Senior members from Afghanistan and Pakistan set to gather for a historic, unified landmark on the path to reconciliation and peace.
Makkah: Saudi Arabia hosted an event, which would bring together senior scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan for a “historic, landmark event on the path toward reconciliation between competing groups, to end the fighting and create stability to the country.”
The conference featured five sessions in which more than 20 senior scholars spoke on peace, tolerance, moderation, and reconciliation in Islam.
The conference, according to organizers, was designed to capitalize on the Muslim World League’s role in resolving conflicts within the Islamic world with Saudi Arabia’s support. The conference’s work “will reflect the MWL’s sense of historical responsibility as a representative of all Muslims.
The opening session was attended by Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the MWL, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Pakistani minister of religious affairs and interfaith harmony, and Mohammad Qasim Halimi, the Afghan minister of Hajj and religious affairs. Senior clerics from both countries joined them.
The conference also included Lt. Gen. Bilal Akbar, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Javed Mujadidi, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Shafiq Samim, Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the OIC.
The conference will include five sessions with more than 20 keynote speakers, mostly senior scholars. They will discuss topics such as peace, tolerance, moderation, reconciliation in Islam, Islam’s approach to preserving human dignity and life, building peace in light of Islamic principles, the importance of peace and regional security, and the role of scholars in resolving regional conflicts and supporting peace-building efforts.
The event will conclude with the recital of a final statement and a declaration of peace in Afghanistan.
Faheem Gullistan Malik – Saudi Arabia correspondent for Pakistan Observer
