RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh has affirmed that standing with the Palestinian people and condemning aggressive policies against them has been a steadfast principle of the Gulf Cooperation Council since its inception. The Palestinian cause is a critical issue for the Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia supports the Palestinian people and their legal rights, Sheikh Abdullatif said. The statement was made while he was heading the Kingdom’s delegation at the ninth meeting of GCC Islamic affairs and endowments ministers on Wednesday in Muscat, the Saudi Press Agency reported. “Palestine is not just a cause for the Palestinian people alone. It is an issue for all of us, the Islamic and Arab nations, and even humanity as a whole,” Sheikh Abdullatif said. “We have a duty to make this cause present in our consciousness and our religious discourse,” he said. The minister also addressed several other issues on the meeting’s agenda, particularly the protection of religious, moral and family values in the Gulf countries. He emphasized the importance of preserving cultural values in an era of technological advancement and globalization where barriers between countries and societies had fallen. He said that the ministries of Islamic affairs, religion and endowments had a responsibility to instill in youth the correct Islamic principles and values. This could only be achieved by treating the family as the nucleus of society. In addition, Sheikh Abdullatif presented a ministry report outlining an Islamic vision to protect the environment and combat climate change. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s key environmental initiatives, such as Green Riyadh and the Saudi and Middle East Green initiatives. He also emphasized the ministry’s ambitions to adopt new policies for building mosques, such as using greywater for irrigation and installing solar energy panels on rooftops.