Ashraf AboArafe
The Secretary-General, President of the Association of Muslim Scholars, His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Eisi, met at the sub-headquarters of the League in Riyadh, His Excellency the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Al-Issa welcomed His Excellency the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, stressing the great importance of the UNHCR’s efforts in serving refugees and displaced persons around the world, especially in light of the successive global crises that exacerbate this worrisome international issue and their suffering. Mr. Filippo Grandi, the Muslim World League’s support for the UNHCR’s efforts in serving the refugees, and the various initiatives it presented to support their needs in the host communities, noting – in this context – the importance of the long and close partnership that brings the two sides together, which had a wide positive impact on alleviating the suffering of the displaced refugees and protecting them.
The meeting witnessed extensive discussions. To strengthen the mechanisms of joint cooperation between the League and the UNHCR, in order to mobilize global support for the issues of refugees and displaced persons, and to raise awareness in human societies of the suffering they live in, and what the human and moral duty requires to embrace them and stand with them in these difficult circumstances.
The meeting emphasized the importance of the fatwa issued by the Islamic Fiqh Academy, affiliated with the Muslim World League, permitting the payment of zakat to refugees through UNHCR, and the great difference this innovative path of support has made in the lives of millions of refugees and displaced persons around the world.
The meeting also discussed devising future initiatives to develop the path of partnership between the League and UNHCR in order to support the humanitarian response to the urgent needs of refugees around the world, and to contribute to protecting them from the risks they face during the asylum journey and in host communities, and activating programs for their integration into social and economic life, and facilitating their access to services. providing basic work and decent living opportunities, and working to find sustainable solutions to their issues.
