Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Mohammad al-Issa criticized the theory of the inevitable clash of civilizations proposed by Samuel Huntington in his book, “The Clash of Civilizations.”
He warned that by omitting discussions on common human values, the author pre-determined his theory and gave life to several extremist ideologies.
Issa said that the MWL and its partners around the world founded the “Alliance of Civilizations” to serve as an alternative to the clash of civilizations.
He noted that the United Nations recognized its importance and established an international organization for this purpose: the UN Alliance of Civilizations initiative.
Issa made his remarks during a keynote address at the Rimini Forum in Rimini, Italy. It is the largest gathering in the world of European youth and promotes friendship among people. More than one million attendees including young people, university students, religious leaders, political leaders, intellectuals, and academics were present at the event.
Issa began his speech by underscoring the importance of forums, such as the one in Rimini, that help raise awareness about the importance of understanding and cooperation among nations and peoples.
He praised the forum’s willingness to address crucial issues, such as racism and the theory of the inevitable clash of civilizations.
He further explained that the human values shared across civilizations and cultures are reflections of the “pure instinct” or values instilled in every human being.
Human history is full of disagreements and diverse philosophies, but within those disagreements moral commonalities abound, he remarked.
Moreover, when people are stripped of this faith or ignore their inner belief they are confronted with an ambiguous and absurd existential crisis that leads to selfish materialism, he warned.
He warned against materialistic excess because it leads to selfishness and dangerous consequences for world peace and communal harmony.
Issa later offered an analytical critique of the work and ideas of prominent Western thinkers, including philosopher and cleric Luigi Giussani, who presented a unique proposal on religious knowledge in his famous work, “Religious Sense.”
He also tackled freedom, stressing that it is an essential part of the foundation of both human and religious values.
He stated that freedom and law are intertwined, and that freedom is defined by the laws of each country along with its societal values.
