Dar Al Ifta’s 7th Intl. Conference in Egypt Focuses on Sustainable Development

Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam delivering the first speech at the Dar al-Ifta 7th international conference titled “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals.”
Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam delivering the first speech at the Dar al-Ifta 7th international conference titled “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals.”
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Dar Al Ifta’s 7th Intl. Conference in Egypt Focuses on Sustainable Development

Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam delivering the first speech at the Dar al-Ifta 7th international conference titled “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals.”
Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam delivering the first speech at the Dar al-Ifta 7th international conference titled “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals.”

Egypt's Dar al-Ifta 7th international conference titled “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals,” kicked off on Monday under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

An official statement issued during the conference stated that it will tackle “studies on sustainable development in light of Egypt’s hosting of the climate change summit in November.”

The conference will consider the social, environmental, and economic dimensions and the proper utilization of the available resources to meet the needs of individuals in light of current climate repercussions.

Scholars and Muftis from 90 countries are attending the religious event along with representatives of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

A documentary was screened at the start of the meeting to clarify the targets of religions and the importance of development as part of sustainability.

Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam delivered the opening speech at the conference. Minister of Awqaf Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa addressed the event on behalf of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli.

Undersecretary of Al-Azhar Mohamed el-Dawiny also delivered a speech on behalf of Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb.

Several important themes are at the top of the conference’s agenda.

The conference will highlight the role of fatwas in eliminating poverty and hunger and achieving the well-being of peoples.

It also discusses ways to re-establish human awareness towards environmental and climate issues.

Moreover, conference attendees will address the relationship between fatwas and sustainable development and how to contribute to climate protection.

The role of fatwas in facing development obstacles and supporting the national economy will also be discussed.

The conference will witness the launch of several global initiatives, including the announcement of an advisory charter to confront climate change.



Lebanon’s President Reveals the Country’s Stance on Relations with Israel

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
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Lebanon’s President Reveals the Country’s Stance on Relations with Israel

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)

Lebanon has no plans to have normal relations with Israel at the present time, and Beirut’s main aim is to reach a “state of no war” with its southern neighbor, the country’s president said Friday.

President Joseph Aoun’s comments came as the Trump administration is trying to expand the Abraham Accords signed in 2020 in which Israel signed historic pacts with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

In May, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said during a visit to France that his country is holding indirect talks with Israel to prevent military activities along their border from going out of control. Talks about peace between Israel and Syria have increased following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad from power in December.

Aoun added in comments released by his office that only the Lebanese state will have weapons in the future, and the decision on whether Lebanon would go to war or not would be for the Lebanese government.

Aoun’s comments were an apparent reference to the armed Hezbollah group that fought a 14-month war with Israel, during which it suffered major blows including the killing of some of its top political and military commanders.

Hezbollah says it has ended its armed presence near the border with Israel, but is refusing to disarm in the rest of Lebanon before Israel withdraws from five overlooking border points and ends its almost daily airstrikes on Lebanon.

Earlier this week, US envoy Tom Barrack met with Lebanese leaders in Beirut, saying he was satisfied with the Lebanese government’s response to a proposal to disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s weapons have been one of the principal sticking points since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. Since then, Hezbollah fought two wars with Israel, one in 2006, and the other starting a day after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.

The Hezbollah-Israel war, which ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November, left more than 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused destruction estimated at $11 billion. In Israel, 127 people, including 80 soldiers, were killed during the war.

“Peace is the state of no war and this is what is important for us in Lebanon at the present time,” Aoun was quoted as telling visitors on Friday. He added that “the matter of normalization (with Israel) is not included in Lebanon’s current foreign policy.”

Lebanon and Israel have been at a state of war since 1948.