"A new interreligious dialogue centre backed by Saudi Arabia is stirring up controversy in Vienna and abroad even before its official inauguration.
The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue -- in short KAICIID -- will officially open its doors on Monday [tomorrow.]
Set up jointly by Saudia Arabia, Spain and Austria, the KAICIID will have the status of an international organisation.
But critics say that the centre -- entirely financed by Saudi Arabia and named after its king, who initiated the idea -- could be used by Riyadh to spread the radical brand of Islam known as Wahhabism, and divert attention from human rights violations and lack of religious freedom at home [in Saudi Arabia.]”
Last month, Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez Garcia-Herrera oversaw
the signing of a contract between the three nations.
2 comments:
This is not a good idea. However, it is clear that in the need for plentiful supplies of oil , the Saudi regime will always be cotowed to. The critics of the "project" are right.
BTW, My blog on Central Eastern Europe is going to be back in action again.
Yes, oil speaks all languages these days and it is the height of hypocricy for the Saudis to pretend to support multi-faiths. Spain should know better than to get behind this. I'll look forward to your blog on Central Eastern Europa restarting, Karl.
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