JEDDAH, 31 July — A major conference on Muslim minorities in Europe, fully funded by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, will open in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, early next month with delegates from all over the world taking part, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Saleh Al-Sheikh said in a statement yesterday.
Titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cultural Forum, the conference is organized by the ministry from Sept. 7 to 9 to discuss the future of Muslim communities in the continent.
Issues such as adherence to true principles of Islam, education of Muslim children in non-Islamic countries and propagation of the faith top the agenda, the minister said.
The conference will also focus on the role of community organizations in addressing the challenges and problems faced by Muslim minorities.
“The role of local Muslim societies and organizations in bringing the Islamic civilization to countries they live in and their ability to project themselves in their societies are of vital importance to the Ummah,” Al-Sheikh said.
Thanking King Fahd for bearing the expenses of convening the conference, the minister said the king has always taken initiative for joint Islamic action by supporting such events.
More than 50 million Muslims live as minorities in European countries, mostly in the former republics of the Soviet Union, Germany, Bulgaria, England, France, Italy, Scandinavian countries and former republics of Yugoslavia.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference committee on minorities and communities says Muslims in Europe continue to face a rising tide of racial and religious discrimination.
