TUNISIA: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA ARRIVES ON TOUR OF ARAB WORLD - VISIT GRAND MOSQUE IN TUNIS

Record ID: 189665

  • Title: TUNISIA: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA ARRIVES ON TOUR OF ARAB WORLD - VISIT GRAND MOSQUE IN TUNIS
  • Date: 22nd September 1966
  • Summary: KING FEISAL ARRIVING OFF PLANE AT TUNIS AIRPORT AND BEING GREETED BY PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA OF TUNISIA; GUARD OF HONOUR; KING FEISAL MEETING FOREIGN AMBASSADORS; THE TWO LEADERS LEAVING IN AN OPEN CAR; KING FEISAL ARRIVING AT THE GRAND MOSQUE, PRAYING AND SPEAKING WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS. Initials RM/VS/MGT/GLH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th October 1966 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Reuters ID: LVADW64H9PMMN5OLX417NAWIV3GL
  • Story Text: KING FEISAL OF SAUDI ARABIA VISITED HISTORIC SECTIONS OF TUNIS YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) ON HIS STATE VISIT TO TUNISISA, AND AT THE END OF HIS TOUR OF MOSLEM COUNTRIES IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST. KING FEISAL, WHO ARRIVED IN TUNIS BY AIR ON SUNDAY, MADE A TOUR YESTERDAY THAT INCLUDED TUNIS' GREAT NINTH-CENTURY GRAND MOSQUE.

    HUGE CROWDS TURNED OUT AT THE TUNIS AIRPORT TO GREET KING FEISAL ON HIS ARRIVAL FROM MALI. THE WELCOMING PARTY OF TOP-RANKING GOVERNMENT AND CIVILIAN LEADERS INCLUDED TUNISIA'S PRESIDENT HABIB BOURGUIBA. THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF YOUTH AND SPORTING ORGANISATIONS GAVE THE ROYAL VISITOR A GREAT OVATION AS HE STEPPED FROM HIS JET AIRCRAFT. ALL SPORTING EVENTS HAD BEEN CANCELLED TO ENABLE TUNISIANS TO COME OUT IN FORCE TO GREET THE KING, AND MANY HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE AIRPORT IN SPECIAL BUSES.

    KING FEISAL IS THE FIRST ARAB HEAD OF STATE TO VISIT TUNISIA SINCE PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA BROKE WITH THE ARAB LEAGUE AFTER QUARRELLING WITH THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC OVER PALESTINE NEARLY 18 MONTHS AGO. THE KING'S VISIT ROUNDS OFF A TOUR OF MOSLEM COUNTRIES AIMED AT SEEKING SUPPORT FOR AN ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE. PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA IS BELIEVED TO FAVOUR THE PLAN.

    THE SAUDI ARABIAN KING AND PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA DISCUSSED THE PRESENT SITUATION IN THE ARAB WORLD IN TALKS ON MONDAY. LATER, THEY ISSUED A JOINT COMMUNIQUE SAYING THEY FELT THERE WAS LITTLE SCOPE FOR FRUITAL CO-OPERATION IN THE ARAB WORLD BECAUSE OF WORSENING RELATIONS. THE COMMUNIQUE DID NOT MENTION THE PALESTINE OR YEMEN PROBLEMS.

    ON THE FOURTH DAY OF HIS ONE WEEK VISIT YESTERDAY, KING FEISAL VISITED THE GRAND--"EZ-ZITOUNA"--MOSQUE IN TUNIS. HE WAS ESCORTED AROUND THE MOSQUE, BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST AFRICA, BY SHEIKH FADHEL BEN ACHOUJ, THE GRAND MUFTI OF TUNISIA. THE MOSQUE HAS BEEN A CENTRE NOT ONLY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE BUT OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE, AND WAS A RALLYING POINT FOR YOUNG TUNISIAN NATIONALISTS DURING THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE FOR FRANCE.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register