Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman Calls for Muslim Unity and Joint Strategy Against Extremism at Istanbul Conference

Istanbul, Türkiye: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman addressed a two-day international conference organized by the International Union of Muslim Scholars, calling for a coordinated strategy to strengthen unity across the Muslim world and address challenges confronting Muslim communities.

Hafiz Naeem urged religious scholars to work together to protect the Muslim Ummah from extremism, takfir, and sectarian divisions. He emphasized the need for clear policies, based on the Quran and Sunnah, on the Palestine and Kashmir disputes. He also called for an international platform to highlight and address the challenges faced by Muslim minorities, including those living in India and other parts of the world.

He said tensions between Islamic countries could be reduced through cooperation and the protection of shared interests. He warned that Zionism seeks to exploit divisions within the Muslim world and turn Muslims against one another, stressing the importance of countering such efforts through unity and collective action.

The JI Ameer said Muslim scholars had a responsibility to provide clear guidance and practical strategies to help Muslim communities and their leaders overcome existing challenges. Citing Pakistan’s Milli Yakjehti Council, he said its 70-point code of conduct demonstrated that dialogue could help resolve serious differences.

Hafiz Naeem also urged Muslim countries to invest their resources in education, justice, economic prosperity, and technology. He highlighted the need to address the challenges faced by women, noting that contemporary social and economic realities require practical solutions, including for working women.

He called for guidance based on the Quran and Sunnah on emerging financial matters, including cryptocurrency, and emphasized that scholars must develop new approaches to engage Generation Z. He warned that failing to understand young people and respond meaningfully to their questions could result in losing the trust of an entire generation.

He further proposed forming subcommittees at the conference to examine major international issues and emerging challenges in greater detail.

According to the conference information provided, more than 200 Muslim scholars from Türkiye, Sudan, Mauritania, Jordan, Indonesia, Libya, and other countries are participating in the gathering.