Galileo Foundation granted on Monday Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Mohammed al-Issa the 2018 Galileo International Award.
During a ceremony in Florence, Italy, the Foundation said Issa received the award for his excellence in Islamic works and international achievements, praising his leading roles in promoting peace and harmony.
In his speech at the awards ceremony, Issa said it was his pleasure to meet a distinguished elite of clergy, politicians and intellectuals in Florence, highlighting the importance of adhering to the common denominators that unite people despite the diversity between nations.
Issa stressed the negative effects of private ambitions and political and material interests on overall peace and harmony, the threat they pose to rights and freedoms and the resulting brutal conflict. He stated that the real victory for each cause lies in its soft power and moral logic.
Issa noted that those leading a just cause are entitled to their victory, provided that it is civilized, because materialism does not recognize ethics and values.
He warned that human barbarism should not be overlooked by the international community, spiritual leaders or the general opinion leaders of different groups, underscoring the threat of religious, sectarian and political extremism.
He called for investment in awareness by educating future generations about common values, starting from the early stages of life, especially in the family and at school.
The Galileo Award is named after the Italian reformist, mathematician and physicist Galileo Galilei, who was sentenced to death by the Inquisition in 1616 for religious heresy. In March 2008, the Vatican went some way to amending its mistakes toward Galileo by placing a statue of him inside the Vatican walls.
This year’s award is granted for leadership in thought.
The Muslim community in Italy lauded the MWL for its leading role in the service of Islam. Leaders of the Muslim community also stressed the significance of the League and the universality of its discourse, which is helping confront negative campaigns about Muslims and Islam, especially by the far-right in a number of Western countries.
