WASHINGTON: The head of the Muslim World League (MWL) has been honored for his global peace efforts, during a tour to the US.

Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa was presented with a medal by the National Council on US-Arab Relations for his “highly valued” international work to promote harmony among nations.

Earlier, the MWL’s secretary-general met with US congressman John Curtis, and discussed a number of topics of common interest. Curtis praised Al-Issa’s important role on behalf of the MWL in strengthening ties between countries and peoples, and he hailed the league’s efforts in combating extremism.

Al-Issa also held talks in Washington, DC with Michigan representative, Debbie Dingell, who lauded his work in encouraging religious minorities to adapt in their communities, emphasizing that they had benefited from these efforts in her state of Michigan, which had the largest Muslim community in the US.

The secretary-general said the approach adopted by the MWL was to constantly call on Muslims and all minorities to abide by the constitutions and laws of their countries, and not to receive religious fatwas from outside parties which had nothing to do with where they were living.

In addition, Al-Issa met with the chaplain of the US Senate, Dr. Barry Black. They reviewed a number of topics of mutual interest, most notably the means of establishing religious and national harmony in societies of religious and ethnic diversity, and the need for coordination among world faith institutions in promoting the message of tolerance.

As part of his American tour, the National Council on US-Arab Relations hosted Al-Issa for an open dialogue in the presence of a number of politicians, intellectuals, media professionals and religious leaders.

Al-Issa noted the importance of communication and dialogue between religions and cultures in developing understanding and cooperation. He also answered questions from the audience, highlighting activities carried out by the MWL aimed at promoting peace and global harmony.