MWL chief begins French visit with tour of ‘Gaza in Distress' exhibition
RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa has commenced his official visit to France with a series of high-profile engagements in Paris, focusing on interfaith dialogue and contemporary Islamic issues.
At the invitation of leading global think tanks, Al-Issa, who also serves as the chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, participated in a seminar hosted by the French Institute for International Relations, where he addressed commonly misunderstood religious terminology and contemporary challenges facing Muslim communities worldwide.
The event drew attendance from the institute's secretary-general alongside prominent researchers and thought leaders.
Al-Issa also engaged with representatives from research centers, politicians, and opinion leaders during a roundtable discussion at the headquarters of French daily L'Opinion.
The wide-ranging conversation covered the league's positions on current affairs, clarifications of religious perspectives, frequently misunderstood intellectual concepts, and ethical considerations regarding artificial intelligence.
Al-Issa also toured the 'Gaza in Distress' exhibition at the Arab World Institute. The museum documents Gaza's rich cultural heritage through photographs and footage of UNESCO-listed historical landmarks — including mosques, churches, and archaeological sites — that have been destroyed in recent conflicts.
Following the museum tour, Al-Issa participated in an extensive discussion with Jack Lang, president of the Arab World Institute, exploring the organization's efforts to build cultural bridges and counter harmful narratives, slogans and practices of civilizational clash — objectives that align with the Muslim World League's own mission to promote Islam's message of peace.
During the discussions, Al-Issa highlighted the league's 'Building Bridges of Understanding and Cooperation Between East and West' initiative launched at UN headquarters in New York, emphasizing that meaningful cross-cultural engagement has been a hallmark of Islamic civilization throughout history.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
MWL chief meets Syria's Awqaf minister
RIYADH: Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, met with the Syrian Arab Republic's Minister of Awqaf Mohammad Abu Al-hair Shukri to discuss 'a variety of topics of common interest,' the MWL wrote in a post on X on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif Al-Alsheikh recently met with the Malaysian delegation of Islamic leaders participating in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Leaders
2 days ago
- Leaders
Iranian President Thanks Saudi Arabia for Intensive Efforts of Hajj 2025
Iranian President Thanks Saudi Arabia for Intensive Efforts of Hajj 2025 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed sincere thanks to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Kingdom's efforts in ensuring smooth and secured Hajj season, according to the Saudi Press Agency. During a phone call on Thursday, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude and appreciation for the 'hard work of the Saudi government' in providing seamless services during Hajj 2025. Pezeshkian also stressed Iran's willingness to foster relations with all Muslim nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. Related Topics: Spanish Muslims Make Hajj Journey on Horseback Saudi Crown Prince Arrives in Mina to Oversee Hajj Services INTERVIEW: A Spiritual Awakening — One Pilgrim's First Steps Toward Hajj Short link :
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
World's highest railway bridge opens in conflict-hit Kashmir
SRINAGAR — The world's highest railway bridge, an ambitious piece of engineering across a mountain valley in Kashmir, was opened Friday by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, just weeks after a deadly tourist massacre in the Himalayan region sparked a brief conflict with neighboring Pakistan. Modi's visit to India-administered Kashmir was his first since a brief but deadly conflict between India and Pakistan in April. The nuclear-armed neighbors traded missiles, drones, and artillery shelling for four days after New Delhi blamed the massacre on its neighbor, which Pakistan denies. Decades in the making, the arched Chenab Bridge sits 359 meters (about 1,180 feet) above the river of the same name – that's 29 meters (over 95 feet) higher than the top of the Eiffel Tower. Costing more than $160 million with a length of 1,315 meters (4,314 feet), the bridge is part of the first railway link between Kashmir and the rest of India. Modi's Hindu-nationalist government has moved to integrate the Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, including revoking a constitutional provision that allowed it to set its own laws in 2019. The Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed by India, Pakistan and China. All three administer a part of the region, one of the most militarized zones in the world. In addition to the Chenab Bridge, Modi also inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, which connects key cities in India-administered Kashmir to the rest of India. For Modi, who swept to power more than a decade ago on a ticket of nationalism and a promise of future greatness, investments in infrastructure like the Chenab Bridge and the broader rail link project can be seen as a powerful tool for social integration and political influence. Since he was first elected in 2014, the prime minister has rapidly expanded the region's road and rail connectivity, building networks that connect disparate towns with major cities. In 2019, New Delhi revoked a constitutional provision giving India-administered Kashmir the autonomy to set its own laws. The southern and eastern portions of the region known previously as the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir became two separate union territories, bringing them under direct control of New Delhi – a move Modi claimed would promote stability, reduce corruption and boost the economy. The Chenab Bridge is being hailed as a major win for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party government. His administration has poured billions into upgrading India's old and outdated transport network, part of its vision to transform the country into a developed nation by 2047. Among these ambitious projects is the construction of several tunnels and highways in the mountainous Himalayan region which has been criticized by some environmentalists who say the heavy construction could damage fragile topography already feeling the effects from the climate crisis. Modi's Char Dham Highway project, a multimillion-dollar infrastructure plan to improve connectivity in the state of Uttarakhand, came under fire in November 2023 when an under-construction mountain tunnel collapsed, trapping dozens of workers inside for several days with little water and oxygen. In August that year, more than a dozen workers were killed after a bridge under construction collapsed in the northeastern state of Mizoram. In June, a four-lane concrete bridge that was being built across the River Ganges in the eastern state of Bihar collapsed for the second time in just over a year, raising questions about the quality of its construction. — CNN
