MAKKAH: The Muslim World League has launched an initiative to promote social peace in West Africa, bringing together religious, political and civil society leaders around a joint framework for strengthening coexistence and preventing conflict.
MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Mohammed Al-Issa launched the initiative following the league’s international conference, “Diversity and Social Peace: A Partnership for a Promising Future,” held in Abuja under the patronage of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The conference brought together Muslim and Christian religious leaders, ministers, parliamentarians and civil society representatives and culminated in the unanimous adoption of the “Abuja Declaration” by religious leaders representing the region’s faith communities.
The declaration outlines a joint action plan involving government institutions, religious leaders and civil society organizations, with a focus on preventing conflict, strengthening social cohesion and protecting national unity amid the region’s religious and ethnic diversity.
It also calls for expanding scientific, training and media programs linked to the Charter of Makkah to address challenges to peace, coexistence and social stability, while promoting partnerships aimed at preventing conflicts and preserving the social fabric.
Under the declaration, a coordinating body comprising religious and civil leaders and institutions from across West Africa will be established to monitor implementation of the action plan, coordinate programs arising from it and conduct periodic assessments of progress.
The initiative focuses on addressing the root causes of intellectual and social problems, including extremist ideologies, while seeking to ensure sustained cooperation through binding agreements among governments, religious institutions and civil society organizations.
The MWL is a Makkah-based international nongovernmental organization representing Muslim peoples and scholars around the world. It comprises Muslim scholars and representatives of Islamic organizations and institutions and works to promote understanding, coexistence and cooperation while countering extremism and advocating dialogue among faiths and communities.
The initiative reflects the league’s broader efforts to promote the principles of the Charter of Makkah, adopted in 2019 by Muslim scholars and leaders from around the world as a framework emphasizing moderation, coexistence, respect for religious and cultural diversity and the rejection of extremism.
