By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jul 30, 2010 23:52 Updated: Jul 30, 2010 23:52

JEDDAH: Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif will open an international Islamic conference organized by Muslim World League (MWL) at the Guest Palace in Makkah on Saturday. The three-day conference is being held to mark MWL’s 50th anniversary.

MWL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki said the conference would highlight the organization’s achievements over the past five decades in terms of spreading the message of Islam and extending support to Muslim minorities worldwide.

“We’ll also review MWL’s activities and programs and set out a new plan to develop its work and establish deeper relations with Islamic organizations and personalities,” Al-Turki said, adding that the conference would also honor the persons who contributed to its formation. The MWL chief thanked the Saudi government for its continuous support to the organization. “The MWL has become an international organization. It would not have achieved this stature without the Saudi government’s support,” Al-Turki said. The MWL was established in 1960 during the reign of King Saud.

The conference will be attended by leading Islamic scholars and heads of Islamic groups and centers in different parts of the world in addition to members of the organization’s Constituent Council and the Supreme World Council for Mosques. “The participation of Muslim leaders in the conference would give them an opportunity to present the various problems and challenges facing Muslim communities in their respective countries,” Al-Turki said.

He said the MWL had formed a number of organizations for the welfare of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries. “We have established 10 institutes to teach Shariah and modern sciences in addition to an institute in Makkah for the training of imams and preachers.”

The MWL’s activities during King Abdullah’s era were marked by its openness to the world and interaction with leaders of other religious faiths and cultures. “We were honored to organize interfaith dialogue conferences in Makkah, Madrid and Geneva,” he said.

The conference will focus on four main topics: MWL’s contributions in the past 50 years; MWL’s position in the world; MWL and Islamic issues; and MWL’s efforts to establish a better future for Muslim communities.

“The conference will discuss Al-Quds, Palestine and other Islamic issues,” Al-Turki said, adding that it would also discuss matters related to human rights. ¬