Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs/ Spokesman of the International Islamic Conference (IIC) Abdel Salam Al Abbadi said, according to PETRA that the conference's final statement has addressed major issues facing the Muslim nation most important of which is unity of Moslems in all their schools of jurisprudence and denounced declaring any Muslim an apostate.
Speaking at a press conference following the conference closing session on Wednesday, Abbadi said Muslim scholars highly appreciated His Majesty King Abdullah II presence at the conference which was a source of pride for all participants.
Muslim scholars unanimously have agreed on denouncing the boldness to issue religious fatwas (edicts) by unqualified clergy, Abbadi told reporters.
He said the scholars made it clear that disagreement between Muslim schools were only in ancillary branches of religion and not in fundamentals on which all schools agree on.
A paragraph was added to the appendix of the final statement calling for exerting all possible efforts to protect the Holy Aqsa Mosque against the dangers and encroachments it is exposed to as the conference is held Amman, close to the Holy AqsaMosque and occupied Palestinian territories, Abbadi said. He added the Al Al-Bayet Foundation for Islamic Thought will follow up on the conference recommendations and similarly a committee will follow up on the Amman Message.
In reply to a question on differences in viewpoints amongst the conferees, Abbadi said deliberations during the conference sessions were held in a spirit of scientific, reasonable and moderate dialogue.
He attributed the emergence of extremist thinking amongst Moslems to the ignorance in the rules of the Islamic religion in addition to the oppression and injustice Moslems around the world are subject to.
Al Bawaba