THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ AND CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY PREMIER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL ADDRESSED THE KINGDOM'S CITIZENS AND THE MUSLIM NATION CONGRATULATING THEM ON THE ADVENT OF THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN AND WISHING THEM MANY HAPPY RETURNS. IN A SPEECH READ ON RADIO AND TELEVISION BY MINISTER OF STATE, CABINET'S MEMBER FOR SHOURA COUNCIL'S AFFAIRS AND ACTING MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION DR. SAUD BIN SAEED AL-MUTHAMI, THE KING AND THE CROWN PRINCE SAID THAT RAMADAN IS THE MONTH OF BLESSINGS AND MERCY AND THAT GOOD DEEDS ARE DOUBLY REWARDED IN RAMADAN. THEY SAID, ''THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE MUSLIM NATION FACES GREAT EXTERNAL CHALLENGES. FROM TIME TO TIME, IT IS AFFLICTED WITH DARK TUMULT AND SUFFERS FROM SOME OF ITS PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT DEEPLY LOOKED AT THE TOLERANCE AND EASE OF THIS RELIGION. ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF AFFECTION, MERCY, TOLERANCE, DIALOGUE AND EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN HUMAN CIVILIZATION ADVANCEMENT. HAVING THE HONOR OF SERVING THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES, THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ALWAYS SENSES ITS ROLE, DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND ISLAM, SERVE MUSLIMS' INTERESTS AND EMBODY THEIR DIALOGUE WITH OTHER WORLD CULTURES, SOCIETIES AND RELIGIONS WITH THE AIM OF BUILDING A COHERENT AND SUPPORTIVE MUSLIM WORLD AND WITH A DESIRE TO STRENGTHEN CONCEPTS OF PEACE, JUSTICE AND PROSPERITY FOR THE ENTIRE HUMANITY. THIS HOLY MONTH RENEWS IN OUR MINDS COMMITMENT TO SUCH IDEALS, VALUES AND AIMS''.
