LONDON: Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa took part in the opening of the Eighth Conference of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
The two-day conference gathers high-level delegations from more than 60 countries, centered on the theme “Interfaith Dialogue: Solidarity for the Future,” to promote religious diplomacy as a tool to tackle global challenges through spiritual leadership.
Al-Issa was invited as a guest of honor to the event. He delivered a speech highlighting the plight of the almost 2 million Palestinians who have endured Israel’s war since late 2023, which the UN and senior EU officials have described as genocide.
He said that “mass genocide and systematic famine ... (in Gaza) is a huge disgrace for the world community.”
Al-Issa highlighted the importance of religious leaders in promoting peace and raising awareness that conflicts have adverse outcomes for all sides, according to a statement seen by the Arab News.
On Tuesday, Al-Issa met Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at the Presidential Palace in Astana.
He was awarded the Order of Friendship by Kazakhstan “in recognition of his efforts to strengthen friendship between peoples, consolidate interfaith cooperation, and promote religious understanding and peace,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.
