Gulf News
 
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
 
Riyadh:
The funeral of King Fahd, conducted in a simple manner, has encouraged a well-known Christian priest in Italy to embrace Islam, a Saudi preacher said.

The priest, whose name the source refused to reveal and who witnessed the late king's funeral on television, found that it was as simple as the funeral of an ordinary man.

Rome-based Saudi Islamic preacher Abdullah Al Malek told Gulf News that the simple funeral of King Fahd changed the priest's mind. The priest was already conversant with Islamic literature and had listened to several Muslim preachings on tape.

"The priest watched the funeral of King Fahd and another person on television and did not find any difference between the two. There was only one funeral prayer for the two and no separate prayer was held for the king. This great example of equality and the late king's simple grave influenced the priest and pro-mpted him to embrace Islam," Malek said.

"I was never moved by your Islamic books or cassettes, but the simple royal funeral shook me and changed my mind," Malek quoted the priest as saying.
 
 
http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/RegionNF.asp?ArticleID=178138