The Iraqi Scholars Forum, which was held in Makkah on Wednesday, endorsed the establishment of a joint coordinating committee that brings together Islamic spiritual clerics and the Muslim World League to follow up on the initiatives of the forum and promote coordination between the scholars in the coming stage.
The final statement included 11 items that focused on rationalizing religious fatwas to achieve the purposes of legislation in preserving the five necessities, “religion, soul, mind, honor and money” at the individual and societal levels.
The final statement for the forum, which was held under the auspices of the Muslim World League, stipulated opening channels of constructive dialogue and positive communication between scholars to address emerging issues and renewed crises.
The statement also stressed the importance of spreading common values brought by Islamic Sharia to build the nation, achieve citizenship, spread the spirit of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and moderation, and reject extremism and fanaticism.
The participants thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for their efforts in sponsoring initiatives that promote peaceful coexistence and civilized dialogue and confront extremism and violence in the Arab and Islamic worlds, including Iraq.
The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, stressed the importance to maintain fraternal understanding, optimal coexistence, cooperation and integration between Sunnis and Shiites, while respecting the particularity of each sect within the religion of Islam.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Bahr al-Ulum, who spoke on behalf of the Shiite clerics, said that moderation was one of the most beautiful characteristics of the Iraqi nation, with a doctrine and Sharia that make it able to achieve the balance required for the progress of mankind. This characteristic does not mean inclusion and closure, he underlined.
He added that the challenge faced by Muslims in general, and in Iraq in particular, was to achieve moderation and counter the manifestations of violence that unfortunately take the Islamic religion as a cover.
