Acceptance of Others in a Middle East Kingdom of Public Relations………….
“Riyadh: Hudaibiya, the historic location near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) concluded a peace treaty with the unbelievers (Quraish) in 628, will become a major centre for cultural dialogue, said Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal. The project will be named the King Abdullah Oasis for Cultural Dialogue. "The centre will be a cultural and intellectual meeting place outside Makkah," Prince Khalid said. Prince Khalid, a poet, painter and a thinker, said the project was within the realisation of the vision of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia for peace, dialogue and acceptance of the other…….…”
Accepting the other: they can start by accepting many of their own citizens, third and fourth class citizens, who are Shi’as and Isma’iliyas. They are definitely not “accepted” in their own country. Allowing freedom of worship for all, including Christian, would also be a nice gesture toward acceptance of "the other". All this is geared toward public relations rather than substance in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi dissident who lives safely away in England once called it a Kingdom in a public relations stage.
They can spend fortunes on PR gimmicks around the world, but it is the facts on the ground in their own country, stupid.
Cheers
mhg
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