The Second National Meeting Recommendations for King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue

The Second National Meeting for intellectual Dialogue Mecca, December 2003
Final statement and recommendations

All praise is due to Allah and may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon our respected and prophet Muhammad, His followers and companions:
In accordance with the rules of shari'ah which is based on caring for the interests of the people, in concern for the public matter, in fulfilling the responsibility upon the scholars and intellectuals of Ummah.
And in pursuance of the First National Meeting for Intellectual Dialogue and the Royal agreement to that meeting's suggestion to establish King AbdulAziz Center for National Dialogue.
The Second National Meeting for Intellectual Dialogue was held at Mecca in the period between the 4th and the 9th of Dhulqi'dah 1424H.
corresponding to the 27th to the 31st of December, 2003 in a process of building and enhancing dialogue so as to be a style of life and a preliminary tool for knowing truths and public opinion trends in order to put them before the authorities concerned and working for reform.

Sixty scholars, thinkers and well educated male and female citizens, representing various intellectual view points as well as fifteen specialized researchers had taken part in this meeting. The theme of the meeting was ' Extremism and Moderation; a comprehensive and a methodological view'. The topic was carefully selected due to realizing the dangerous nature of extremism and its great harm to the country and nation and even the whole world. It also came within a time context where we have been witnessing defferent types of extremism with clear effects.
Specialized experts edited work papers to fully eal with the topic from the legal, social, psychological, educational, political, economic and media axiss. This is to crystallize a balanced view to activate good methods leading to distancing the wind of sternness and extremism away from this country and to preserve national unity and social solidarity in a time full of deviant movements which misinterpret religion and contradict its objective.
The meeting aimed at stydying the problem, its causes and analyzing its influencing factors in order to come up with suggestions that will help in facing the effects of extremism. The participants met in fourteen sessions full of free and frank discussions dealing with five axes of the meeting as follows:

First: the Shari'as axis; this included the study of the concepts and terms of the phenomenon of extremism from the book ( i.e. the Quran ) and the Sunnah ( I. e. the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him ). It also included a paper on the problem of extremism from a comprehensive legal view, the manifestations of contemporary extremism in declaring a Muslim a Kafir ( non- Muslim ), loyalty and disloyalty ( in faith ), enjoining good and forbidding evil, dealing with non- Muslims and extreme treatment of one ' self and others as well as the relation between the ruler and the ruled, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and how that was related to extremism and moderation.

Second: The educational axis; this included subjects such as the traits of the extremist personality, the influence of education and social upbringing on the local environment and a social view to religious education in the Saudi society.

Third: The educational axis; this included the influence of religious curricula, the role the teacher and the nature of the society in achieving the middle position ( Wasatiyyah ) and moderation. It also included the role of education in bringing about healthy thinking types and the building of a stable personality as well as the discussion of non- class educational activities and their effect on realizing extremism or moderation.

Fourth: The political and economic axis; this section discussed the importance of peoples' participation in theory and in practice in treating extremism in the society and its relationship to freedoms and human rights. This axis also discussed how Muslims' issues are being dealt with in the international arena, the study of the economic factors, its effect on extremism and its relation to other phenomena and factors such as poverty, unemployment, administering public finance and the economic growth as well as balanced development.

Fifth: The media axis; this axis addressed the media's treatment of extremism. It emphasized the importance of the freedom of speech in the media and its effect in treating extremism. It also addressed the religious discourse in the various media, its role combating extremism and bringing the middle position and moderation into being.

After the end of the discussions, the participants ended up affirming the national Saudi unity based on Islam as a faith and a rule of law. The participants have affirmed their refusal to terrorism inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and around the world. They have called for more solidarity to treat it especially the recent destructive bombings in the world and in our country which had killed innocent lives, transgressed against the sacred, terrorized the safe and destroyed properties. The participants, after an extensive study, have issued the following recommendation:

Calling legal scholarly institutions to agree on defining concepts and terms related to extremism, such as terrorism, the community of Muslims, the land of war, the land of kufr ( rejection of faith ), the land of Islam, the supported group.. etc.
Calling for a deep and extensive study of the phenomenon of extremism in the Saudi society: its causes, manifestations, effects and treatment so as to build, in light of it, a comprehensive strategy for treatment.
Expediting the process of political reform and expanding the people's participation through electing the members of the Shura Council and the Provinces' Councils, and encouraging the establishment of professional unions, voluntary associations and civil society organizations.
Developing the means of communication between the ruler and ruled and the separation of the three powers; the regulatory, the judicial and the executive.
Affirming the control of the economic matter in a way that would preserve the public wealth, and prioritizing the spending on the basic needs of citizens according to balanced and comprehensive developmental programs as well as affirming the lowering of the public debt according to strict measures and achieving the principle of transparency and accountability in this regard.
Calling to the renewal of the religious discourse in a way that suits contemporary changes, along with understanding the outside world and dealing with it in an open, observant and interactive way.
Affirming the rejection of the individual fatwa ( verdict ) in public affairs which would effect the interests and future of the Umman such as matters of war and peace. This issue shell be directed to qualified fatwa authorities. The performance and mechanisms of these authorities need to be improved.
Stabilizing the concepts of dialogue in the Saudi society, and educating young generations in schools and universities to do so along with opening the doors for responsible freedom of expression which takes into consideration the public interest.
Developing the educational curricula in the various subjects at the hands of specialists in order to guarantee the spreading of the spirit of tolerance and the middle position and developing skills of knowledge so that a comprehensive development be achieved. There is also an emphasis on the necessity on the necessity to continue the review of these curricula periodically.
Supporting the students' non-class activities along with specifying their mechanism, establishing separate youth centers for males and females in the neighborhoods so as to organize focused programs, caring for the youth needs to develop the spirit of innovation along with qualifying their supervisors based on specific criteria.
Observing and watching for negative social phenomena and designing future plans to treat them with help from universities and other research institutions. specialized national commissions to care for the affairs of children, women and the family.
Supporting the role of women in all areas and calling for the establishment of specialized national commissions to care for the affairs of children, women and the family.
Calling for opening the door for whoever wants to quit violence and mischief on earth and to repent. He shall not be isolated, nor treated harshly, but be integrated into society.
Securing fair trial before the law for those accused of violence and terrorism. They shall have the right of choosing lawyers on their behalf and they shall meet them as they wish.
Laying down a comprehensive strategy which will help in bringing the youth back into the main stream and away from extremism, being given the opportunity for employment, training and qualifying, and opening more doors for program admissions into various educational institutions.
Affirming balance in the media treatment of the affairs of religion and country, along with setting a scientific methodology in this refard and staying away from division and dispersion along with considering the jurisprudent and intellectual diversity.
Giving importance to the media's international discourse, developing it to face contemporary challenges and calling for the establishment of a specialized unit at King AbdulAziz Center for National Dialogue to care for civilization and intercultural dialogue and related studies.
The participants have recommended that theme for the third meeting be one of the following:
- The relationship between the ruler and the ruled.
- The rights and duties of women.
- People's political participation.
- Education.

In conclusion, the participants are thankful and obliged to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn AbdulAziz, His Highness Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn AbdulAziz, His highness the Second Deputy Prince Sultan Ibn AbdulAziz for all facilitations made to the participants during the meeting. The participants pray to Allah-Glory and Majesty be to Him - to keep for this country its peace and security for He is the Master and the Capable to do it.

May Allah's peace and salutation be upon our Prophet Muhammad, His followers and companions.

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