The Third International Summit of Religious Leaders, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, was opened by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Muslim World League Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa. (Supplied)
MOHAMMED AL-KINANI
- Addressing the gathering, MWL chief Al-Issa urged religious leaders to embrace what he described as “preventive peace”
KUALA LUMPUR: Religious leaders must play a greater role in preventing conflict, promoting coexistence and engaging young people amid growing global tensions and rising extremism, speakers said at an international summit in Malaysia on Friday.
The Third International Summit of Religious Leaders, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, was opened by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Muslim World League Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa.
Held under the theme “Religious Leaders and Youth Empowerment,” the event was jointly organized by the Muslim World League and Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Office and brought together about 2,000 young participants from different religious and cultural backgrounds.
Addressing the gathering, Al-Issa urged religious leaders to embrace what he described as “preventive peace,” arguing that humanity’s greatest challenge was stopping conflicts before they began.
“Humanity is not tested after wars erupt; it is tested before they begin,” he said. “The world does not need heroes who win wars as much as it needs wise people who prevent them.”
Al-Issa warned that religious hatred, Islamophobia, racism and sectarianism were increasingly being exploited by extremists and political actors, particularly through digital platforms targeting young people.
He said that religious institutions had a responsibility to move beyond rhetoric and translate shared ethical values into education, dialogue and practical action.
“True harmony in our world lies not in extinguishing the flames of conflict, but in preventing them from igniting in the first place,” he said.
The Muslim World League chief said that religious diplomacy could complement traditional political diplomacy by helping to mediate disputes, bridge divisions and promote long-term peacebuilding.
“Our religious and humanitarian voice says that the world does not need more weapons; it needs more wisdom to prevent their use,” he added.
Al-Issa also stressed the need for a just resolution to the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution and announced the launch of an International Diplomacy Award aimed at promoting global cooperation and harmony.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that growing geopolitical fragmentation, weakening multilateral institutions and ongoing conflicts, including the war in Gaza, underscored the importance of religious leaders as voices of moderation and moral authority.
He urged interfaith engagement to move beyond symbolic gestures and focus on practical cooperation, highlighting Malaysia’s experience as a multicultural and multireligious society.
“Genuine harmony is based not on uniformity but on the fair management of differences,” Ibrahim said.
Sultan Nazrin Shah warned that many young people were increasingly influenced by algorithm-driven digital environments that amplified division and mistrust.
“Young people today are asking fundamental questions: Where do I belong? Who can I trust? What values still matter?” he said.
He argued that peace could not simply be declared at international gatherings but had to be cultivated within communities and everyday relationships.
“In an age of fragmentation, coexistence becomes an act of courage,” he added.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the summit, Samy El-Sherif, secretary-general of the Islamic Universities League and Egypt’s former minister of information, said that the growing detachment of young people from religion was a global challenge rather than one confined to Muslim societies.
He attributed the trend partly to a widening disconnect between religious leaders and younger generations, as well as a digital skills gap that limited the ability of many institutions to engage youth effectively online.
Badriyah Saleem of Malaysia’s UTM University agreed that technology presented both challenges and opportunities, arguing that greater investment was needed in digital religious education and youth-led initiatives.
She said that workshops, training programs and the integration of technology into religious teaching could help to bridge generational divides and strengthen engagement with younger audiences.
The summit comes amid growing international concern over rising religious intolerance, online radicalization and the impact of geopolitical conflicts on social cohesion, with participants calling for stronger cooperation between faith leaders, governments and civil society to promote peace and understanding.
source https://www.arabnews.com/node/2646970/saudi-arabia
Categories: Asia, ISLAMOPHOBIA, Malaysia