05 December 2006
Five sovereigns succeeded one another in office in Saudi Arabia before the 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries', HM Abdallah bin Abdelaziz, the sixth monarch. If there are constants in this historic context, based on an amalgam of heritage and modernity, of faith, respect for customs and traditions following the technical development of the world, the changes emanating from the constants themselves. The 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries' resembles his father, founder of the kingdom, Abdelaziz bin Abdelrahman Al Saud, who occupies a transcendent position as one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century because of his achievement in building a state worthy of this name and a distinctive model of unity in the Arab and Islamic world.
King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz resembles his four brothers who preceded him at the head of the kingdom. He is close to the second king, Saud bin Abdelaziz (1955-64), who set up the Council of Ministers and established the ministries of Commerce, Education and Health. The University of King Saud in Riyadh was inaugurated during his reign. In the same way, he resembles the third monarch, King Faisal bin Abdelaziz (1964-75), who drew up many plans for large-scale social and economic development. Industrial development was also begun during his reign.
The signs of comparison are great, too, between King Abdallah and the fourth sovereign, Khaled bin Abdelaziz (1975-82), who launched the second five-year plan in order to develop the vast infrastructure. He also worked to extinguish the Lebanese conflagration and gave the signal for the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.
Because of the fact that they worked closely together on a daily basis for many years and confronted challenges side by side, King Abdallah resembles his immediate predecessor, King Fahd bin Abdelaziz, the fifth in the royal line (1982-2005). He was King Fahd's crown prince and benefited from his experience begun in 1953 as minister first of education, then of the interior in 1962.
Today Saudi Arabia is the principal arbiter in the Arab and Islamic world, encompassing all geographical spaces near and far.
International experts consider as did the late Milton Friedman that the king has consolidated the theory of "mutual credit" among states. The Frenchman Thierry de Monbrial expressed admiration for the dynamic diplomatic presence of King Abdallah, averring that "this phenomenon unique of its kind" opens the way to establishment of human relations in their widest sense, his guiding principle being: peace is the fundamental content for development and stability, in the framework of a strategy of cooperation and the exchange of interests.
Through the wisdom of its sovereign, Riyadh has been able to follow regional and international developments and influence their course. He has gained a wide personal and first-hand knowledge of the international scene through his travels, which have led him to China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, France, Britain and the United States. There is also the wise and effective Arab role that characterizes the strength of the monarchy and gives it its political and economic weight. This has led the widely-circulated newspaper Le Monde, the most serious on the French scene, to say of the Saudi monarch: "He is a man of initiatives and of the dialogue of civilizations", after the kingdom had won the war against the terrorist outrages perpetrated by deviants misled into error.
In the midst of cares and preoccupations, the 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries' does not neglect domestic needs. Thus, he promulgated, following consultations and studies, the "Management Organization" to fill constitutional gaps and guarantee stability in the coming decades.
It is the new Saudi legality, in the context of the wise administration of the "De Gaulle of the Arabs", King Abdallah being the protector of the values of political and moral action in all his practices, decisions and initiatives, careful to safeguard truth, however hard or painful it may be.
In this time of heavy anxieties and obsessions in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon, we thank God that there is a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz; otherwise, what security could we hope for, what salvation would be possible without him? Where would we look at moments of great disaster? In the face of tyranny and injustice, his decrees impose equity and justice with the sword of integrity. He is intensely aware of the sufferings of the Arabs, taking sound stances and denouncing plots, intrigues and the power politics of capitals deprived of dignity. He embodies what Montesquieu, father of the laws, once said: "Acts make great men, for they are a light in the tunnel of the world in the midst of the conspiracies of history".
Yes, King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz is distinguished as much by experience and grandeur as by modesty and wisdom. He is the compass of a particularly difficult period of Arab history, particularly in Baghdad and Jerusalem, by way of regions and capitals touched by conflagrations and earthquakes. With the same chivalrous spirit, the same courage, he gives sound counsel and works to promote understanding and consensus. O God, we beseech You to preserve him for us and for times of ordeals, and we are ready to respond to all that You demand of us in the form of a thousand prayers and a thousand acts of philanthropy, even of coating our faces with ashes, on condition that to his age You add several more ages...
...And a redoubled vitality, for our need of him is great, very great in these difficult times.
