هنادي العبدالله
04-27-2004, 01:47 PM
THE OPENING OF THE HEAD QUARTERS OF THE ARAB THOUGHT FOUNDATION IN BEIRUT.
PRINCE KHALID AL-FAISAL: THE NATION EXPECTS US TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE AIM FOR AND CONSOLIDATION STARTS WITH THE THOUGHT AND CULTURAL RAPPORT.
THE SAUDI MESSAGE TO THE EMPHASIZES THAT THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE KINGDOM FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION ARE BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY QURAN AND SUNNAH.
The Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri received in Beirut Prince Khalid Al-Faisal the Governor of Assir region and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Thought Foundation.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal said in a press statement that he delivered to Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri a report on the meetings of the Arab Thought Foundation held lately in Beirut.
He said that he received support and encouragement for the role played by the foundation in serving the Arab Nation.
President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon had opened the headquarters of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) with the presence of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Assir Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who is also President of Arab Thought Foundation.
The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Information Michal Samah, senior government officers and social and cultural dignitaries. A number of speakers, including Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, addressed the gathering.
Over 300 thinkers and academics from across the Arab world gathered in Downtown Beirut Thursday for the start of the Arab Thought Foundation, a reformist cultural organization.
Its founder, Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz, began the proceedings in a high profile gathering that brought together Arab intellectuals and Lebanese politicians under the patronage of President Emile Lahoud.
The Beirut-based foundation's aim is to consolidate Arab thought and support Arab thinkers, researchers and scientists here and abroad, Prince Khalid said.
First announced in Cairo two years ago, the foundation, which has over 150 members, is an independent and secular non-governmental organization.
During the first session of the Arab Thinker's Conference at the foundation, Prince Khalid urged Arab thinkers to prepare the ground for an Arab Renaissance.
"The foundation is seeking to create a mechanism to bring Arab thought together," he said, adding that Arab wealth will be at the disposal of Arab thinkers.
"Those who follow the West's model of thought notice that renaissance there started and is still is as a product of research and studies institutes that are privately run," he said.
"The foundation seeks to follow the same model," he added, arguing: "The time is ripe for Arabs to produce their own development plans" instead of "relying on non-Arabs."
Nabatieh MP Yassin Jaber, representing Speaker Nabih Berri, called on thinkers to curb efforts to "eradicate and confiscate the Arab mind."
Culture Minister Ghazi Aridi, representing Lahoud, condemned attempts to undermine Arab nationalism and called the Arab world a victim of "intellectual terrorism from the West."
However, although successive speakers condemned Western imperialism, no mention was made of internal problems in the Arab world like illiteracy, poverty or increasing fundamentalism, and none of the speakers mentioned that many Arab thinkers have been imprisoned, exiled or killed by successive Arab regimes.
Prince Khalid Alfaisal, the Governor of Assir Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who is also President of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) also opened a meeting of the Arab thinkers at the headquarters of ATF.
They discussed the current Arab situations and reviewed the challenges facing the Arab world in view of the latest developments. The meeting was attended by a number of members of the ATF's Council of Trustees and Board of Directors, and a group of Arab thinkers from different Arab countries.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Assir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF), held here on Friday a press conference in which he spoke about the meeting of the Arab thinkers called for by the foundation.
In his conference, Prince Khalid said that the meeting, which commenced its deliberations in Beirut, discussed the Arab current situation and the second Arab Thought Conference to be held in the Lebanese Capital next December.
On behalf of the participants at the meeting, Prince Khalid denounced the recent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
He also called on the Arab nations to strongly face the destructive and deviant thinking of terrorists. Concluding his conference, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal expressed deep condolences to the Algerian people for the earthquakes which hit the country, calling on all Arab governments and people to help the Algerian people.
A gala dinner was held at the Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel to mark the founding of a new reformist cultural organization, Mouassasat Al-Fikr Al-Arabi (Arab Thought Foundation).
Celebrating the event in the hotel's Eau de Vie restaurant were many prominent political figures, Lebanese and Arab intellectuals and academics.
