MWL Initiative to Establish Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia

MWL head Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa on Sunday announced the league’s initiative to establish the Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia (SPA)
MWL head Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa on Sunday announced the league’s initiative to establish the Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia (SPA)
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MWL Initiative to Establish Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia

MWL head Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa on Sunday announced the league’s initiative to establish the Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia (SPA)
MWL head Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa on Sunday announced the league’s initiative to establish the Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia (SPA)

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa on Sunday announced the league’s initiative to establish the Al-Nejashi Mosque in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council praised this historic project, which holds cherished significance for the Islamic nation and the Ethiopian people.

Al-Issa, the president of the Association of Muslim Scholars, visited Awolia College in Addis Ababa, where he interacted with staff and students.

He praised the college graduates involved in Islamic and humanitarian efforts, stressing the importance of advancing this work.

In his speech, Al-Issa expressed gratitude to Sheikh Haji Ibrahim, the president of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, and those overseeing the administration of the college.

He acknowledged Ethiopia as a country of profound significance to every Muslim, as it welcomed the Prophet and his companions, providing refuge from injustice, oppression, and tyranny under its just ruler, Nejashi.

The Prophet is reported to have said: “If you go to the land of Abyssinia, you will find a king there who does not oppress anyone. It is a land of truth.”

Following this, Al-Issa inaugurated the endowment (waqf) of Awolia College in Addis Ababa.

The event was attended by the president of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, the mufti, the mayor of Addis Ababa, and several academics.

Sheikh Haji Ibrahim expressed his gratitude for the MWL delegation’s visit to Awolia College.

He said that the people of Ethiopia warmly welcome the delegation as they visit their second homeland, following in the footsteps of their ancestors who sought refuge there.

He reminded the audience that the MWL established Awolia College as the first Islamic social and humanitarian institution in the country.

He further noted that the MWL continues to support all Muslims in Ethiopia, driven by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which established this umbrella organization for all the peoples of the Islamic world.



Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
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Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.

"We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That's the key point of the entire negotiations," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, Reuters reported.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week.

Sheikh Mohammed didn't say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations.

He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.

"When you don't have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The Gaza war started after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, Israel's offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.