Conf. in London Discusses Roots of Islamophobia, Calls for Muslim Unity
The 24th edition of the International Unity of Ummah Conference was held on October 16 at the Islamic Centre of England.
Scholars and thinkers from Iran, Indonesia, the UK, Bahrain, and Pakistan participated in this year’s event.
Addressing the conference, Head of the Islamic Center of England Hojat-ol-Islam Seyed Hashem Mousavi pointed to the need for confronting division in the Muslim world.
“Sowing discord among Muslims aims to undermine the power of the Muslim community,” he said.
Any effort against the unity of the Muslim Ummah is a service to enemies of Islam and elites of the Muslim scholars should not remain silent, the cleric added.
Elsewhere, talking about the roots of Islamophobia, he noted that enemies use different approaches to promote anti-Muslim sentiments including introducing Islam as a violent religion that supports terrorism and displaying Islam as an uncivilized and irrational religion.
The solution to confront this threat, he maintained, is to get European people acquainted with true Islam, prepare the ground for dialogue among Muslims and Westerners, and make efforts to avoid extremism.
The conference was held concurrent with Islamic Unity Week.
The 17th day of Rabi al-Awwal, which fell on October 13 this year, is believed by Shia Muslims to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), while Sunni Muslims regard the 12th day of the month (Sunday, October 9) as the birthday of the last prophet.
The interval between the two dates is celebrated every year as Islamic Unity Week.
The late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini (RA) declared the occasion as Islamic Unity Week back in the 1980s.
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