UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres affirmed his full support for the Muslim World League (MWL), especially in promoting the values of moderation around the world.
Guterres received the MWL Sec-Gen Mohammed al-Issa following the initiative's launch: "Building Bridges of Understanding and Peace between East and West."
Issa launched the initiative at the UN Headquarters, with the participation of the UN Presidency and its General Secretariat, the High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations, and the presence of senior international, religious, political, and intellectual leadership.
The UN Sec-Gen said that religious leaders have a significant role in supporting peace and harmony, stressing that religions are not the cause of wars in the world, but rather they bring people together.
The meeting witnessed a discussion of issues of common interest between the UN and the MWL and enhanced prospects for bilateral cooperation.
They addressed the outputs and programs of the initiative and the mechanisms for activating them.
It witnessed the interaction of international and UN leaders and religious, intellectual, and academic leadership, who reiterated the importance of this initiative in their speeches.
The leaders announced their full support for expanding the initiative's scope as part of the international institutional activity pivotal to the peace and harmony of the world and its societies.
They also asserted the importance of activating the initiative's ideas on the ground, including launching a global day for the Alliance of Civilizations between East and West, stressing the importance of respecting the specifics of each civilization's religious and cultural identity.
Issa praised the wisdom of the United Nations in dealing with religious issues around the world and harnessing the provisions of its charter to bring about peace, sensing the importance of the significant religious contribution.
He stated that about 80 percent of people worldwide respect religions and believe in their contribution to peace and harmony, especially the enhancement of coexistence.
The MWL leader commended the UN Charter and expressed his appreciation to the UN Secretary-General for supporting the League's latest conference: "Building Bridges of Understanding and Peace between East and West," at the headquarters in New York.
He warned against the danger of the discourse on the civilizational conflict between East and West and the division of the world into warring camps, calling on the countries worldwide to work for the success of their UN Charter.
Issa's speech addressed the dangers of materialistic exploitation of religion, shedding light on the League's efforts as regards climate files, immigrant and displaced issues, and other pressing issues in the world.
Issa declared that the UN Secretary-General affirmed his full support for the work of the League, especially in promoting the values of moderation around the world.
"The international organization is working to combat Islamophobia and hatred of the other."
The UN Secretary-General confirmed that there is an unreal image of Islam and that social media sites increase hatred due to posting many lies at the expense of correct information.