Among those present was the organization's founder, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Ibn Abdul-Aziz, as well as Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
By relying on Arab wealth, the secular non-governmental organization aims to create a mechanism to bring Arab thought together. With more than 150 members, the Beirut-based foundation also hopes to consolidate Arab thought by supporting Arab researchers, thinkers and scientists.
On the other hand and with the need to remedy the harm done to the image of Arabs and Arab culture in the wake of the 11 September attacks and during the subsequent wave of anti-Arab sentiment that swept the West, is an issue on the agenda of many think-tanks, governments and intellectuals in the Arab world.
"This is a very serious matter. We have to work to project to the entire world the true image of Arabs and their culture, which I would say is a positive one. We face a serious offensive from the media and other quarters that aims to tarnish our image, but we should not ignore this attack," said Ali Maher, Secretary-General of the Beirut-based Arab Thought Foundation.
Speaking in an interview, just before he left for Lebanon to assume his new post, Ali Maher -- Egypt's former ambassador to France stressed the need for improving cross-cultural dialogue and the presentation of Arab culture. "This is the way ahead. There is no other way." The alternative, he says, is for the Arab image to be further tarnished and for the Arabs to become even angrier over the attacks to which they are subjected.
According to Maher, if the Arabs' only action is to nurse their wounds by looking for solace in their impressive cultural heritage, then the offensive against them is bound to continue and the damage to their image will only worsen.
Initiated by Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal in May 2000 as a forum for Arab-Arab dialogue, the Arab Thought Foundation has taken up the challenge of Arab-non-Arab dialogue in view of the international and regional developments that followed 11 September. In October 2001, the foundation set up shop in Lebanon as an independent non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a board that included a large number of Arab intellectuals and businessmen charged with the task of spending Arab money on promoting Arab culture.
Since then, the Arab Thought Foundation has held a number of events that allowed for exchange of views among Arabs and non-Arabs on several cultural, political and economic issues.
With its secretariat now officially in Beirut, the Arab Thought Foundation is a hive of activity. "We have so much work to do. We are faced with very serious challenges. We have to deal with these challenges, contain them and make sure that our voice is heard," said the secretary-general of the foundation. He added, "We have to communicate. There are so many ways for us to communicate."
And, in Maher's view, the Arab Thought Foundation "has an important and useful role to play on this front". Suggesting that his organisation is considering plans for cooperation and coordination with several international, regional and even national organisations, he stresses that the job of his organisation is to inspire collective Arab work. Such endeavours, he argues, are essential in the Arab effort to deal with the current offensive directed at "all Arabs and our collective culture".
In confronting the offensive, Maher says he has ideas to cooperate with the Arab League. "The plans are in the works now. We are exploring every single potential for cooperation and are talking to many different organisations." By the time Maher officially opens his recently established Beirut office, the foundation's activities should be in full swing.
The biggest event planned by the Arab Thought Foundation for the year 2003 is the convocation of the Second Arab Thinking Conference under the auspices of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Along the lines of the foundation's conference in Cairo late last year, the Beirut conference will host a group of Arab and foreign intellectuals to engage in a debate on all manner of political, cultural and even economic issues.
At the top of the Beirut conference's agenda is the need for inter-Arab tolerance and cooperation. Other issues, like cross- cultural and cross-religion dialogue, are also slated for discussion. "We have to be open to all ideas, we need to be willing to listen to the views reflecting diverse trends. This is what dialogue is about, after all."
Dialogue, Maher says, has to have a clear objective. For the interactions sponsored by the foundation, the goal is better understanding among the peoples of various cultures. "Better rapport among all peoples is what we are talking about here."
This rapport, Maher argues, is the best recipe to peacefully negotiate such turbulent times during which many of the tools of international relations falter and when war, rather than respect for international law, is promoted by some as the solution to regional and international conflicts.
He added, "International relations cannot be compartmentalized. If you want to have good political and economic relations, you need to have good cultural rapport, and for this to happen we have to engage in dialogue and communicate."
The Arab Thought Foundation is less than two years old but is generously endowed and imaginatively led. In addition, its conception was prescient enough to provide for its independence.
