THE message of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to the intellectuals of the country and the Arab world, on the sidelines of the Janadriya Festival of Heritage and Culture on Friday, reflected his concern for humanity. The King, who is always clear in his position, defended Islam, Arabism, Islamic values and ethics. If we carefully read the King's words, we will see that they were a message about the meaning of power and leadership as he spelled out his position on the Syrian crisis. King Abdullah's position is steadfast, clear and unequivocal. His words struck the right note when he mentioned Russia and China. King Abdullah said Russia and China, which vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria, cannot rule the world. Only those who uphold the principles of justice and ethics can do so. King Abdullah's words did not stop there. He added an important point when he said: “We all used to take pride in the United Nations which used to bring us together and not divide us ... but what took place does not auger well as world confidence in the United Nations has undoubtedly been shaken.” Alluding to the blocking by Russia and China of the Security Council resolution condemning the crackdown on the Syrian people by the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, he said: “No matter how powerful, countries cannot rule the whole world. The world is ruled by brains, by justice, by morals and fairness.” Al-Assad's regime is reported to have killed more than 6,000 people as Syrian security forces have sealed protest centers, particularly the city of Homs, so that residents cannot go out and others cannot come in to help them. Addressing the intellectuals, King Abdullah said: “You struggled to serve your religion and country. The Kingdom opens its doors to you and everyone like you who serves his religion and country.” May Allah the Almighty protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques! May Allah the Almighty end the suffering of our Syrian brothers and sisters! __
