RIYADH: The Muslim World League has launched an urgent petition, urging religious leaders around the world to take a unified stance, speak up to achieve peace and put an end to violence and the war in the Gaza Strip.
It called on religious leaders and humanitarian organizations to support and sign the petition.
The petition began with MWL calling on religious leaders to use their influence in promoting peacemaking, after the current war has claimed the lives of more than 22,000 people in Gaza, injuring about 57,000 others and displacing 1,200,000 people.
The secretary-general of MWL and chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, said that religious leaders and civil society institutions could offer more to achieve peace around the world. This was especially true given societies’ respect for religious leaders and their principles. Their solidarity would contribute to resolving the most complex and urgent international issues, notably those inherently “with religious roots.”
MWL’s initiative is a preliminary step toward establishing an alliance among religious leaders and stems from its message that advocates for justice, wisdom, mercy and reform. It supports standing against any discourse or behavior that may incite hate, conflict and violence.
It also seeks to efficiently and collaboratively contribute to following the right path, starting with an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, containing the escalating conflict in the region, releasing all hostages unconditionally, and then continuing concerted efforts to achieve comprehensive peace for everyone to coexist in accordance with “logical reasoning.”
Al-Issa said: “In the face of the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza, MWL, in cooperation with its religious partners, is committed to intensifying efforts to halt the war, put an end to this humanitarian suffering and achieve just and comprehensive peace.
“We strongly believe that religious leaders, with their spiritual influence, must contribute more to achieve peace,” he said.
Al-Issa said that the path to peace was guided by “sincere determination” and “conscious reasoning,” noting that the region continued to witness unrest, turmoil and violence. He said it was a sacred land, which was once a haven for prophets and messengers, and had been shaped by religion and divine laws that had profoundly influenced human history.
He said that it was an ethical commitment to speak openly with a united, powerful and impactful voice to produce the desired impact.