The foundation's Chairman, Saudi Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, is a man of vision. In addition, the body has just added a powerful new weapon to its intellectual and organizational arsenal: Ali Maher, a former Egyptian ambassador to France whose track record is one of conspicuous achievement.
Both understand the importance of reworking Arab governance; both know that the short-term crisis facing the region demands urgent action; and both know that a large part of repairing Arab relations with the West lies with deeper understanding of western policy in the region - and an appreciation of how and why it is formulated.
Touted as the Arab world's first independent think tank, the Arab Thought Foundation is ideally suited to fill the gaps.
It could provide detailed, unbiased policy papers to help craft joint diplomatic strategies that draw something other than derision; it could advise on tactics to contain tensions until long-term solutions can be found; it could conduct surveys to identify areas of public concern so that they can be addressed by policymakers.
Minister of Justice Dr Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al El-Sheikh has reiterated the determination of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on combating all forms of corruption. In a press statement on the occasion of opening the 11th conference for combating corruption, in Seoul, Al El-Sheikh said corruption undermines security and stability in the various societies and prevents realization of justice.
He pointed out that the measures taken by the Kingdom for combating corruption are based on the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah (the Prophet's teachings). Representatives of 113 countries are participating in the conference which concluded its deliberations in Seoul.
On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented a letter to the 3rd International Forum on "Combating Corruption and Preserving Honesty".
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Minister of Justice, Dr Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Al-Sheikh said that the letter demonstrates the Kingdom's success in implementing the Islamic Sharia to combat crime and corruption, and the Kingdom's cooperation at the international level to fight crime and corruption in the Kingdom and globally.
Dr Al El-Sheikh, who is heading the Kingdom's delegation to the Forum said: "The Kingdom is seeking to formulate a national strategy that includes planning mechanisms to fight corruption and maintain honesty." He said that units and commissions would be established to coordinate the necessary procedures in public and private sectors, and to investigate and prevent the misuse of the Kingdom's financial and banking system.
Meanwhile the participants of a Seminar on "Arbitration from the Islamic and international perspectives" have condemned the explosions which rocked recently Riyadh city.
The seminar, organized by the International Lawyers Federation and hosted by the governorate of Jeddah, ended its deliberations. The participants of the seminar voiced support to the measures undertaken by the Saudi authorities to confront terrorism. As many as 330 lawyers from around the world attended the Seminar's proceedings.
The seminar recommended sending cables to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, to express the solidarity of the International Lawyers Federation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The seminar underlined the importance of preparation of specialized lists for the arbitrators and the experts through formation of a committee under the supervision of the general administration of lawyers at the Justice Ministry.
The Committee will have representatives of the National Committee for Chartered Accountancy, the National Engineering Committee, the Administration of Free Vocations at the Commerce Ministry, as well as the Head of the law department at King Saud University, and a member from the Saudi Arbitration Team.
The participants also decided to organize bi-annual seminars on arbitration from Islamic and international perspectives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the International Lawyers Federation and the Saudi Arbitration Team. The next seminar will be held in Riyadh. On the other hand, the seminar called for teaching the subject of arbitration for the students of Shariah and law at the Saudi universities.
The seminar underlined the importance of projecting the principles of Islam as well as the courts and judiciary system in the Kingdom in a proper manner. Invitations have also been extended to Prince Dr Bandar Bin Salman bin Mohammed, the Head of the Saudi Arbitration Team, and to the Saudi Minister of Justice to participate in the inaugural ceremony of the annual conference of the International Lawyers Federation, due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal , on August 27, 2003.
On the other hand the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh has delivered a lecture on Moderation and its effect on Muslims Lives, at the Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh said the lecture come at a time when we have to bear the responsibility and follow the right path.
He stressed that the terrorist attacks which took place in Riaydh have shocked all Muslims who follow the rules of God the Almighty and the Sunnah of his Prophet.
Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh said God the Almighty described this nation as a nation of moderation. He reviewed the features of moderation in the religion and in the practices of the Prophets companions and said that moderation is in accordance with the Sharia and is built on logic and deep knowledge and belief.
The Minister added that moderation leads to the realization of our aims and is build on deep knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet as well as knowledgeable people.
