The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr.Abdul Ruff

In his historic visit to Italy, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican - the first audience by the head of the Roman Catholic Church with a Saudi monarch. The Vatican described the private meeting as "warm" and said the two men discussed the presence and hard work of Christians in Saudi Arabia. For quite some time now Pope has been critical of the so-called "Islamic terrorism"- an expression so close to the hearts of Neo-cons in Washington,supporting the US-led terror wars in Islamic world. The Saudi Kingdom and Vatican have no diplomatic ties, although when Abdullah was crown prince he met the late Pope John Paul II. Correspondents say the visit comes as relations between the Vatican and the Muslim world are improving, more than a year after the crisis caused by a papal speech appearing to associate Islam with violence. King and Pope focused in their brief talk on inter-faith dialogue. Pope Benedict warmly greeted King Abdullah at the Vatican on 06 Nov, Tuesday, grasping both his hands before leading him to a library for their brief private meeting, which lasted only 30 minutes, with both leaders speaking through interpreters. Afterwards, the king offered his host a gold sword encrusted with jewels. He was given a 16th Century engraving of the Vatican in return.

King Abdullah, who is styled the Custodian of the Two Sacred Mosques - in Mecca and Medina - is an advocate of cautious reform in Saudi Arabia, as pressed by the USA, often against the wishes of the powerful Islamic religious establishment. An estimated 1.5m Christians live in Saudi Arabia but are not allowed worshiping publicly. The Vatican said Abdullah requested the audience as part of his European tour. The King has already visited Britain and held talks with Premier Gordon Brown in London. The 84-year-old Saudi monarch is on the third leg of his European tour after visiting the UK and Switzerland. He will travel next to Germany and Turkey.

Both sides emphasized the need for a "just solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Vatican said. "The most important thing is to get the possibility to gather in freedom and security for our worship". The historic encounter was expected to focus on two issues: the rights of Christians in Saudi Arabia and the wider relations between Christianity and Islam. The Vatican said the talks allowed a wide discussion on the need for religious and cultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews "for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family." BBC says the symbolism of the meeting was huge for those who believe there should be more dialogue between Islam and Christianity, especially after the pontiff's controversial September 2006 speech at Regensburg University. In it, he quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Byzantine Empire, who said in the 14th Century that the Prophet Muhammad had brought only "evil and inhuman" things. The pontiff incurred the wrath of many Muslims around the world for comments associating Islam with violence. Recently, 138 Muslim religious leaders wrote to the Pope, stressing that the time for polite ecumenical dialogue had passed, with religious violence on the rise, and saying that the common future of the two faiths was at stake. The Vatican has often stressed the need for reciprocity in its request to build churches, noting that Muslims are free to worship in many Christian countries. The pope later apologized and made efforts to reach out to other religions, stressing that these had not been his own words and expressed regret for any offence they had caused.

West has been harping on freedom of religions in Saudi Arabia, knowing too well Islamic faith is final in the Kingdom. About a million Catholics, many of them migrant workers from the Philippines, live in the Islamic desert kingdom, which is the home of Islam's holiest shrines. They are allowed to worship in private, mostly in people's homes, but worship in public places and outward signs of faith, such as crucifixes, are forbidden. The Saudi authorities cite a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad that only Islam can be practiced in the Arabian Peninsula.The West iskeen to apply pressure on Arab nations on the issue of religion in order to secure energy at low prices.

Encouraged by the Western media to create rift in the society, Christians complain that Saudi rules are not clear and Muslim authorities sometimes crack down on legitimate congregations. "The most important thing is to get the possibility to gather in freedom and security for our worship, our masses and our activities," said Bishop Paul Hinder, responsible for Catholics in Arabia, in an interview with Western Reuters news agency. The most important fact about Saudi Kingdom is that it never tries to secure conversions forced or other wise. It is a vivid testament of the fact Islam never forces religious conversions. And that Islam has no role in the "terrorism" perpetrated by the anti-Islamic countries in order to paint Islam in dirty colors and target the Muslims for torture and harassment.

It is unfortunate that of late Pope has assumed an activist's role for Christianity and against Islam. The cases of Abdul Nasser Madani in Indian jails and Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef in Australia testify the cruelly attached to the anti-Islamic propaganda, shamelessly unleshed by these countries and their media. Pope is advised to ponder over the real facts concerning the cruelty against Muslims globally and express deep concern about the plight of Muslims in the "Terrorized" world being established by the US and help the Muslims live like honorable beings.