King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia said Wednesday at the start of an interfaith conference that religion should not be blamed for history’s conflict, but rather extremism.

My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don't need to lead to disputes," Abdullah said through a Spanish interpreter, according to The Associated Press. "The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but because of the extremism that has been adopted by some followers of all the religions, and of all political systems."