Saudi Arabia

The article discusses the percentage of Egyptians that are sent to receive a religious education.

Hāshim Sālih praises the inter-religious initiative that the Saudi King ‘Abd Allāh Bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz has called for, saying that it may find a way to end the current religious struggles.

Saudi and Egyptian Muslim scholars welcome King ‘Abd Allāh Ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz’ initiative to launch an interreligious dialogue process between Islam and the other heavenly religions.

King ‘Abd Allāh Ibn ‘Abd Allāh Ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz of Saudi Arabia revealed his intention to organize interreligious dialogue conferences that will endeavour to protect humanity from absurd conflicts.

Robeir al-Faris reviews different articles in the Egyptian press this month related to Muslim-Christian relations. In particular he mentions a new joint Muslim-Christian Web site and an article that cites the al-Ahrām obituary page to prove that Copts are not being persecuted.

The author sheds light on the issue of translation in Saudi Arabia and Arab countries in general. He stresses the compelling need to establish an institution for translation and Arabization that can improve the academic and professional level of translation and enforce the use of Arabic language in different fields of knowledge.

The assertion of political freedom and the electoral and democratic transformation in the Muslim world does not mean the blind acceptance of Western forms of democracy. Islamic democracy is bound to and directed by Sharī‘ah.

The article reports on the inauguration ceremony of the first Catholic church in Qatar’s capital city Doha.

Members of the European Parliament, who belong to both liberal and green blocs, have renewed their attacks against the Egyptian regime, calling for Egypt to be added to the blacklist of countries persecuting Christians, which also includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Jordan.

Ayman Hassūnah reports on the statements of Saudi Journalist ‘Abd Allāh Bin Bijād al-‘Utaybī who belittled a fatwá issued by the Saudi Shaykh cAbd al-Rahmān Bin Nāsir al-Barāk deeming him an apostate.