Abu Dhabi: The Muslim Council of Elders announced the launch of an international project aimed at promoting the culture of dialogue and reinforcing effective communication channels between religious leaders and youth.
The project will include the launch of an international youth forum in 2017 that will discuss issuing a declaration that clarifies the misleading extremist ideologies by the youth, circulated in all languages and adopted by different religious institutions.
The Muslim Council of Elders is an independent international body established in Abu Dhabi in 2014 to promote peace in Muslim communities and consists of Muslim scholars, experts and dignitaries, who work together to promote peace and address issues related to conflict, divisiveness and fragmentation in Muslim communities.
The meeting also announced the inauguration of an explanatory campaign in different languages about Islam, on social media networks, titled ‘Islam, Religion of Peace’, in cooperation with Al Azhar and all designated religious institutions, as well as launching discussion platforms on the internet, titled ‘A space for dialogue’, between youth and religious leaders in different languages.
The council expressed its support for the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar facing tragic circumstances and decided to host several youth representatives from different religions and influential leaders from Myanmar to discuss the causes of the conflict and propose solutions.
Professor Hassan Al Shafe’ei, member of Al Azhar Association of Senior Scholars and head of the Arabic Language Academy in Egypt, said “the meeting focused on the tragic conditions of the Muslims in Burma and the relationship between Muslims and Christians in the Arab region, especially after the tragic and devastating terrorist bombing of the cathedral in Cairo, and the urgent need to tackle the consequences that might be result,” Al Shafe’ei said.
The council also expressed its deep concern about the tragic humanitarian condition in the Syrian city of Aleppo, in the light of civilian casualties, and the destruction of the city, urging all parties working on the ground and international and humanitarian organisations to intervene and protect and save civilians.
Al Zeid Ali Al Ameen, Lebanese religious scholar, highlighted the role of the UAE in spreading peace, tolerance, and coexistence in the world.
“The UAE is a leading country in terms of humanity and humane relationships, it works to create dialogue and communication between different nations and people across the world, and has issued resolutions based on humanity, regardless of sects, affiliations and ethnicities,” Al Ameen said.
