Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud welcomed participants at the International Conference on Women in Islam: Status and Empowerment, currently held in Jeddah. In his opening speech, he said, “I welcome you all to the city of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” expressing his gratitude for their generous response to the Kingdom’s invitation to hold this important conference, which is under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him.
The Foreign Minister stated that the conference aims to illustrate the status and role of women in our noble religion, both historically and presently, and their rights guaranteed for education and Islamic values, as well as their vital role in the journey of development and evolution of our societies and nations. It will also discuss various challenges they face and ways to overcome them.
He added that the various and compounded challenges faced by women in areas of war and armed conflict, such as violence, poverty, fear, marginalization, and the absence of healthcare and education for their children, necessitate our earnest efforts to protect and support these most affected and vulnerable groups.
“We gather today under the tough conditions experienced by Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip under the continuous Israeli violations of international laws and humanitarian principles, amidst the silence and inaction of the international community to fulfill its duties and responsibilities to stop the escalation, stem the bloodshed, and ensure immediate access to urgent and necessary humanitarian aid,” he continued.
He strongly condemned and denounced the violations and illegal practices and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinian women and the Palestinian people at large by the Israeli war machine, praising their pivotal role and significant sacrifices for the justice of their cause.
He went on to say, “Muslim women today face many challenges, harassments, and discrimination in some other countries amidst a wave of restrictive legislations on their rights to wear the hijab and others due to the burden of Islamophobia, which contradicts the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979.”
He explained that “women are the pillars of the family and society where our noble Islamic religion has honored women, guaranteed their full rights, legislated their duties, and ordered us not to discriminate against them or impede their opportunities, whether in political, economic, social, scientific matters, or others. Our Islamic history is filled with bright examples and pioneering achievements of Muslim women in their societies from the time of prophecy to the present day.”
He pointed out that “despite this, women have not been spared from the injustice of some customs and traditions in various societies throughout the ages and attempts to link them to religion through some oppressive interpretations and readings that contradict the clemency of Islam.”
