Muslim scholars gather in Jeddah to discuss Afghanistan

By Hussein Mohamed

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AA) - Dozens of Muslim scholars from across the Islamic world on Tuesday gathered in Saudi Arabia’s city of Jeddah to discuss the prospects for peace and security in war-weary Afghanistan.

The two-day conference is being attended by more than 100 prominent Muslim scholars from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Sudan and Morocco.

In an opening address, Yousuf al-Othaimeen, secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (one of the event’s sponsors), said the conference was being held “at a sensitive time in Afghanistan’s history”.

According to al-Othaimeen, attendees will discuss means of ending Afghanistan’s years-long conflict, which, he said, “has deprived the Afghan people of their natural right to stability and development”.

He went on to voice hope that the event would serve to facilitate Afghanistan’s foundering reconciliation process and put an end to terrorism and violent extremism in the country, which he described as “contrary to the traditions and teachings of Islam”.

Afghanistan continues to see almost daily confrontations between the Afghan security forces and Taliban militants, which have claimed numerous victims from both sides.