Riyadh, KL to discuss peace centre on April 10

KUALA LUMPUR: A delegation from Saudi Arabia will arrive in Malaysia on April 10 to discuss plans to build the King Salman Centre for Global Peace here, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said several countries, including Qatar and the United States, supported the initiative, which aimed to combat extreme narratives propagated by the Islamic State.

“We have to show the world that IS is not the true face of Islam. We have to show the world that wasatiyyah (moderation) is the true face of Islam,” he said at the Parliament lobby here yesterday.

He expressed hope that Asean countries would support the project, which would be spearheaded by Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

“We will also think about how to expand the centre. (Saudi ruler) King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud and I have agreed to implement this initiative in 90 days (since it was announced on Feb 28).”

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said he had chaired several special committee meetings to establish the centre within 90 days.

“This centre will not only introduce ways to fight terror but will also bring forward themes based on true Islam,” he said.

He said the centre would focus on efforts to curb extreme ideologies, with the cooperation of various countries on the international stage.