Saudis host interfaith conference June 4

Sounds like a joke doesn't it -- the Saudis hosting an interfaith conference?  However it seems to be true in that  Muslims, Christians and Jews will be invited.  Monday the Saudi King said representatives of the three major monotheistic faiths need to work together "to defend humanity" from harm.

In response to the Saudi initiative, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said, "our hands are extended to any peace initiative, or to any dialogue whose goal is to bring an end to terror and violence. I have said many times that the true way to reach the long-awaited peace is through interfaith dialogue."  (Haaretz)

Al-Qaeda rep , Abu Yahya al-Libi, said of  Saudi King Abdullah via videotape that-- “He who is called the defender of monotheism by sycophantic clerics is raising the flag of brotherhood between religions … and thinks he has found the wisdom to stop wars and prevent the causes of enmity between religions and peoples.”  ...  “By God, if you don’t resist heroically against this wanton tyrant … the day will come when church bells will ring in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.”

Wouldn't that be something?  Christian church bells ringing across the Arabian Peninsula???   The above quote comes from Stratfor's article, Oil and the Saudi Peace Offensive.

Saudi Arabia isn't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, oh no.  They have personal reasons which include: 

(1)  Oil Money; 

In short, the Saudis are trying to reduce the threat of war in the region. War is at this moment the single greatest threat to their interests. In particular, they are afraid of any war that would close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large portion of the oil they sell flows.  [snip]

(2)  Security;

At the same time, if the Iranians decide to press the issue, the Saudis would be in no position to defend themselves. It is assumed that the United States would protect the Saudi oil fields out of self-interest. But any American government — and here they are looking past the Bush administration — might find it politically difficult to come to the aid of a country perceived as radically Islamist. Should another contingency come to pass, and the Iranians — either through insurgency or attack — do the unexpected, it is in the Saudi interest to create an image that is more compatible with U.S. tastes.  [snip]

(3)  Stalling the Shiite spread and calming the Sunni Shiite divide

The Sunni-Shiite split, like the Catholic-Protestant split, ranges across theological and national interests. Iran is the major Shiite nation. It is mistrusted and feared by the Sunni Saudis, whose enormous wealth and military weakness leaves them vulnerable to the Iranians and forces them into an alliance with the Americans.

At this particular point, where Tehran’s mismanagement of Iran’s economy and particularly its oil industry has caused it to be left out of the greatest benefits of the surge in oil prices, the Saudis are worried that internal Iranian tensions and ambitions will cause Tehran at least to increase its subversive activities among Shia in the Arabian Peninsula and in Lebanon

. Hence conservative Saudi clerics have focused their attacks on Iran and Hezbollah — officially without government sanction, but clearly not shut down by the government.  [snip]

Shall we tip our hats to the Saudis on this interfaith conference, even it they have strictly personal and financial motives?  Could be one small step in the right direction.

The Saudis are hosting an interfaith conference June 4. Four hundred Islamic scholars from around the world will be there, with one day devoted to interfaith issues. Saudi King Abdullah will open the conference, over which Saudi Shura Council head Saleh bin Huma will preside. This is clearly intended to be a major event, not minimized by the fact that Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s most influential leader — who heads Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the body that elects and can remove the Supreme Leader — will be attending as well. Rafsanjani was specifically invited by the Saudi ambassador to Iran last Wednesday with the following message: “King Abdullah believes you have a great stature in the Islamic world … and he has assigned me the duty of inviting you to the conference.” We would not have expected to see a meeting on interfaith dialogue even a year ago.

Oh those rascally Saudis. Stratfor says that al Qaeda has been crippled inside Saudi Arabia and in the broader region and that al Qaeda in Iraq is on the run -- no exaggeration.  Now, if I should hear news that the Saudis are opening their country to Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, then I will really be happy.

_____________________________________________________________ Trackposted to Pet's Garden Blog, The American Nationalist News Service, Outside the Beltway, Rosemary's Thoughts, Faultline USA, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, The Amboy Times, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, Dumb Ox Daily News, , and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[David]

Actually, it's a dinner. The Christians and Jews are the entrees. The Islamists are the diners.

[Maggie Thornton]

Something is very odd about this - that Jews would attend. I can see the "pretend" with Christianity in light of the issues mentioned, but meeting with Jews? To calm the Shia-Sunni divide? How does that work? I wonder what Hizbollah has commented about this?

Great post.

Maggie
Maggie's Notebook

[Angel]

lol David..aint it the truth!!

[Debbie]

Daivd: That's a great way to describe it.
Glad your comment went through. TypePad said no problems on their end, so I have no idea what the problem was. Thanks for staying with it.

[Debbie]

Maggie: You got through, good. I hope your Safari problems are over.

[Always On Watch]

I can't imagine that the Saudis will, as a group, stand for Christianity to be present in any bell-ringing capacity on the Arabian Peninsula. MTP said clearly that the land was Allah's alone and reserved for Muslim Arabs.

In any case, such an interfaithing event will infuriate fundamentalist Moslems -- as if they're not always infuriated in the first place. AQ may take the opportunity to use the event for another takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, as was done back in the 1970s.

[Steve Harkonnen]

Instead of worrying about Interfaith sessions, maybe the Saudis should worry more about the abuse that happens in their own country.