Congress of Leaders of World, Traditional Religions Praises Makkah Declaration for Promoting Peace

Secretary of the Muslim World League (MWL) Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa addressing the audience in the Kazakhstan conference in a recorded speech (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary of the Muslim World League (MWL) Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa addressing the audience in the Kazakhstan conference in a recorded speech (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Congress of Leaders of World, Traditional Religions Praises Makkah Declaration for Promoting Peace

Secretary of the Muslim World League (MWL) Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa addressing the audience in the Kazakhstan conference in a recorded speech (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary of the Muslim World League (MWL) Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa addressing the audience in the Kazakhstan conference in a recorded speech (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The final statement of the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions praised the historic Makkah Declaration, which was signed by the grand Imams and Muftis of the Islamic world and scholars in Makkah, stressing its importance in promoting peace, dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect, for the good of humanity.

The Congress brought together more than 100 delegations of major religious leaders influential on the international scene in the presence of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Secretary of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa had assigned his deputy, Abdul Rahman Al-Zayd, to represent the international Islamic NGO at the Congress’s forum activities.

In a recorded speech that was played at the Congress, Al-Issa addressed some broad headlines about the importance of “common values.”

The MWL chief also stressed that religious diplomacy is an important and influential tool in the context of promoting these values.

In the videotaped speech, Al-Issa reiterated the importance of dialogue and conscious civilizational and cultural communication, saying most conflicts throughout human history have been the result of ideas on religions, which only express the orientations of their beholders.
Islamic leaders participating in the Congress’s activities praised the Makkah Declaration as a qualitative historical achievement and a significant turning point in contemporary Islamic history.

They said that the Declaration, in its legitimate and intellectual context, embraces all Islamic sects.

The Makkah Declaration was celebrated on various international platforms with its religious and cultural diversity and was adopted by the Islamic countries at the meeting of their foreign ministers in Niamey, Niger.

The document became a reference in training imams in several countries and was considered with great appreciation for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, who sponsored its international conference held in Makkah in 2019, organized by MWL, and signed by 1,200 muftis and scholars and more than 4,500 Islamic thinkers.



Makkah Hosts Second ‘Building Bridges’ Conference on Islamic Unity

Organized by the Muslim World League, the event will bring together leading Islamic scholars and muftis from across sects and schools of thought
Organized by the Muslim World League, the event will bring together leading Islamic scholars and muftis from across sects and schools of thought
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Makkah Hosts Second ‘Building Bridges’ Conference on Islamic Unity

Organized by the Muslim World League, the event will bring together leading Islamic scholars and muftis from across sects and schools of thought
Organized by the Muslim World League, the event will bring together leading Islamic scholars and muftis from across sects and schools of thought

Makkah will host the second edition of the international conference “Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects” on Thursday, under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Organized by the Muslim World League, the event will bring together leading Islamic scholars and muftis from across sects and schools of thought, representing more than 90 countries.

The conference aims to foster greater Islamic unity by moving beyond traditional dialogues to practical initiatives.

Discussions will focus on implementing programs outlined in the Building Bridges Between Islamic Sects charter, coordinating efforts to address shared challenges, and establishing structured initiatives that promote moderation while countering sectarian rhetoric and practices.

The conference will reinforce Islamic solidarity across sects while reaffirming the achievements of last year’s edition in Makkah.

It aims to expand the Muslim coalition initiative through structured programs derived from keynote speeches, panel discussions, and anticipated recommendations.

The inaugural conference and its unifying charter embodied Islam’s wisdom and inclusivity, laying the foundation for coordinated efforts among moderate Islamic forces—regardless of sect or school of thought—for the benefit of the Muslim world.

It also sought to counter extremism and radicalism, which have distorted the true image of Islam.

This year’s edition continues to uphold a shared vision rooted in unity and cooperation. Scholars from across the Islamic world will gather at Islam’s holiest site to foster deeper solidarity, moving beyond historical apprehensions toward a future defined by brotherhood and mutual respect.

The first conference concluded with a landmark Building Bridges document comprising 28 articles focused on tolerance and inter-sectarian cohesion.

Participants pledged to uphold its principles and integrate them within their academic institutions and national communities while respecting local laws and international regulations.

They also urged religious bodies, societal leaders, and national institutions to endorse and support the charter’s objectives.