Jeddah, May 21, 2019, SPA -- President of the United Arab Emirates Ifta Council, Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, in his name and on behalf of the Ifta Council's members expressed thanks to and appreciations of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for being received by the King, and sincere gratitude for his generous directives, in which he demonstrated Islam's tolerance and moderation, and that Islam is far from extremism, excess and negligence, in addition to his call for peace, coexistence, brotherhood and harmony. He praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH Crown Prince in the service of the two holy mosques and the care being provided to pilgrims and Umrah performers regardless of their different sects and races, which is a continuous approach since the time of the founder King Abdulaziz Al Saud. He praised the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom in combating speech of hatred, correcting misconceptions and consolidating the values of moderation, citing the establishment of Global Center for Combating Extremism (Etidal), the Ideological Warfare Center, and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition. He also stressed that these efforts and initiatives consolidate the leading role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as custodian of the two holy mosques, and a champion of solidarity among the Arab and Muslim peoples, as well as hosting the Muslim World League. Sheikh Bayyah pointed out that the Kingdom plays a special role in presenting the true religion of Islam, and is working to take care of security, stability, and the support of the crucial issues of Muslims. At the conclusion of his statement, the President of the United Arab Emirates Ifta Council affirmed the solidity of historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, pointing out the importance of these relations as a cornerstone for establishing peace in the region and the world at large. --SPA 05:48 LOCAL TIME 02:48 GMT 0041 www.spa.gov.sa/w1106508