NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its support for the initiative of the high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Moratinos, to safeguard religious sites. The Kingdom said that attacks on places of worship and the encroachment on these places is a terrorist act that requires to be addressed. This support was reaffirmed during a speech by the Faisal Al-Haqbani, the special political and decolonization committee’s official from the Kingdom’s permanent delegation to the UN, in a meeting of the UNAOC at the UN headquarters in New York. Attacks on places of worship are terrorist acts that must be combatted, said Al-Haqbani, who thanked Moratinos and the UNAOC for holding the meeting. Many ongoing conflicts broke out due to religious, linguistic or ethnic differences, Al-Haqbani added.  He stressed that the increasing attacks on places of worship and the encroachment on these places are terrorist acts. These practices and acts that fuel terrorism and spread ideas of hatred and practices of injustice and civilizational clash must be confronted by all. Saudi Arabia serves the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah and receives millions of worshippers, making it a leader in managing huge crowds in small areas, he said. The initiative of Moratinos promotes love, peace and security, and confronts all those who violate holy sites, Al-Haqbani said, proposing the criminalization of attacks on places of worship. He affirmed that the Kingdom supports the initiative of the high representative and is ready to provide all the support in this field. He stressed that personal freedom does not justify aggression against human values, nor the destruction of social systems.