JEDDAH: The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, participated in the “Building Bridges Between Islamic Sects” international conference organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) in Makkah on March 17, 2024.
In his opening speech, Hissein Brahim Taha expressed gratitude towards King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz for their sponsorship of the conference.
He praised the Kingdom’s unwavering stance on Islamic issues, spiritual leadership, and support for unity initiatives among Muslims.
He also commended Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the World Muslim League (WML), for organizing the conference and extending an invitation to him. Taha praised the WML’s efforts in serving Islam and the Muslim community.
During his address, the OIC Secretary-General stressed the importance of unity, solidarity, and reconciliation among Muslims, as emphasized in Islamic teachings.
He urged OIC Member States to prioritize solidarity, unified speech, and harmony among sects, schools of thought, and jurisprudence to overcome divisions and enhance integration.
Taha highlighted the Islamic heritage’s principles of intellectual openness and acceptance of differences, emphasizing the OIC’s responsibility to strengthen Islamic unity and the Ummah’s common destiny.
The OIC has actively worked towards bringing Islamic countries closer together across political, economic, cultural, and social domains, including promoting unity among different Islamic sects.
In 1981, the OIC established the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) to facilitate collective ijtihad and promote consensus on jurisprudential matters among Muslims.
Taha expressed optimism that the conference’s outcomes would foster unity, combat extremism and Islamophobia, and contribute to a society based on mutual understanding, harmony, and peace. He reiterated his support for the Palestinian people and called on the global community to address their challenges.
The conference, attended by prominent Islamic figures from various sects, facilitated meaningful discussions on Islamic matters.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the OIC and MWL Secretaries-General to implement the conference’s outcomes, enhancing cooperation towards shared goals.