In his lecture Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh gave examples of moderation in Islam and said Islam calls economic development based on work and at the same time it calls hard work.
http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20030613/feat7en.htm
PRINCE KHALID AL-FAISAL: THE NATION EXPECTS US TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE AIM FOR AND CONSOLIDATION STARTS WITH THE THOUGHT AND CULTURAL RAPPORT.
THE SAUDI MESSAGE TO THE EMPHASIZES THAT THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE KINGDOM FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION ARE BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY QURAN AND SUNNAH.
The Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri received in Beirut Prince Khalid Al-Faisal the Governor of Assir region and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Thought Foundation.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal said in a press statement that he delivered to Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri a report on the meetings of the Arab Thought Foundation held lately in Beirut.
He said that he received support and encouragement for the role played by the foundation in serving the Arab Nation.
President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon had opened the headquarters of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) with the presence of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Assir Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who is also President of Arab Thought Foundation.
The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Information Michal Samah, senior government officers and social and cultural dignitaries. A number of speakers, including Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, addressed the gathering.
Over 300 thinkers and academics from across the Arab world gathered in Downtown Beirut Thursday for the start of the Arab Thought Foundation, a reformist cultural organization.
Its founder, Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz, began the proceedings in a high profile gathering that brought together Arab intellectuals and Lebanese politicians under the patronage of President Emile Lahoud.
The Beirut-based foundation's aim is to consolidate Arab thought and support Arab thinkers, researchers and scientists here and abroad, Prince Khalid said.
First announced in Cairo two years ago, the foundation, which has over 150 members, is an independent and secular non-governmental organization.
During the first session of the Arab Thinker's Conference at the foundation, Prince Khalid urged Arab thinkers to prepare the ground for an Arab Renaissance.
"The foundation is seeking to create a mechanism to bring Arab thought together," he said, adding that Arab wealth will be at the disposal of Arab thinkers.
"Those who follow the West's model of thought notice that renaissance there started and is still is as a product of research and studies institutes that are privately run," he said.
"The foundation seeks to follow the same model," he added, arguing: "The time is ripe for Arabs to produce their own development plans" instead of "relying on non-Arabs."
Nabatieh MP Yassin Jaber, representing Speaker Nabih Berri, called on thinkers to curb efforts to "eradicate and confiscate the Arab mind."
Culture Minister Ghazi Aridi, representing Lahoud, condemned attempts to undermine Arab nationalism and called the Arab world a victim of "intellectual terrorism from the West."
However, although successive speakers condemned Western imperialism, no mention was made of internal problems in the Arab world like illiteracy, poverty or increasing fundamentalism, and none of the speakers mentioned that many Arab thinkers have been imprisoned, exiled or killed by successive Arab regimes.
Prince Khalid Alfaisal, the Governor of Assir Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who is also President of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) also opened a meeting of the Arab thinkers at the headquarters of ATF.
They discussed the current Arab situations and reviewed the challenges facing the Arab world in view of the latest developments. The meeting was attended by a number of members of the ATF's Council of Trustees and Board of Directors, and a group of Arab thinkers from different Arab countries.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Assir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF), held here on Friday a press conference in which he spoke about the meeting of the Arab thinkers called for by the foundation.
In his conference, Prince Khalid said that the meeting, which commenced its deliberations in Beirut, discussed the Arab current situation and the second Arab Thought Conference to be held in the Lebanese Capital next December.
On behalf of the participants at the meeting, Prince Khalid denounced the recent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
He also called on the Arab nations to strongly face the destructive and deviant thinking of terrorists. Concluding his conference, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal expressed deep condolences to the Algerian people for the earthquakes which hit the country, calling on all Arab governments and people to help the Algerian people.
A gala dinner was held at the Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel to mark the founding of a new reformist cultural organization, Mouassasat Al-Fikr Al-Arabi (Arab Thought Foundation).
Celebrating the event in the hotel's Eau de Vie restaurant were many prominent political figures, Lebanese and Arab intellectuals and academics.
Among those present was the organization's founder, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Ibn Abdul-Aziz, as well as Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
By relying on Arab wealth, the secular non-governmental organization aims to create a mechanism to bring Arab thought together. With more than 150 members, the Beirut-based foundation also hopes to consolidate Arab thought by supporting Arab researchers, thinkers and scientists.
