Closing Session
Address by His
Excellency
Dr. Khaled Tawqan(*)
In the
name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Peace
and prayers be upon the Prophet, kin and companions, and
his followers,
Excellency Dr. Mohammed Heleel, representative of His
Majesty, Minister of Waqf, Islamic Affairs and Holy
Sites,
Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director
General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization,
Eminence
Sheikh Nader An-Nuri, President of the Palestinian
Charity Committee at the International Islamic
Charitable Organization,
Excellencies and eminencies,
Honourable scholars and worthy clerics,
Brothers
and sisters,
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah taala wa barakatuh,
First
of all, I would like to extend my greetings to you all
as we close the proceedings of this conference on the
protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in
Palestine, graced by the high patronage of His Majesty
King Abdullah Ibn Hussein for whom the protection of
Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine, and in Al
Quds Al Sharif in particular, is a matter of utmost
importance. This importance is manifest in His Majesty’s
full material and moral support for Al Aqsa Mosque and
Dome of the Rock Restoration Committee, reflecting the
Hashemite firm belief that Al Quds Al Sharif and the
Islamic and Christian holy sites and its houses, nestles
deep in the hearts of all Arabs and Muslims as the
destination of the Nightly Journey of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
and the birthplace of the Christ, peace be upon him.
I
would like to avail myself of this opportunity to extend
heartfelt thanks to His Eminence the Minister of Islamic
Waqf and Sanctities, Dr. Ahmed Heleel, representative of
His Hashemite Majesty, to His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz
Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and
to His Eminence Sheikh Nadir Abdulaziz Al-Nuri,
President of the Palestine Charity Committee in the
International Islamic Charitable Organization, for their
cooperation with the National Commission in the
organisation of this Conference in Amman. Our National
Commission takes great pride in hosting you on its land,
and commends the role played by the Islamic Organisation
in this respect and its dedication of many programs and
activities to the support and protection of holy sites
in Palestine.
Excellencies, eminencies,
Today,
you have completed, by the grace of Allah, the works of
this conference in which you addressed, over three days,
important working papers that tackled the dangers and
onslaught directed against these sites and the
fundamental instruments of their protection against all
ploys to obliterate and annihilate them. You have
reviewed some examples of these acts of aggression, and
highlighted the vanguard role of Jordan in the
protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al
Quds Al Sharif. Other papers addressed the importance of
devising a media plan for publicising issues related to
Al Quds Al Sharif in the West and the mechanisms of this
plan's implementation. You have discussed the role of
national, regional and international organisations, such
as the United Nations and UNESCO, and emphasised their
role in the protection of Islamic and Christian holy
sites in Palestine, as well as the efforts of the
Islamic Organisation in this field. Other papers have
addressed the issue of the future of Al Quds and the
legal aspects of its protection.
My
most sincere thanks and appreciation go to all those who
have pored over these working papers, and I wish to
commend the hard work that has gone into enriching the
proceedings of this conference.
Excellencies, eminencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
In the
course of your discussions, you have addressed the
importance of education, higher education and scientific
research in raising awareness about the importance of
holy sites for the Islamic Ummah. I wish to assure you
that in Jordan, the universities and educational
institutions, guided by the Ministry of Education,
allocate an important part of their curricula to the
Palestinian cause and to our Islamic and Christian
sanctities. Indeed, the Red Sea Scrolls have been
integrated in the Jordanian school curricula at the
level of general education. These scrolls clearly
describe the true nature of the Islamic and Christian
faiths which call for tolerance, equity, love and peace,
and refute or expose the claims and fallacies purported
by the Zionist Movement to equivocate the spiritual
foundations and historical facts of this ancient orient
for unsubstantiated political objectives and
contemptible material gains. The city of Al Quds and the
importance of its Islamic holy sites also occupies a
large place in our curricula. There was also Jordan’s
appeal (the Amman Declaration) addressed to the Arab and
Islamic Ummah and to the whole world, in which emphasis
was laid on Islam’s tolerant message of peace, justice
and social mutual solidarity, all of which constitute
common denominators for the followers of all religions
and for all human beings.
I
would like to underscore the importance of the Islamic
Ummah’s mastering of the reins of science and modern
technology in order to edify and bolster its strength
and power to confront the technical and scientific
challenge posed by the others, and without which our
Ummah will not rise. Today's weapons are science and
technology which can bring about our progress, enable us
to gain the respect of other nations, and with which we
will arm our children and future generations to enable
them to fight off all dangers and meet the challenges
besieging our Ummah.
Excellencies, eminencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
Throughout its long history, the Great Syria, in its
geographical and historical concept, covering vast
stretches of Arab and Islamic lands at the heart of
which lies a Palestine rich in Christian and Islamic
holy sites, has been the target of many barbaric
invasions such as the Mongols, the tartars, the
Crusaders and many other invaders the most recent of
which was the Zionist occupation of Palestine. Yet, the
Islamic Ummah has remained steadfast in its homeland.
This holy land, the cradle of all divine messages, is
still coveted by many foreign parties of all kinds. But
thanks to Allah and by His grace, it will come out
unscathed despite all the greed that targets it, thanks
to the steadfastness of its sons and their attachment to
and defence of their territories, sanctities and
cultural and civilisational heritage which embody their
national and religious identity. As early as the dawn of
the previous century, the Hashemites were the first to
become aware of the colonialist and Zionists designs,
and to call upon Arabs and Muslims to close ranks in the
defence of the land and sanctities, particularly in
Palestine. Today also, the Hashemites still carry the
banner of the protection of these sanctities and the
unity of the Arab and Islamic Ummahs.
Excellencies, eminencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
One of
the most valuable recommendations made and the
implementation mechanism identified by this Conference
today is the recommendation related to the broad lines
of the draft media plan for publicising the issue of
Palestine and its sanctities in the West. The Conference
has identified the media as a tool to enlighten
international public opinion about our causes and
sanctities and the dangers and violations they are
subjected to in Al Quds Al Sharif, and to mobilise all
the human and financial resources to serve this end.
This recommendation is indeed worthy of all our praise
and appreciation. The Kingdom of Jordan is more than
ready to elaborate this executive plan and to contribute
with its own competent human resources to furthering the
efforts of the Islamic Organisation. We reiterate the
pride we take in the choice of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan as a channel for implementing the activities and
programs of the Islamic Conference. We also stress our
willingness to host any activity or program that may be
proposed by the Directorate General, for joint
implementation with the National Jordanian Commission on
Education, Sciences and Culture, as well as with other
governmental and non-governmental institutions in the
Kingdom.
Excellencies, eminencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
Once
again, thank you and welcome in your second home,
Jordan. I wish you all a safe return to your countries.
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah taala wa barakatuh.
(*)
Minister of Education in the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, President of the Jordanian National Commission
for Education, Culture and Sciences.
