Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa

:: The Muslim World League (MWL) has been praised in Italy for its role in promoting cultural communication and the values of moderation and tolerance.

An MWL delegation led by its Secretary-General, Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, met a number of leading Italian political figures in Rome.

Vincenzo Amindola, Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and Islamic Affairs, said his government appreciated the MWL’s role in supporting citizenship among Muslim communities in Italy. It sought to open new avenues of cooperation between Italy and the Islamic world in the areas of communication and co-existence, he said. These were the ideal solution to the problems and crises of some Muslim minorities worldwide, and he praised the MWL’s role.

Al-Issa said the MWL aimed to enhance cultural communication between peoples to achieve more co-existence, tolerance and humanitarian cooperation. The MWL also intended to overcome the obstacles of ideological and racial extremism, he said, which brought hatred and confrontation, and material and moral losses for all humanity.

The MWL would continue its programs to raise Islamic awareness among Muslim communities based on the culture of positive integration, citizenship and respect for constitutions and the law, he said. This, in principle, did not conflict with Muslims’ religious identity, and anyone who believed otherwise should leave the country.

Al-Issa also met representatives of Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Italy, and senior officials from the Italian Foreign Ministry.

The meeting explored topics of common concern, notably how to support human rights, build a culture of dialogue and co-existence, and lay down plans for harnessing youthful enthusiasm and putting it on the right path.

The meeting also discussed joint programs to move from a traditional way of working to more modern ways of achieving peace, understanding and cooperation, the spread of tolerance and moderation, and the protection of growing generations from intellectual deviation.