Saudi monarch calls on Muslims to denouce extremists' practices

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has called on the leaders and scholars of the Islamic Nation to assume their duties and face those trying to "hijack" Islam and project to the world a distorted and false image of it.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), King Abdulla expressed dismay at terrorists’ pride in killing of people and mutilating their bodies in the name of Islam
Below is the full text of the statement:
"In the name of Allah the Merciful
"And peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammed, his family and companions.
"Dear brothers in the Arab and Islamic Nations
"Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah Almighty:
"With the heart of a believer in the Almighty Allah who says in His Book: 'And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty' and 'and fitnah (trial) is worse than killing.' This trial (discord) which has found a fertile ground in our Arab and Islamic worlds and which has been given every facility by those biased and haters of our nation to the degree that it has been deluded to think that it has gained strength, spreading terrorism and corruption in the world and went deeper in falsehood ignoring the words of Almighty Allah 'Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs.'
"It is shameful and disgraceful that these terrorists are doing this in the name of religion, killing the people whose killing Almighty Allah has forbidden, and mutilating their bodies and feeling proud in publishing this. All in the name of religion which is innocent of them. They have distorted the image of Islam with its purity and humanity and smeared it with all sorts of bad qualities by their actions, their injustice, and crimes making all those who do not know the reality of Islam think that what comes out of these traitors reflects the message of the Prophet of mercy, peace be upon him, whom Allah Almighty said of him 'And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.'
"From the cradle of revelation and the birthplace of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), I call on leaders and scholars of the Islamic Nation to carry out their duty towards Allah Almighty and stand in the face of those trying to hijack Islam and present it to the world as a religion of extremism, hatred, and terrorism, and say the word of truth, and not fear anybody as our Nation today is going through a critical, historic stage, and history will be a witness against those who have been the tool exploited by the enemies to disperse and tear the Nation, and tarnish the pure image of Islam.
"In addition to all of this, we see the blood of our brothers in Palestine shed in collective massacres which have not excluded anyone and war crimes against humanity without any human or moral deterrence so that terrorism has gained various forms, whether groups, organisations or countries which are the most dangerous in their potential, intentions and plots. All of this is happening while the international community is watching silently with all its institutions and organisations, including the human rights ones. This community is silently observing what is happening in the whole region and is indifferent to what is happening, as if what is happening doesn't concern it. This silence has no justification. It is not aware that it will lead to the emergence of a generation that believes only in violence, rejecting peace and believing in the clash and not dialogue of civilisations.
"I mention here that ten years ago, in the Riyadh conference, we called for the creation of the International Centre for Counter-terrorism. The proposal was supported by the entire world at the time. The aim has been to coordinate among the states, but we were disappointed afterwards because of the lack of serious interaction by the international community with this idea, which has led to lack of activation of the proposed in a way that achieves the great hopes we pinned on it.
"Today, we say to those who fail to carry out their historic responsibilities against terrorism for temporary interests or suspicious schemes that they will be its first victims tomorrow as if they have not benefited from the experience of the recent past which did not spare anyone.
"O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness. O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness. O Allah, I have spoken; O Allah, bear witness 'And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.'
"Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings."