AMMAN, 29th March, 2017 (WAM) -- The Arab World stands today before grave challenges to the fate of its countries and peoples, said His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, on Wednesday in his keynote speech at the opening of the 28th ordinary session of the Council of League of Arab States in Amman.
''First is the threat of terrorism and extremism, which has set out to tarnish the image of our religion and hijack the future of young Arabs. It is therefore our duty to protect them from distortions to their religious and ideological beliefs, since terrorism poses a greater threat to Arabs and Muslims, who make up the majority of its victims. We must work together and with the world to counter this danger through a holistic approach. Second is Israels continued settlement expansion and its work to undermine chances for peace,'' King Abdullah told the Arab leaders. ''There can be no peace nor stability in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, the core issue of the Middle East, based on the two-state solution. Jordan is closest to the Palestinian cause. Our martyrs have fallen while defending Palestinian land, and we are aware of the daily struggle of the Palestinian people, Jerusalemites in particular. The Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem is a historical responsibility Jordan is honoured to undertake on behalf of the Arab and Muslim nations, His Majesty stated. ''We will continue to fight against any attempts to change the status quo and to stand up against attempts for temporal and spatial division of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, with your support and assistance. We must all work as one to safeguard Jerusalem and prevent attempts to create new facts on the ground that would have catastrophic consequences on the regions future and stability,'' he affirmed. ''Third, we hope that the recent talks in Geneva and Astana will bring about a breakthrough in the Syrian crisis, as it enters its seventh year, to launch an inclusive political process that involves all components of the Syrian people, maintains the territorial integrity of Syria, and guarantees the safety of its citizens and the return of refugees. In addition to Palestinian refugees, Jordan is hosting 1.3 million of our Syrian brothers and sisters, which makes the Kingdom the largest refugee host in the world. It is a burden we carry on behalf of our nation and the entire international community,'' he added. Fourth, Arabs should reaffirm their support to the Iraqi government in its fight against terrorism, paving the way for an inclusive, comprehensive political process that safeguards the rights of all and establishes for a united and stable Iraq. ''Fifth, express our support for efforts to restore stability and security in Yemen and Libya in order to build a bright future for their peoples. To that end, we must take the initiative and put forward ground-breaking solutions to pervasive challenges, in order to prevent foreign interference in our affairs,'' His Majesty continued. ''We must seek shared solutions to our shared problems. Let this Summit launch a new phase of joint Arab action,'' His Majesty the King of Jordan concluded.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