Five sovereigns succeeded one another in office in Saudi Arabia before the 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries', HM Abdallah bin Abdelaziz, the sixth monarch. If there are constants in this historic context, based on an amalgam of heritage and modernity, of faith, respect for customs and traditions following the technical development of the world, the changes emanating from the constants themselves. The 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries' resembles his father, founder of the kingdom, Abdelaziz bin Abdelrahman Al Saud, who occupies a transcendent position as one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century because of his achievement in building a state worthy of this name and a distinctive model of unity in the Arab and Islamic world.
King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz resembles his four brothers who preceded him at the head of the kingdom. He is close to the second king, Saud bin Abdelaziz (1955-64), who set up the Council of Ministers and established the ministries of Commerce, Education and Health. The University of King Saud in Riyadh was inaugurated during his reign. In the same way, he resembles the third monarch, King Faisal bin Abdelaziz (1964-75), who drew up many plans for large-scale social and economic development. Industrial development was also begun during his reign.
The signs of comparison are great, too, between King Abdallah and the fourth sovereign, Khaled bin Abdelaziz (1975-82), who launched the second five-year plan in order to develop the vast infrastructure. He also worked to extinguish the Lebanese conflagration and gave the signal for the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.
Because of the fact that they worked closely together on a daily basis for many years and confronted challenges side by side, King Abdallah resembles his immediate predecessor, King Fahd bin Abdelaziz, the fifth in the royal line (1982-2005). He was King Fahd's crown prince and benefited from his experience begun in 1953 as minister first of education, then of the interior in 1962.
Today Saudi Arabia is the principal arbiter in the Arab and Islamic world, encompassing all geographical spaces near and far.
International experts consider as did the late Milton Friedman that the king has consolidated the theory of "mutual credit" among states. The Frenchman Thierry de Monbrial expressed admiration for the dynamic diplomatic presence of King Abdallah, averring that "this phenomenon unique of its kind" opens the way to establishment of human relations in their widest sense, his guiding principle being: peace is the fundamental content for development and stability, in the framework of a strategy of cooperation and the exchange of interests.
Through the wisdom of its sovereign, Riyadh has been able to follow regional and international developments and influence their course. He has gained a wide personal and first-hand knowledge of the international scene through his travels, which have led him to China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, France, Britain and the United States. There is also the wise and effective Arab role that characterizes the strength of the monarchy and gives it its political and economic weight. This has led the widely-circulated newspaper Le Monde, the most serious on the French scene, to say of the Saudi monarch: "He is a man of initiatives and of the dialogue of civilizations", after the kingdom had won the war against the terrorist outrages perpetrated by deviants misled into error.
In the midst of cares and preoccupations, the 'Servant of the Two Sanctuaries' does not neglect domestic needs. Thus, he promulgated, following consultations and studies, the "Management Organization" to fill constitutional gaps and guarantee stability in the coming decades.
It is the new Saudi legality, in the context of the wise administration of the "De Gaulle of the Arabs", King Abdallah being the protector of the values of political and moral action in all his practices, decisions and initiatives, careful to safeguard truth, however hard or painful it may be.
In this time of heavy anxieties and obsessions in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon, we thank God that there is a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz; otherwise, what security could we hope for, what salvation would be possible without him? Where would we look at moments of great disaster? In the face of tyranny and injustice, his decrees impose equity and justice with the sword of integrity. He is intensely aware of the sufferings of the Arabs, taking sound stances and denouncing plots, intrigues and the power politics of capitals deprived of dignity. He embodies what Montesquieu, father of the laws, once said: "Acts make great men, for they are a light in the tunnel of the world in the midst of the conspiracies of history".
Yes, King Abdallah bin Abdelaziz is distinguished as much by experience and grandeur as by modesty and wisdom. He is the compass of a particularly difficult period of Arab history, particularly in Baghdad and Jerusalem, by way of regions and capitals touched by conflagrations and earthquakes. With the same chivalrous spirit, the same courage, he gives sound counsel and works to promote understanding and consensus. O God, we beseech You to preserve him for us and for times of ordeals, and we are ready to respond to all that You demand of us in the form of a thousand prayers and a thousand acts of philanthropy, even of coating our faces with ashes, on condition that to his age You add several more ages...
...And a redoubled vitality, for our need of him is great, very great in these difficult times.
© Monday Morning 2006
