His Majesty King Abdullah stressed the importance of the role and efforts of US Arab and Muslim leaders in highlighting the true image of Islam, especially amid attempts to distort Islam by extremists and terrorists. During a meeting with representatives of the Arab and Muslim organisations in Washington, King Abdullah said terrorism is the most pressing challenge facing the whole world and fighting it remains a priority for the Arabs and Muslims, because it’s our war in the first place.

The King asserted that the war on terrorism, which threatens many countries, in Asia and Africa, should be mounted in within a holistic approach against extremist and terrorist organisations, particularly the terrorist Daesh group.

In this context, His Majesty said there is a central role of Arab and Muslim organisations the US in supporting efforts by various parties to address the threat of terrorism and extremism, by highlighting the true image of Islam and its values and teachings of tolerance, and build bridges of cooperation, understanding and love between the East and the West.

The King pointed out that the war on terror has an ideological aspect in addition to its military and security aspects. His Majesty warned that Islamophobia has become rampant in Western societies.

The King spoke about the latest developments in Syria, and international efforts to achieve a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis to end the cycle of violence and killings and stop the suffering of the Syrian people.

His Majesty highlighted burdens being borne by Jordan as a result of hosting about 1.4 million Syrian refugees and providing them with basic needs and services. The King called on the international community to stand by the Jordan and extend more support to the Kingdom.

In this context, His Majesty referred to a conference to be held in London early next month with the participation of a large number of Western countries, which will discuss ways who to address the Syrian refugee problem in the world in general, and in Jordan in particular.

The King called for addressing economic challenges in the Middle East, particularly high unemployment rates and widespread poverty, warning that economic hardships and the lack of opportunities make young people in the Middle East a prey to terrorism and extremism.

His Majesty described the Palestinian cause as the crux of the conflict in the region, stressing the importance of reviving the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, saying that the absence of peace negotiations fuels violence and increases extremism in the region pushes it into the unknown.