Long Island Church Council and visited the Islamic Center in Long Island. The delegation then visited Chicago for meetings with the city’s religious leaders.

In Washington, DC, Dr. Al-Turki told a press conference the delegation had two messages for the American people: "The first stresses the Muslims’ concern for cooperation in the service of mankind and global peace. The second is that the people of the world face a common crisis, and to deal with this, programs of cooperation are required." At the end of the tour in Los Angeles, Dr. Al-Turki described the visit as very positive, yielding "fruitful and rich dialogue" with U.S. officials and civic leaders. He said the visit served to erase some misconceptions about Muslims in the United States.