Saudi Arabia condemns terrorist acts, attacks on places of worship

Saudi Arabia was represented at the UN session in New York by deputy permanent representative, Dr. Khaled Manzlawiy. (SPA)

• Saudi envoy calls for action to establish dialogue, peace

NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dr. Khaled Manzlawiy, delivered a speech condemning all terrorist acts and attacks on religious sites on Thursday, as the UN launched its Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites. Manzlawiy also stressed the Kingdom’s support for the UN’s new plan, and thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Representative of the Alliance of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Jorge Sampaio for launching it.
“This initiative comes at a sensitive time in light of the increasing attacks on places of worship and the desecration of these places of worship. These are terrorist acts that require us to take a serious stand and to confront these practices and (any) acts that fuel terrorism and spread hatred, practices of injustice and civilizational clash,” he added.
Manzlawiy stressed that the Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites is a positive step toward promoting noble values, building bridges of love and peace, sanctioning all those who violate holy sites, and providing security for places of worship.
He added that the Kingdom has extensive experience of protecting religious sites and spreading peace and tolerance, calling Saudi Arabia “a pioneer in this field.”
Manzlawiy said that Allah has given the Kingdom the honor of serving the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
“Millions of pilgrims from around the world gather in the Kingdom throughout the year, making it the leader in protecting religious sites and managing huge crowds, who speak different languages and come from different cultures, in a small space,” Manzlawiy said.
He added that different beliefs, cultures, and ways of thinking are “a divine destiny that God has decreed,” and stressed the importance of dealing with them “with reason and wisdom in order to spread a culture of tolerance and peace among different nations and peoples.”
The Saudi deputy permanent representative underscored the Kingdom’s belief that religious and cultural diversity between communities and peoples never justifies a clash, but “calls for action to establish dialogue and peace.”