| Given the number of times throughout Muslim history that hosts have murdered those they invited to peace talks, attending might well be unwise. |
King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands Abdullah... Fifth out of 37 sons of King Abdulaziz to ascend to the throne. He is, after his half-brothers Bandar and Musa'id, the third eldest of the living sons of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Abdullah's mother is from the Rashid clan, longtime rivals of the Saud. He has 6 sons and 15 daughters and about $20 billion. His youngest son is just seven years old...
invited Iran's diminutive President
Mahmoud Short RoundAhmadinejad for an extraordinary summit of Mohammedan leaders to be held this month in the holy city of Mecca, state news agency SPA reported Sunday.
The Saudi monarch "sent a written letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inviting him to attend the extraordinary Islamic solidarity meeting which will be held in Mecca" in mid-August, SPA reported.
Tensions have been running high between the Sunni-dominated kingdom and Shiite Iran as both regional powers had taken opposite stances on the uprisings in Bahrain and Syria.
Iran had voiced support to a Shiite-led uprising in Bahrain which Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in their national face...
had sent troops to crush last year.
In Syria, the kingdom had called for arming rebels against the regime of
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Lord of the Baath...
-- who belongs to the Alawite minority, an off-shoot of Shiite Islam -- while Iran has been repeatedly accused of sending military aid to the Syrian government. Tehran has denied the claims.
Saudi Arabia last month called for the summit in a bid at "unifying the ranks" of Mohammedans.
Saudi Arabia hosts the headquarters of the 57-member pan-Mohammedan body -- the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which is based in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.