Ashraf AboArafe
Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God support him – the Muslim World League organizes, on the 6th and 7th of Ramadan in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, the second edition of the international conference: “Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought”, under the title: (Towards an Effective Islamic Coalition), with the participation of senior muftis, scholars, thinkers, representatives of senior scholars’ bodies, jurisprudential assemblies, and Islamic councils from all Islamic schools and sects.
The conference represents a comprehensive platform for constructive dialogue between the parties of Islamic diversity, coordinating positions, efforts and capabilities for the benefit of the Islamic nation, and transcending – for the sake of unified work according to its commonalities – the sterile sectarian debates that have only increased the nation’s conflict and division, while affirming respect for the right of existence of sectarian particularities.
This conference is scheduled to address, in the context of its second edition, the most prominent Islamic issues that require joint religious contribution and work, at the forefront of which are: developments in the Palestinian cause, developments witnessed in the Syrian arena, and issues of Muslim minorities, as well as reviewing and discussing developments in Islamic dialogue, evaluating the course of Islamic dialogue with followers of religions, and a number of other urgent Islamic issues to come up with scholarly decisions regarding them.
The conference also bears the task of promoting the values of Islamic brotherhood according to practical initiatives and programs with “tangible impact”.
This edition is a practical step towards transforming the principles presented by the first edition through the “Document on Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought” into effective practical activities, in addition to discussing a number of the most important and urgent issues, especially strengthening the foundations of Islamic-Islamic dialogue.
The conference will witness the launch of the “Encyclopedia of Islamic Intellectual Harmony” prepared by the Center for Intellectual Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as scholars of the Document on Building Bridges have entrusted the center with preparing this encyclopedia, which has been commissioned by (60) Islamic scholars and thinkers, and is expected to be a roadmap for the concepts of the comprehensive Islamic commonality, in addition to launching the strategic and executive plan for the “Document on Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought”, accompanied by a number of initiatives and programs.
