Nouakchott Declaration Approves Formation of Peacemaking Committee in Tension Areas in Africa

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Mohammad bin al-Issa and Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (MWL)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Mohammad bin al-Issa and Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (MWL)
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Nouakchott Declaration Approves Formation of Peacemaking Committee in Tension Areas in Africa

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Mohammad bin al-Issa and Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (MWL)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Mohammad bin al-Issa and Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (MWL)

The "Nouakchott Declaration," issued by the Prophet's Biography Conference in Mauritania, stressed on Thursday the necessity of the initiative of senior scholars and sheikhs to reconcile among people and resolve disputes amicably.

The declaration warned against the growing conflicts in Muslim countries, especially in the countries of the African continent, which was the first place of immigration and the wealthiest continent in material and human resources.

The conference was titled: "The Role of Scholars and Sheikhs in Peacemaking and Enhancing Islamic Relations between Peoples and Nations – Africa as a Model”. It was inaugurated by the Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Sheikh Mohammad bin al-Issa, and Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

The declaration urged Muslims in Africa to listen to what their most honorable Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said as he commanded the rejection of bigotry and warned against internal strife.

Prophet Mohammed likened the Muslim Nation to one body, enacted a system of brotherhood, established the first constitution for the coexistence of residents who differ in their beliefs, and concluded peace contracts with those who accepted peace and were inclined to it.

After the conference, the participants voiced their concern about the expanding campaigns insulting Islam and the escalating waves of extremism and violence, calling for cooperation and solidarity among scholars, rational people, and reformers in combating bigotry, hate speech, and discrimination.

The declaration outlined a set of methods and mechanisms for implementing it by first referring to the upright religion and then by recalling the provisions of the "Makkah Document" launched by the Muslim World League.

Notably, the Nouakchott Declaration represents one of the fruits of the Makkah Declaration's joint praiseworthy endeavor with the Islamic Cultural Group in Mauritania and West Africa.

The declaration approved the formation of a committee of reform advocates and philanthropists to reconcile among people in several hotbeds of tension and conflict on the African continent.

It also approved a committee of influential scholars and sheikhs to seek peacemaking and resolve local conflicts using available methods of prevention and treatment, calling upon governments to review educational curricula and promote value education in particular.

The declaration approved working to instill the values of unity, brotherhood, and fairness in matters of disagreement by improving and developing curricula for teaching the biography of the Prophet, creating a unique, comprehensive curriculum for training preachers and sermonizers.

It called for providing a comprehensive reference that can be used in formulating curricula for the Islamic Call and value education and working to activate the mechanisms of Islamic solidarity.

The meeting announced it would work with all peace-loving countries and the UN to block the sources of provocation and injustice and criminalize insults to sanctities.

Participants extended their sincere thanks to the Muslim World League, praising the speech of its secretary-general, which represented a basic document of the conference.

They also lauded the League's tireless work to connect the people of the nation and for its endeavor to reform and renew the methods of call and suitable conveyance about Allah and His Messenger.

They referred to the cooperation between the MWL and the Islamic Cultural Group in Mauritania and West Africa, calling for strengthening this cooperation.

The conferees also appreciated the Islamic Cultural Group, which set a suitable model for fully serving the upright religion.

President Ghazouani inaugurated the conference with a speech welcoming the guests from fifty-five countries to attend the Prophet's Biography Conference.

He confirmed that the people of Mauritania have a natural inclination for the love of the Prophet (PBUH), pointing out that they always study and teach his Sunnah.

Ghazouani explained that Africa and the entire world need to enhance the role of scholars and sheikhs in reconciling relations between people.

Afterward, Sheikh al-Issa delivered a speech expressing his happiness for attending a meeting that thoroughly discussed the noble Sunnah.

Issa pointed out that Prophet Mohammed is a figure that brings together all virtues and includes the values of moderation in speech and action, especially tolerance, forgiveness, leniency, wisdom, and compassion.

The Sec-Gen touched on the ideas of some ostensibly affiliated with Islam, saying that these ideas are only welcomed by those who lack knowledge and reason.

He pointed out that they are a group of people who have deviated from the pure truth and have perished and destroyed their peers in ignorance and misguidance.

 

 



Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.