Uphold truth without fear: King Abdullah

P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday urged the newly appointed members of the Supreme Judicial Council and the Council of Senior Scholars to uphold the truth in all their dealings. “Truth is above everything,” he said.

In an extempore speech during a reception at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, King Abdullah urged the officials to work hard in serving humanity, Islam and morality.

“I also advise you to promote virtue and prevent vice, and improve relations between peoples,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying.

The reception was attended by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti and chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, and Saleh Bin-Humaid, chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council.

“I advise you and myself to be God-fearing in all matters. You should not be afraid of any blame while establishing the truth,” the king told the officials including Supreme Court chief justice and heads of the Court of Grievances and the Court of Appeals.

The king expressed happiness over the growth of Muslim populations all over the world. “It has been said that Muslims are the largest religious community in the world. This is a great blessing.”

He said Al-Qaeda militants in the Kingdom and elsewhere have tarnished Muslims’ image. He said most people have now understood the reality of Islam being a religion of peace and justice. “They know that you are good people and you work to guide humanity to the right path. I can tell you that Islam will remain powerful by the will of God and by the good work of its followers.”

King Abdullah, meanwhile, received Fahd Al-Zaid, Abdul Aziz Turkistani and Hani Sindi, the newly appointed ambassadors to Jordan, Japan and Burkina Faso respectively, and urged them to work to improve relations with those countries.

Israeli media denounced for insulting the Prophet

Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News

RIYADH: GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah yesterday denounced the derogatory remarks made about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in an Israeli television program. “These ugly remarks made against the Prophet is part of a malicious campaign against Muslims launched by the Jewish state,” he said in a statement on the sidelines of a GCC foreign ministers’ meeting.

Al-Attiyah accused Israeli Channel 10 of organizing a blasphemous campaign against Islam and Christianity, saying that “this outrageous act is nothing but part of a series of ferocious attacks made by the state-sponsored Israeli media on the Islamic value system, teachings and sanctities.”

The GCC ministers met under the chairmanship of Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah of Oman and discussed a range of regional and international issues, including Palestine, Lebanon, Somalia, Darfur, Iran and Iraq. The peaceful use of nuclear technology was also addressed.

The GCC ministers, however, reiterated their demand to make the Middle East a nuclear arms-free zone. All the six foreign ministers attended the 110th ministerial session at the GCC General Secretariat. Prince Saud Al-Faisal led the Kingdom’s delegation to the session.

Referring to the Israeli television, which carried a clip of Israel’s version of the reality show “Survivor” in which a contestant insults the Prophet, the GCC chief called on the international community and the United Nations to take immediate measures to stop the defamation of prophets and religions. The clip’s broadcast comes days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued a public apology for two segments that aired on Israeli Channel 10, in which Christianity was also mocked.

Referring to the need to exert more efforts to bring the Middle East peace process back on tracks, the GCC foreign ministers called on all parties to revitalize it in a way that will serve the interests of the Palestinian people and eventually help set up their independent state.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Omani Minister Abdullah welcomed the call of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for greater unity and solidarity at the Arab economic summit in Kuwait recently.

The ministers also praised “the efforts of the Bahraini leadership, which played a major role in defusing a crisis with Iran” following a spate of verbal attacks in which Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, claimed Bahrain had been Iran’s “14th province”. The remark was an affront to Bahrain’s sovereignty.

The ministers also praised the efforts made by Qatar in establishing peace in Darfur. The ministers said in a statement that they share a common vision that will contribute to helping the Arab action that seeks to ensure peace in Palestine and elsewhere.

Malaysia's Bank Islam identifies potential M&A partner

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Bank Islam has identified a potential domestic merger or acquisition partner, with the aim of creating of a large Islamic bank, its managing director said on Tuesday.

The lender, the second biggest Islamic bank in Malaysia in terms of assets, has been scouring its home market and neighbouring Indonesia for a partner to boost its size and enlarge its market share.

Managing Director Zukri Samat said Bank Islam, a subsidiary of Malaysian financial group BIMB Holdings Bhd (BIMB.KL), still needs regulatory approval for talks.

"We have basically identified but no conclusion has been reached yet," Zukri told reporters on the sidelines of an Islamic economic forum. "This one is subject to regulatory approval. It could be an acquisition, it could be a merger."

He did not elaborate.

Malaysia's oldest sharia lender, Bank Islam began business in 1983 and is trying to claw back market share after heavy losses and stiff competition eroded its pioneer advantage.

(For more Reuters coverage of Islamic finance, click on [ID:nISLAMIC])

(Reporting by Liau Y-Sing; Editing by Kim Coghill)