Riyadh International Book Fair opened

Riyadh, March 03, SPA -- Under the patronage of the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Minister of
Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khojah opened
here today Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF).

The key speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at RIBF
opening ceremony was delivered by Dr. Khojah .

The King said "We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have always
stressed the adherence to Shari'a, Holy Quran and Sunnah. The
teachings of Islam guided us to be more willing to learn and search
for knowledge. Also, Islam has emphasized the need for tolerance and
dialogue".

"When Muslim Scholars met in Makkah, they supported the Kingdom's
interest in the necessity of communicating with multiple cultures. As
a result, Madrid meeting and then the grand meeting in United Nations
were held. These meetings achieved positive results. That was
achieved as a result of spreading the culture of Islam which has
always emphasized tolerance, acceptance of others opinion and
avoiding conflict so that humankind enjoys good and harmony. However,
the path of dialogue is long between the cultures. You, male and
female intellectuals, bear a responsibility towards pursuing cultural
and civilization communication", the King added.


"Riyadh International Book Fair is a cultural event that reminds us
of the significant role that we must play towards our religion and
nation, particularly introducing Islam correctly to other peoples as
well as making greater effort to get acquainted with different
cultures and taking advantage of their science and knowledge.", the
king added.

The King also said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in need of
more communication between its individuals and intellectuals by
holding a substantive dialogue to consolidate the national unity the
foundations of which were laid by the founder late King Abdulaziz bin
Abdulrahman.

"We are delighted with Brazil participation as the guest of honor of
the book fair in the context of the cultural communication which is
confirmed by the policies of the Kingdom. I wish all success to the
Book Fair", the King concluded.

--SPA