Aligning positions, efforts most needed to attain Palestinians’ rights — King

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, in a speech on Saturday at the opening of the 14th Session of the Ordinary Islamic Summit Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, said the summit comes at a time “when aligning our positions and efforts is most needed to enable our Palestinian brothers to attain their just rights, and to support their steadfastness”.

“We meet in this blessed month, in this holy land of Mecca and its holy mosque, with our sights and hearts turned towards our first qibla, the holy Al Aqsa Mosque,” King Abdullah said, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty stressed that Jordan, in accordance with the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, will continue to bolster the steadfastness of Jerusalemites and to counter any attempts to impose a new reality on the ground or change the historical and legal status quo.

Following is the full translation of the speech:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad,

My brother, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz,

Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies,

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

Let me first start by expressing my thanks and appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and my brother Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz for hosting this summit, which comes at a time when aligning our positions and efforts is most needed to enable our Palestinian brothers to attain their just rights, and to support their steadfastness.

We meet in this blessed month, in this holy land of Mecca and its holy mosque, with our sights and hearts turned towards our first oibla, the holy Al Aqsa Mosque.

The Arab Peace Initiative, adopted by Organisation for Islamic Cooperation member states, reaffirms our commitment to a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution as a strategic option that guarantees the rights of our Palestinian brothers, fulfils their legitimate aspirations to establish their independent state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and addresses all final status issues, foremost of which are Jerusalem and refugees.

My brothers,

Distinguished guests,

Our Palestinian brethren are facing difficult economic conditions that require us to intensify our efforts in support of their perseverance. This includes supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, so that it may continue to provide its services to more than five million Palestinian refugees, whose rights, especially their right of return and compensation, must be guaranteed.

We in Jordan, in accordance with the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and in coordination with our Palestinian brothers and with your support, will continue to bolster the steadfastness of our Jerusalemite brethren and to counter any attempts to impose a new reality on the ground or change the historical and legal status quo.

My brothers,

Distinguished guests,

Our message to the entire world is clear — there is no place for dark ideology in our faith, Islam, a religion of mercy and tolerance that has long affirmed values of love and the protection of human life. Therefore, we will continue to work with our partners within a holistic approach to counter extremist thought; unify our counter-narrative against this destructive, dark ideology; and combat hate speech, exclusionism, and the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia.

In conclusion, we hope that this summit will be an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and to unify our positions with a shared vision, one that fulfils the aspirations of the Islamic Ummah’s peoples and rises to the occasion of the historic responsibility that we all carry.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”

Jordan’s delegation at the summit, which was headed by the King, included Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh, Special Adviser to His Majesty Ali Fazza and Jordan’s Ambassador in Riyadh Ali Kayed.

His Majesty returned to Jordan on Saturday following the OIC summit, after heading as well Jordan’s delegation at the emergency Arab summit on Friday night, according to the statement.

At the emergency Arab summit, King Abdullah, in his speech, affirmed Jordan’s support for its Arab brothers in defending their interests and safeguarding their security and stability, expressing the Kingdom’s firm rejection of any attempts to meddle in the internal affairs of Arab states or threaten their sovereignty or security in any way.

His Majesty said regional stability cannot take place without a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, the statement added.