Saudi King Calls Islamic Summit
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has called for an emergency Islamic summit in Mecca on August 14-15 to address major issues facing the Islamic world, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Sunday.
The King has called for “an extraordinary Islamic solidarity meeting to ensure… unity during this delicate time as the Muslim world faces dangers of fragmentation and sedition,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted Faisal as saying.
The Saudi monarch also also ordered a major fund-raising program for Syrians to alleviate their sufferings. The program which began on Monday covers all regions of the Kingdom.
The announcement comes amid heightened violence across Syria, where Opposition activists say more than 17,000 people have been killed since a popular uprising erupted in March 2011 against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni-ruled countries in the Gulf region have repeatedly voiced support for Syrian rebels fighting the Assad government.
