Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa was honored as the guest speaker at Club 44 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, for its 80th anniversary.
His lecture, titled “Islam and the West: Understanding Differences and Addressing Misunderstandings,” drew leaders from various Swiss political parties.
Al-Issa is the first Arab Muslim to speak at this respected European forum, which has previously hosted heads of state and prominent thinkers.
The MWL chief also accepted an invitation from the Swiss Forum on International Politics to deliver a lecture on the urgent need for renewed dialogue amid geopolitical tensions.
The event, attended by the forum’s president Bertrand Louis, along with policy makers, thinkers, and media figures, included a lively discussion on key global issues linked to the lecture’s themes and Islamic perspectives.
Participants commended the “Makkah Document” for its inclusive vision of global Islam and urged broader distribution.
Moreover, Florence Notter, the Neuchâtel State Councilor, met with Al-Issa in her political office at the historic Neuchâtel Castle.
During the meeting, they discussed issues related to multicultural social solidarity. Al-Issa was also briefed on the facilities of the castle, which date back to the eleventh century.
Notter wished Al-Issa success in his forthcoming lecture at the 80th anniversary celebration of the prestigious Club 44, which focuses on intellectual studies and regularly hosts policymakers, intellectuals, heads of state, and senior philosophers.
As part of his visit, Al-Issa chaired the annual board meeting of the Geneva-based Islamic Cultural Foundation, an independent Swiss institution with a strong presence across Europe.
The foundation’s Islamic center was inaugurated in an official ceremony by the late King Khalid of Saudi Arabia.
The board discussed several agenda items, focusing particularly on Islamic issues within European communities.