His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, received in his office yesterday a delegation from the Islamic Commission in Austria, where they discussed ways to activate the charter of Makkah with the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Umt Fural and the members of the delegation.

Al-Issa and Fural signed a memorandum of cooperation requiring activating the contents of the charter of Makkah and translating it, submitting it to the parties concerned with civilizational communication, holding intellectual and cultural activities around it, seeking to incorporate it into educational programs and encouraging discussion of it in the public space in line with the Constitution of the Austrian Republic.

The Charter contains the exchange of information, experiences and publications regarding areas of joint Islamic action.

The memorandum focuses on the promotion of Islam and its principles of tolerance, the dissemination of mediocrity and moderation, fighting high costs, extremism and Islamophobia, as well as the statement of Islam’s position on extremist movements, it also addresses contemporary humanitarian issues and how best to address them. The parties agreed on the importance of serving, culture and interest in the Arabic language within Austria.

With regard to bilateral activities, the parties agreed to coordinate participation in conferences, lectures and programs of interest to Muslims, as well as to organize meetings with academics, intellectuals and researchers of other cultures and civilizations, and to promote understanding and peace among peoples.

The two parties issued a joint statement in which they clarified their commitment to promoting joint action and spreading awareness of Islamic work and Austrian national values. They also expressed their eagerness to create programs to support national integration in cooperation with the competent authorities.

The parties stressed the need to support and activate the programs for the charter of Makkah adopted by 1,200 leading scholars of the Islamic nation from all communities, which were welcomed by non-Islamic religious leaders as a charter to promote peace and harmony in Islamic and non-Islamic societies, and by a number of political and intellectual actors around the world as a model of moderation.

The joint statement noted that the signing of the memorandum was based on the importance of cooperation between the Islamic Authority of Austria and the Muslim World League (MWL) as an umbrella for Islamic people and as an incubator for Islamic scholars, intellectuals and the youth of Islamic world.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Austria Wolfgang Kochera, President of the Arab Religious Authority in Austria Jabal Zekri, Secretary of the Head of the Authority Masoud Taha Papadstu, and Advocacy Officer at the Authority Jamal Sabljakovk, and Director of the league’s Office in Austria and the Supervisor of the Islamic Center in Austria Dr. Ahmed Al Mufre