RIYADH, 13 March 2006 — In the wake of recent attacks by the enemies of Islam, five leading Islamic organizations have organized an international conference in defense of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The conference will be in Manama, Bahrain, from March 22 to 23.
The press briefing at which the announcement was made was attended by Soliman Hamad Al-Buthi, supervisor of the International Committee for the Support of the Final Prophet (ICFSP); Dr. Saleh Sulaiman Al-Wohaibi, secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY); Salman Al-Oudah who moderates Islam Today, an Islamic website; and Khaled Al-Ojaimi of WAMY.
The conference, expected to draw more than 300 Islamic scholars from Muslim and non-Muslim countries, is being sponsored by ICFSP; Al-Asalah; a Manama-based nongovernmental organization (NGO); the Doha-based Union of Muslim Scholars; and Islam Today, an Internet portal dedicated to the cause of the faith.
“The conference is being organized in response to the cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The conference’s aim is to form a unified front to coordinate our efforts and voice our aspirations jointly on issues pertaining to Islam,” Dr. Wohaibi said, adding that this will be a beginning for a unified Muslims’ voice where they will be told how to cooperate in times of such situations.
Speaking about the boycott of Danish products, Dr. Al-Wohaibi said that this was a good lesson for those who belittle the Prophet Muhammad. The WAMY secretary-general rejected all forms of violent reactions against the enemies of Islam. He said: “We should be reasonable, peaceful and responsible in our approach against such moves.”
The two-day meeting is expected to form a general body to implement the decisions and resolutions moved at the end of its sessions. It will be geared toward creating an understanding between the Muslims and non-Muslims, he said, hoping to create an effective dialogue between the two parties aimed at increasing understanding.
Dr. Al-Wohaibi stressed that a mere apology from the Danish government for the cartoons of the Prophet would not satisfy the Muslim world. “The forthcoming conference will request an assurance from the European Union to improve the situations of Muslim minorities in Europe, Denmark in particular. And we want Europe to respect the rights of Muslims and understand the values of their faith.”
Salman Al-Oudah said the forthcoming meet would form a unified body to voice Muslim concerns. He pointed out that civilized people have to respect each others’ cultural values and this meeting would help the Muslims to bridge the gap with the non-Muslim world.
Ali Jomaa of the International Committee for the Support of the Final Prophet said that there are 200,000 Muslims out of the 5.5 Danish population who were concerned about the blasphemous cartoons first published in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten. He said that his organization had met a federation of members from 27 Danish Muslim organizations and had advised them on peaceful protests that could be lodged against the newspaper.
Jomaa said legal action against the newspaper has been initiated. “We want to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected under the Danish constitution,” he added.
