Peace be upon you. I say: may God bless them. Muslims must unite and gather under one banner. This is possible, God willing, and it will begin with Muslim youth. Let us read about a conference taking place in Turkey.
The International Conference on Cultural Cooperation among Muslim Youth opened today, Thursday, in Istanbul, under the patronage of the International Youth Forum and with more than 160 Islamic figures from around the world participating.
The three-day conference aims to strengthen relations among youth and student organizations active in Muslim countries.
Organizers announced that workshops would be held throughout the Islamic world this year to promote cultural cooperation among Muslim youth, according to Anadolu Agency.
In the opening address, Turkish Felicity Party leader Mustafa Kamalak said: “This gathering is intended to bring goodness to everyone. It is not only about solving the Muslim community’s problems, but the problems of all humanity.”
He added: “For a hundred years, the Muslim community has lived in fragmentation and division, without a leader. Muslim youth throughout the Islamic world should work to unite the community geographically, politically and culturally.”
Kamalak continued: “There are 57 Muslim countries, and unfortunately they live separately from one another. It is time for Muslim youth to restore the community’s cohesion.”
Shafiq al-Shafii, representative of the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement in Turkey and the Middle East, said: “We believe agreement, unity and coordination among associations and organizations in Turkey and across the Islamic world are extremely important.”
Al-Shafii added that Turkey had become the Muslim community’s only hope, saying Malaysian student and youth organizations viewed it as Muslims’ most important strategic region.