U.A.E. Official Attacks Zionism at Saudi Conference

The NY Sun ^ | July 18, 2008 | JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN

[forkinsocket]

The Saudi king's talk of tolerance and moderation notwithstanding, the Jewish state is proving to be a divisive issue at the religious conference that the Saudi monarch has convened here.

The conference, the theme of which is interfaith dialogue, is an effort by the Saudi monarch to foster more cordial relations between imams in his country and Christian and Jewish religious leaders in the West. The conference is also drawing notice because Abdullah, whose kingdom includes the sites of Islam's two holiest places, denounced religious extremism during his address on Wednesday to the Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish leaders who are participating in the conference.

Abdullah left Spain after opening the conference and is currently in Morocco. In an apparent effort to keep the Israel-Palestine issue from taking center stage, the Saudis did not include a single Palestinian Arab Muslim leader among the approximately 200 religious figures in attendance, conference participants say. And the one Israeli rabbi in attendance is listed on the program material as an American.

But after a day's worth of speeches by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu leaders, in the middle of the fourth two-hour conference session, a government official from the United Arab Emirates urged Muslim leaders to avoid the company of Zionists.

"We have to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism," the official, Izzeddin Mustafa Ibrahim, who is listed on the program as an adviser on cultural affairs to the president of the U.A.E., said. "Zionism is a political system. Judaism is a religion."

He continued: "I can speak to pacifists but not bellicists, who are in favor of war."

[forkinsocket]

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[goldstategop]

They're willing to accept Jews who deny their own right to a Jewish homeland. That's the Arab definition of co-existence with Jews. Disappear! What a nauseating fraud!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[cw35]

Take it easy there mister. The Arabs are our friends and allies. The Saudis especially.

Speaking of Saudis, anybody wonder what they are getting in exchange for the billions in free oil to Pakistan?

[Fitzy_888]

To the extent the Koran “borrows” from the Old Testament (Jewish Tradition), the Jews should have asked to be paid a royalty on every Koran.

“And, don’t let the door hit you in the a$$”