Moved by Simplicity of Royal Funeral, Priest Embraces Islam

Moved by Simplicity of Royal Funeral, Priest Embraces Islam

The funeral of King Fahd, which was conducted in a simple manner in Riyadh
earlier this month, has encouraged a well-known Christian priest in Italy to
embrace Islam, press reports said.

The priest, who watched the late king's funeral on satellite television, was
impressed by the lack of pomp and pageantry in the royal funeral, Al-Riyadh
Arabic daily reported without mentioning his name.

King Fahd was buried in Al-Oud graveyard the next day of his death after a
solemn funeral ceremony attended by world leaders.

Islamic preacher Dr. Abdullah Al-Malik said the simple funeral of the king
had a dramatic effect on the priest's mind, which led him to Islam.
"Although he had read several Islamic books before, they didn't have the
same impact."

This is the second high-profile reversion to Islam by an Italian involving
Saudi Arabia. Four years ago, Italian Ambassador to Riyadh Torquato Cardilli
embraced Islam.

"The priest watched the funeral of King Fahd and another person on
television and did not find any difference," Malik said. "There was only a
single funeral prayer for the two and both were buried in similar graves.
This great example of equality influenced the priest and prompted him to
embrace Islam," Malik said.

Muslim preachers in Italy had given the priest Islamic books and cassettes
in the past 15 years, but what moved him was the simplicity of the royal
funeral.

"I had read several Islamic books and heard many Islamic cassettes over the
past years, they never moved me. But the simple royal funeral shook me and
changed my mind," Malik quoted the priest as saying.

He said he believed the king's funeral would change the mind of many others.
He urged Muslim media to focus on stories related to Islam's tolerance and
equality in order to attract more people to the religion.

"I will work the rest of my life for the propagation of Islam," the
62-year-old former priest said.

Badr Al-Olayan, director of the Islamic Education Foundation in Jeddah, said
the priest's reversion to Islam was "very good news." He narrated the story
of another Italian who came to IEF office to embrace Islam after being
impressed by the large and orderly congregation of Muslims at the Grand
Mosque in Makkah to perform prayers.

"How can you assemble such a large number of people by just making a call.
It's impossible. Only God can do that," he quoted the Italian as saying.

Olayan urged Muslims to do more in order to take the message of Islam to
other people.

Ambassador Cardilli, 60, embraced Islam on Nov. 15, 2001. "I am fully
convinced of the truth of Islam through my regular reading of God's final
revelation, the Holy Qur'an," Cardilli was quoted as saying at the time.


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