Islam is a tolerant, compassionate religion, says Muslim World League chief

BRUSSELS: Secretary General of Muslim World League Dr. Mohammad Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa stressed that Islam strongly opposes violence and is a religion of moderation, humanism and peace. His comments came amid Islamophobia and increasing trend of equating Islam with militant extremism all over the world.

Karim Al-Issa, who has also served as a former law minister of Saudi Arabia, said this in a conference in the European Union parliament titled as "The Future of Islam and Islamophobia" on March 6.

The secretary general is currently visiting Brussels and meeting parliamentarians, EU officials and Belgian representatives. He also addressed journalists in the European Press Club on March 6.

While terming Islamophobia an outcome of a lack of knowledge about the true teachings of Islam, Karim Al-Issa said that terrorist group like Al-Qaeda or Daesh are using the name of Islam to further their interests. Islam rejects the very ideas that these terrorist organisations are spreading around the world, he said.

Member of Parliament Raja Afzal Khan, welcoming the guests at the conference, said that people from all faiths, including Muslims, Christians and Jewish people humans first and foremost. Everyone should be respectful to each other while maintaining unity in diversity, he said.

Answering a question by Geo.tv, Dr. Al-Issa condemned and refuted international media reports blaming Saudi Arabia for financing and promoting extremism, terrorism and sectarian conflicts throughout the world. Rather, he said, KSA was at war against terrorism and terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh. He asserted that terrorists were targeting KSA more than any other country. Al-Issa also warned that terrorists are successfully using social media to misguide young minds throughout the world.

"Islam is a 1,400-years old religion. It cannot be equated and judged by the few events and attacks, carried out because of political or geo-strategic interests. As a religion, Islam teaches humanity, tolerance, and mutual respect," Al-Issa said.

Commenting on the recent controversy about Grand Mosque of Brussels, which was allegedly promoting extremism through its cultural centre, he said that investigations cleared the mosque of any such wrongdoing. He also clarified the position of the Muslim World League, and said that his organisation was struggling to promote the true Islamic ideals of fraternity and peace in the world. The organisation has launched many initiatives in various parts of the world to promote dialogue and peaceful co-existence, he added/

The Muslim World League is an international non-governmental Islamic organisation, which was founded in 1962 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia following a resolution of the General Islamic Conference. The MWL has observer status in United Nations’s ICOSOC and is also a member of UNICEF. The charter of the organisation includes uniting the ranks of Muslims, removing divisive forces in Muslim communities, supporting charitable initiatives, refuting regionalism or racism and rejecting pretences of ancient as well as contemporary ‘Jahilliah’. The organisation strives to propagate principles and tenets of Islam while refuting false allegations against it.