(WASHINGTON, DC) - The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz called on religious leaders to work together to eliminate extremist acts in the name of Islam at the 15th Makkah Conference titled, “Islamic Culture: Tradition and Modernity.” Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, Governor of Makkah Region, opened the conference on Sept. 28 and delivered the speech on behalf of King Abdullah.

During his speech, King Abdullah stated, “Today, our Arab Islamic nation is witnessing a confused cultural situation that necessitates our Ulema (religious scholars), callers and writers to study the phenomenon thoroughly, look into its defaults, and wisely and prudently derive lessons to streamline our cultural path into a path that is moderate and rejects violence, extremism and terrorism.”

King Abdullah also addressed the need for Islam to evolve as the generations do. He stated, “We have to keep actively tied to our era, deal with its problems, and benefit from the scientific and educational developments, as well as different systems and styles of life, a matter necessitates holding positive ties with others to secure co-existence and cooperate in a full-fledged joint cultural space.”

King Abdullah commended the efforts that the Kingdom has taken to preserve the true meaning of Islamic culture. “The matter requires a concerted effort and cooperative programs and plans that spread the correct thinking, combat the deviant thoughts and correct the wrong visions in the Islamic concepts,” said King Abdullah. “We set up a unified front that worked at all levels and in all directions to form a strong and stable immune society against this strange plague.”

The conference concluded yesterday with a communiqué that called upon Islamic and cultural institutions to deepen Muslims understanding of the true meaning of Islam. More than 500 delegates from Saudi Arabia and other countries participated in the conference.