Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz has been named Islamic personality of the year in an opinion poll conducted by the Cyprus-based Middle East Center for Media Research and Studies.   The Center stated that this honor recognizes the important reforms brought about by King Fahd in Saudi Arabia in the fields of politics, economics, culture and the society, while at the regional and Arab levels, the King has been one of the most distinguished advocates of Arab solidarity and the preservation of peace and stability.   Moreover, King Fahd is recognized as an advocate of Islamic solidarity, and supports Muslim people everywhere, enabling them to opt for modern technology without affecting their religious values.  A spokesman for the Center said:  “The Saudi monarch’s selection was also due to his concern for the spread of education in Saudi society as well as his clear vision to see the establishment of an international community based on brotherhood, love and peace.”   He added that 548,573 people from Arab communities participated in the poll, more than half of them women, and all of them educated with at least an intermediate certificate.

King Fahd is known for his unwavering support for Islamic works, assisting Muslim minorities worldwide and sponsoring their causes at all international forums.   Examples of his achievements are the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques, and the establishment of the Madinah-based King Fahd Holy Qur’an Printing Press, which has to date produced more than 114 million copies of the Holy Qur’an and interpretations of it, for distribution both within and outside the Kingdom.  Under King Fahd’s directives, 24 offices for Islamic guidance have been opened in various countries around the world, and great attention is paid to the charitable societies for the memorization of the Holy Qur’an which currently have more than 219,000 students.   In addition, King Fahd sponsors international competitions for the memorization, recitation, intonation and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an.  The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance is instructed by King Fahd to assist Muslim minorities throughout the world, and last year distributed more than 80 million religious tracts, both inside and outside the Kingdom.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanks to King Fahd, now has more than 50,000 mosques, and has contributed to the implementation of more than 2,000 projects in various parts of the world for mosques, Islamic Centers and schools, including Chairs for Islamic Studies at the Universities of London and Harvard, and centers in London, Rome, Washington DC, Madrid, Bonn, Tokyo, Vienna and Brussels.  These contribute positively to spreading knowledge about Islam, and projecting Islam as a religion of justice, mercy and tolerance.

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