On the other hand and with the need to remedy the harm done to the image of Arabs and Arab culture in the wake of the 11 September attacks and during the subsequent wave of anti-Arab sentiment that swept the West, is an issue on the agenda of many think-tanks, governments and intellectuals in the Arab world.
"This is a very serious matter. We have to work to project to the entire world the true image of Arabs and their culture, which I would say is a positive one. We face a serious offensive from the media and other quarters that aims to tarnish our image, but we should not ignore this attack," said Ali Maher, Secretary-General of the Beirut-based Arab Thought Foundation.
Speaking in an interview, just before he left for Lebanon to assume his new post, Ali Maher -- Egypt's former ambassador to France stressed the need for improving cross-cultural dialogue and the presentation of Arab culture. "This is the way ahead. There is no other way." The alternative, he says, is for the Arab image to be further tarnished and for the Arabs to become even angrier over the attacks to which they are subjected.
According to Maher, if the Arabs' only action is to nurse their wounds by looking for solace in their impressive cultural heritage, then the offensive against them is bound to continue and the damage to their image will only worsen.
Initiated by Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal in May 2000 as a forum for Arab-Arab dialogue, the Arab Thought Foundation has taken up the challenge of Arab-non-Arab dialogue in view of the international and regional developments that followed 11 September. In October 2001, the foundation set up shop in Lebanon as an independent non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a board that included a large number of Arab intellectuals and businessmen charged with the task of spending Arab money on promoting Arab culture.
Since then, the Arab Thought Foundation has held a number of events that allowed for exchange of views among Arabs and non-Arabs on several cultural, political and economic issues.
With its secretariat now officially in Beirut, the Arab Thought Foundation is a hive of activity. "We have so much work to do. We are faced with very serious challenges. We have to deal with these challenges, contain them and make sure that our voice is heard," said the secretary-general of the foundation. He added, "We have to communicate. There are so many ways for us to communicate."
And, in Maher's view, the Arab Thought Foundation "has an important and useful role to play on this front". Suggesting that his organisation is considering plans for cooperation and coordination with several international, regional and even national organisations, he stresses that the job of his organisation is to inspire collective Arab work. Such endeavours, he argues, are essential in the Arab effort to deal with the current offensive directed at "all Arabs and our collective culture".
In confronting the offensive, Maher says he has ideas to cooperate with the Arab League. "The plans are in the works now. We are exploring every single potential for cooperation and are talking to many different organisations." By the time Maher officially opens his recently established Beirut office, the foundation's activities should be in full swing.
The biggest event planned by the Arab Thought Foundation for the year 2003 is the convocation of the Second Arab Thinking Conference under the auspices of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Along the lines of the foundation's conference in Cairo late last year, the Beirut conference will host a group of Arab and foreign intellectuals to engage in a debate on all manner of political, cultural and even economic issues.
At the top of the Beirut conference's agenda is the need for inter-Arab tolerance and cooperation. Other issues, like cross- cultural and cross-religion dialogue, are also slated for discussion. "We have to be open to all ideas, we need to be willing to listen to the views reflecting diverse trends. This is what dialogue is about, after all."
Dialogue, Maher says, has to have a clear objective. For the interactions sponsored by the foundation, the goal is better understanding among the peoples of various cultures. "Better rapport among all peoples is what we are talking about here."
This rapport, Maher argues, is the best recipe to peacefully negotiate such turbulent times during which many of the tools of international relations falter and when war, rather than respect for international law, is promoted by some as the solution to regional and international conflicts.
He added, "International relations cannot be compartmentalized. If you want to have good political and economic relations, you need to have good cultural rapport, and for this to happen we have to engage in dialogue and communicate."
The Arab Thought Foundation is less than two years old but is generously endowed and imaginatively led. In addition, its conception was prescient enough to provide for its independence.
The foundation's Chairman, Saudi Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, is a man of vision. In addition, the body has just added a powerful new weapon to its intellectual and organizational arsenal: Ali Maher, a former Egyptian ambassador to France whose track record is one of conspicuous achievement.
