Al-Issa Discusses Bridging Misunderstandings Between Islam, the West

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Issa Discusses Bridging Misunderstandings Between Islam, the West

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa was honored as the guest speaker at Club 44 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, for its 80th anniversary.

His lecture, titled “Islam and the West: Understanding Differences and Addressing Misunderstandings,” drew leaders from various Swiss political parties.

Al-Issa is the first Arab Muslim to speak at this respected European forum, which has previously hosted heads of state and prominent thinkers.

The MWL chief also accepted an invitation from the Swiss Forum on International Politics to deliver a lecture on the urgent need for renewed dialogue amid geopolitical tensions.

The event, attended by the forum’s president Bertrand Louis, along with policy makers, thinkers, and media figures, included a lively discussion on key global issues linked to the lecture’s themes and Islamic perspectives.

Participants commended the “Makkah Document” for its inclusive vision of global Islam and urged broader distribution.

Moreover, Florence Notter, the Neuchâtel State Councilor, met with Al-Issa in her political office at the historic Neuchâtel Castle.

During the meeting, they discussed issues related to multicultural social solidarity. Al-Issa was also briefed on the facilities of the castle, which date back to the eleventh century.

Notter wished Al-Issa success in his forthcoming lecture at the 80th anniversary celebration of the prestigious Club 44, which focuses on intellectual studies and regularly hosts policymakers, intellectuals, heads of state, and senior philosophers.

As part of his visit, Al-Issa chaired the annual board meeting of the Geneva-based Islamic Cultural Foundation, an independent Swiss institution with a strong presence across Europe.

The foundation’s Islamic center was inaugurated in an official ceremony by the late King Khalid of Saudi Arabia.

The board discussed several agenda items, focusing particularly on Islamic issues within European communities.



Saudi Interior Minister, Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security Discuss Regional Security Development

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Interior Minister, Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security Discuss Regional Security Development

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received a phone call on Sunday from Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs of the Republic of Singapore K Shanmugam.

During the call, the two officials discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and current security developments amid the Iranian attacks targeting regional security and stability, SPA reported.

They also affirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation and coordination in support of regional security and stability, in addition to discussing a number of topics of mutual interest.

Shanmugam expressed his country's condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, affirming Singapore's solidarity with the Kingdom and the GCC states in all measures aimed at enhancing security and stability.


Saudi Arabia Condemns Riots Targeting UAE Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Riots Targeting UAE Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia called for the protection of diplomatic missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the riots, assaults, and attempted vandalism that targeted the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the residence of its head of mission in Damascus.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom also slammed the “unacceptable offenses directed at the national symbols of the brotherly UAE.”

The ministry stressed the Kingdom’s “rejection of these attacks and all forms of violence against diplomats, stressing the need to ensure the protection of diplomats and diplomatic missions in line with relevant international laws and conventions.”

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi also slammed the attack against the UAE embassy in Damascus, urging Syrian authorities to hold those responsible to account.


Oman, Iran Hold Talks on Strait of Hormuz

Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
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Oman, Iran Hold Talks on Strait of Hormuz

Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)
Traffic passing a huge political billboard reading in Persian "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed", in Enghelb square in Tehran, Iran, 05 April 2026. (EPA)

Oman and Iran held talks on easing passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Omani state news agency reported Sunday, with the key shipping chokepoint effectively closed due to war in the Middle East.

"Oman and Iran held a meeting at the deputy ministers level in the foreign ministries of the two countries, with the attendance of specialists from both sides, during which the possible options were discussed regarding ensuring the smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz," the news agency posted on X.

"The experts from both sides put forward a number of visions and proposals regarding it," it added.