Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan visits Saudi Arabia

Published	18 May 2009

The first Western Minister to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Umrah)

Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan is this week visiting Saudi Arabia to examine the interaction between faith and state with key decision makers in Government and faith institutions and also to learn more about the counter-radicalisation programmes being carried out in the country.

Photo: Sadiq Khan shaking hands with Dr Abdullah Al Luhaidan, Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Sadiq Khan with Dr Abdullah Al Luhaidan

His four-day visit also seeks to promote a better public understanding of the position of Muslims and Islam in the UK and on Tuesday he will make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Umrah), the first Western Minister to do so in an official capacity.

In Riyadh on Sunday, Sadiq Khan discussed the interfaith work of the Saudi Government with Dr Abdullah Al Luhaidan, Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs and the two ministers agreed to exchange further ideas on how the two countries could work together in the future.

Speaking following their discussions Sadiq Khan said:

"The work the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has done with mosques and imams in Saudi Arabia was revealing. It is interesting how the Ministry team is devolving responsibility for regulation and supervision for over 70,000 mosques and ensuring that imams have a high standard of training and practice.

"We discussed how the Ministry and its scholars can work with British scholars in potentially exciting ways. Dr Abdullah emphasised the importance of interfaith dialogue. He was particularly interested in some of the work underway in the UK in developing the role of faith buildings as community hubs and we agreed to exchange further ideas as to how we could work together."

On Sunday Sadiq Khan also attended a session of the chamber of the Saudi Consultative Assembly (Majlis al Shura), and met with the Committee on Islamic Affairs and Human Rights.

He said:

"The meeting with the Committee on Islamic Affairs and Human Rights was illuminating. The Council are looking at new ways of making decisions which are more transparent.

"The President of the Committee, Shaykh Aazeb al Misbel, was honest and frank on some of the common challenges facing both our countries and he outlined the importance of sharing best practice to undermine extremists who mislead young people."