In the Name of God, the Compassionate the Merciful
Indeed, this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So worship Me.
With blessing of God Almighty, the 35th International Islamic Unity Conference, under the motto of “Islamic Unity, Peace and Avoidance of Division and Conflict in the Islamic World” was held both in Person and virtually by observing health protocols, with participation of large number of scholars and distinguished personalities from Islamic countries.
This conference was held at a time when the countries of the world, especially the Islamic countries, need peace and justice more than ever. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a model of peace and brotherhood and encouraged Muslims to brotherhood, friendship and avoidance of strife. The objective behind the Mission of Holy Prophet (PBUH) was revival of sublime Islamic ethics in society as well as teaching of justice and peace to the mankind and undoubtedly his by referring to the life style of the Holy Prophet can lead to justice and peace and avoidance of division within the Islamic world.
The hegemonistic system in the contemporary world has seen its interests in the strife and division among Muslims and has made great efforts to deepen sedition in Islamic countries. That’s why the World Forum for Proximity of Schools of Thought in order to confront such machinations held the 35th Islamic Unity Conference entitled Islamic Unity, Peace and Avoidance of Division and Conflict in the Islamic World.
In delivered speeches, discussions, exchange of views among participants of this round of the Islamic Unity Conference the following topics were reviewed:
1- Just war and peace 2- Islamic Brotherhood and campaign against terrorism 3- Intellectual and religious freedom and accepting religious reasoning (Ijtihad) and confronting Takfiri and extremist tendencies 4- Islamic empathy and avoidance of conflict and hostility 5- Mutual respect among Islamic schools of thoughts and upholding the etiquette of disagreement and avoidance of quarrel and insulting 6- project of unified Ummah and Union of Islamic Countries and evaluations of the existing frameworks.
In this round, in addition to the above mentioned topics, Palestinian question and Islamic Resistance was also brought up for discussion and for paying tribute to the former Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, the late Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, his intellectual and scientific ideas were also paid high attention.
Participant of the conference also had an audience with the Honorable President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi and benefited from his remarks about the urgent need of Islamic world to confront the ongoing challenges.
The most important issues that participants of the conference were preoccupied with were existing challenges and horizons ahead of the Islamic World, horizons that are harbinger of better tomorrow for us all.
Here are some common points made by the scholars attending the conference in their speech and pondered during their discussions:
1. At the beginning, gusts of the conference thanked Islamic Republic of Iran and the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought, especially its Secretary General, honorable Hujjat-ul-Islam Dr. Hamid Shahriari for holding this conference and paying attention to question of Proximity and Unity of Islamic Schools of thought and even proximity of world nations aimed at achieving the grand ideals of humanity and called God Almighty to help the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue this path with all its of ups and downs till the victory of the Islamic Ummah.
2. The ongoing situation of the world requires political decision-makers from all intellectual, scientific, media and technological spectrum to put off the flames of aggressive wars and make the environment ready for bringing peace for the whole Planet Earth. Achieving this objective requires sincerity and freedom from any sort of pressure and threat, international cooperation as well as non-interference by those forces that do their utmost to cause sedition and warmongering in the world. However, for establishment of peace in the world and in Islamic countries in particular, another factor is also needed and that’s exposing the role played by the colonialism and the hegemonic system in contemporary wars in Islamic countries and ways of confronting that.
3. Crises of war, conflicts, terrorism, especially in Islamic countries along with mismanagement and impotence of international community for confronting these crises requires joint efforts by Islamic countries to tackle these crises more than ever. The only way to uproot terrorism is to dry up the resources that by providing money, weapon and extremist and fanatic ideology add fuel to such crises. Realizing this important mission requires full awareness of the Islamic Ummah. Because children of this Ummah, by help of such awareness, can fill the gaps which allows the enemy to spread terrorism because the enemy wants by resorting to the evil phenomenon of terrorism, to insult Islam, Muslims and their sanctities.
4. Promotion of the Islamic brotherhood among Muslims of Islamic and non-Islamic countries is of great importance and the future generations must be brought based on this concept, and while explaining the required manner and personality to comprehend this valuable concept, they should be reminded that the only way to realize this Islamic and human obligation is elimination of resentment from heart because, brotherhood is not compatible with sectarian hatred, racism and egoism. God Almighty in the Holy Quran by referring to this question says, “And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, so they will be brothers.”
5. Participants in this round of the conference, while calling for more dialogue among scholars and religious and cultural activists in in the Islamic world, underline the importance exposing the way the hegemonist powers use to destroy Islamic brotherhood and spread of terrorism. They also called for explanations about the way to confront the plots employed by the hegemonist system and making of maximum use of the influence of religious and social leaders of the Islamic countries in confronting such plots.
6. Participants of this round of conference, while paying attention to Palestinian question as a central issue for the Islamic World, reiterated that establishment of peace, security and stability in the region and the world is only possible by elimination of the world’s epicenter of the crisis namely the Global Zionism and its cancerous tumor (Israel). The participating scholars also announce that the best way to materialize the cause of the Palestine is the plan put forward by Islamic Republic of Iran, which is holding of a referendum, because the plan presented by Iran is a democratic and fair proposal and fully compatible with international norms and human principles.
7. Participants also emphasized that regrettable rushing by some countries to normalize their relations with Zionists will encourage and embolden this usurper regime to continue its atrocities, oppressions and aggressions. They asked those governments to reconsider the humiliating position.
8. Participating scholars while expressing their devotion to all resistance groups that remain steadfast against the occupation by the Zionists, called on Islamic countries not to deprive the resistance groups from their helps, because these groups are source of dignity and honor for us. They also paid homage to those Palestinians who are captive in the prisons of the Zionist regime and have sacrificed their family and loved ones in the path of God Almighty and prayed for the soul of all martyrs and Divine blessing and patience for their family members.
9. Regarding the unveiling of the book titled “Encyclopedia of Allame Al-Sheikh Al Taskhiri” at the opening ceremony of the conference, participants urged on paying attention to proximity ideas of Ayatollah Taskhiri in areas of jurisprudence, law and other Islamic and humanity sciences and described him as the standard-bearer of the unity and proximity in the Islamic world.
10. The innovative proposal made by the Secretary General of the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought about establishment of a “Union of Islamic Countries” and his elaboration about its model , was widely welcomed by the participants to an extent that the considered its materialization a fascinating step in formation of a unified Ummah and modern Islamic civilization and stressed that this union boost cooperation and synergy among Islamic countries and prevent any division and aggression in the Islamic world. The scholars also suggested that in the near future a plan of action to be drawn up for realization of this project and leader, politician and scholars within the Islamic world assume the responsibility to implement this project.