Both understand the importance of reworking Arab governance; both know that the short-term crisis facing the region demands urgent action; and both know that a large part of repairing Arab relations with the West lies with deeper understanding of western policy in the region - and an appreciation of how and why it is formulated.
Touted as the Arab world's first independent think tank, the Arab Thought Foundation is ideally suited to fill the gaps.
It could provide detailed, unbiased policy papers to help craft joint diplomatic strategies that draw something other than derision; it could advise on tactics to contain tensions until long-term solutions can be found; it could conduct surveys to identify areas of public concern so that they can be addressed by policymakers.
Minister of Justice Dr Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al El-Sheikh has reiterated the determination of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on combating all forms of corruption. In a press statement on the occasion of opening the 11th conference for combating corruption, in Seoul, Al El-Sheikh said corruption undermines security and stability in the various societies and prevents realization of justice.
He pointed out that the measures taken by the Kingdom for combating corruption are based on the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah (the Prophet's teachings). Representatives of 113 countries are participating in the conference which concluded its deliberations in Seoul.
On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented a letter to the 3rd International Forum on "Combating Corruption and Preserving Honesty".
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Minister of Justice, Dr Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Al-Sheikh said that the letter demonstrates the Kingdom's success in implementing the Islamic Sharia to combat crime and corruption, and the Kingdom's cooperation at the international level to fight crime and corruption in the Kingdom and globally.
Dr Al El-Sheikh, who is heading the Kingdom's delegation to the Forum said: "The Kingdom is seeking to formulate a national strategy that includes planning mechanisms to fight corruption and maintain honesty." He said that units and commissions would be established to coordinate the necessary procedures in public and private sectors, and to investigate and prevent the misuse of the Kingdom's financial and banking system.
Meanwhile the participants of a Seminar on "Arbitration from the Islamic and international perspectives" have condemned the explosions which rocked recently Riyadh city.
The seminar, organized by the International Lawyers Federation and hosted by the governorate of Jeddah, ended its deliberations. The participants of the seminar voiced support to the measures undertaken by the Saudi authorities to confront terrorism. As many as 330 lawyers from around the world attended the Seminar's proceedings.
The seminar recommended sending cables to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, to express the solidarity of the International Lawyers Federation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The seminar underlined the importance of preparation of specialized lists for the arbitrators and the experts through formation of a committee under the supervision of the general administration of lawyers at the Justice Ministry.
The Committee will have representatives of the National Committee for Chartered Accountancy, the National Engineering Committee, the Administration of Free Vocations at the Commerce Ministry, as well as the Head of the law department at King Saud University, and a member from the Saudi Arbitration Team.
The participants also decided to organize bi-annual seminars on arbitration from Islamic and international perspectives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the International Lawyers Federation and the Saudi Arbitration Team. The next seminar will be held in Riyadh. On the other hand, the seminar called for teaching the subject of arbitration for the students of Shariah and law at the Saudi universities.
The seminar underlined the importance of projecting the principles of Islam as well as the courts and judiciary system in the Kingdom in a proper manner. Invitations have also been extended to Prince Dr Bandar Bin Salman bin Mohammed, the Head of the Saudi Arbitration Team, and to the Saudi Minister of Justice to participate in the inaugural ceremony of the annual conference of the International Lawyers Federation, due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal , on August 27, 2003.
On the other hand the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh has delivered a lecture on Moderation and its effect on Muslims Lives, at the Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh said the lecture come at a time when we have to bear the responsibility and follow the right path.
He stressed that the terrorist attacks which took place in Riaydh have shocked all Muslims who follow the rules of God the Almighty and the Sunnah of his Prophet.
Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh said God the Almighty described this nation as a nation of moderation. He reviewed the features of moderation in the religion and in the practices of the Prophets companions and said that moderation is in accordance with the Sharia and is built on logic and deep knowledge and belief.
The Minister added that moderation leads to the realization of our aims and is build on deep knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet as well as knowledgeable people.
In his lecture Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al El-Sheikh gave examples of moderation in Islam and said Islam calls economic development based on work and at the same time it calls hard work.
http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20030613/feat7en.htm