Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah

Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah on Wednesday called for tough action by governments against those who misuse freedom of expression to attack divine religions and Prophets.

Addressing the 17th Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Algiers, he said such provocative actions were threatening global peace and stability.

“Saudi Arabia emphasizes its commitment to the movement’s principles to face the rapidly changing regional and international situations,” the prince told the gathering.

He added: “The international law is violated and the principles of human rights and freedom of expression are exploited to insult religions and their symbols for political purposes.”

The Kingdom cautions that the escalation of this grave and massive violations threatens world peace. Therefore, the Kingdom calls on assessing and reviewing the role and effectiveness of the movement in protecting and promoting security and stability in the world.

“Based on the principles of the movement, we are looking forward to a more active and positive role to support the Palestinian people and their national authority to obtain their legitimate rights including an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” the deputy minister said.

He said Saudi Arabia strongly condemns all acts carried out by the Israeli occupation authority in Jerusalem to change the historical and religious identity and legal status of the holy places in the city.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and is totally committed to its provisions, Prince Abdul Aziz said. Thus, the Kingdom is committed to make the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, he added.

Saudi Arabia rejects and condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, he said, adding that the Kingdom cooperates with the international community to eliminate this universal evil.