‘Nouakchott Declaration’ approves forming peacemaking committee in conflict zones in Africa

President Ghazouani:

-             Africa and the entire world are in dire need of strengthening the role of scholars and sheikhs in reconciling relations among people.

-             Mauritania denounces all tendencies that fuel hatred, Islamophobia and racism.

Al-Issa:

-             We were privileged to witness noble days filled with studying the honorable biography of the Prophet (PBUH), and we were pleased with its solid scientific stature and blessed whiffs.

-             The groups who are ostensibly associated with Islam have various paths that lead to the misguidance of those who lack knowledge and reason.

• The conference attendees expressed their concern about the expanding campaigns of insulting Islam and called for serious efforts to block the sources of provocation and insult to sanctities.

• “Nouakchott Declaration” calls for instilling the values of unity, brotherhood, and fairness in matters of disagreement in the curricula of teaching the fragrant biography of the Prophet (pease be upon him).

• Senior Muftis and scholars of the Islamic world praise the League’s tireless work to connect the people of the nation and its pursuit of reform and good communication.

CAIRO – 5 October 2023: The senior muftis and scholars of 55 countries have approved at the conclusion of “The Role of Scholars and Sheikhs in Peacemaking and Enhancing Islamic Relations between Peoples and Nations - Africa as a Model,” conference; the ‘Nouakchott Declaration’.

This Declaration was announced to approve the formation of a committee for peacemaking in a number of hotbeds of tension and conflict in Africa.

 

"Nouakchott Declaration", issued by the Prophet's Biography Conference in Mauritania, stressed the necessity of the initiative of senior scholars and sheikhs to reconcile among people and resolve disputes amicably. It warned against the growing conflicts in Muslim countries, especially in the countries of the African continent, which was the first place of immigration, and the richest continent in material and human resources.

The declaration called on Muslims in Africa to listen to what their most honorable Prophet (PBUH) said, as he commanded the rejection of bigotry, when he described it saying: “It is something disgusting."  He also warned against internal strife by saying: "Do not revert to disbelief after me by striking (cutting) the necks of one another." He likened the Muslim Nation to one body, enacted a system of brotherhood, established the first constitution for the coexistence of residents who differ in their beliefs, concluded peace contracts with those who accepted peace, and inclined to peace with those who inclined to it.

The conference was titled: “The Role of Scholars and Sheikhs in Peacemaking and Enhancing Islamic Relations between Peoples and Nations - Africa as a Model,”.  It was inaugurated by His Excellency the Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, in the company of His Excellency the Mauritanian President; the patron of the conference. At the conclusion of the conference, the participants voiced their concern about the expanding campaigns of insulting Islam, and the escalating waves of extremism and violence, calling for cooperation and solidarity among scholars, rational people, and reformers in combating bigotry, hate speech and discrimination.

 

The declaration presented a set of methods and mechanisms for implementing it, by first referring to the upright religion, then by recalling the provisions of “Mecca Document” launched by the Muslim World League. It is noteworthy that “Nouakchott Declaration” represents one of the fruits of Mecca Declaration's joint praiseworthy endeavor with the Islamic Cultural Group in Mauritania and West Africa.

The declaration approved the formation of a committee of reform advocates and philanthropists for the purpose of reconciling among people in a number of hotbeds of tension and conflict on the African continent. The declaration also approve the formation of a committee of influential scholars and sheikhs to seek peacemaking and to resolve local conflicts using available methods of prevention and treatment, calling upon governments to review educational curricula and promote value education in particular.

The declaration also approved working to instill the values of unity, brotherhood, and fairness in matters of disagreement, by improving and developing curricula of teaching the fragrant biography of the Prophet (pease be upon him), developing a special, comprehensive curriculum for training preachers and sermonizers, and striving to provide a comprehensive reference that can be used in formulating curricula for the Islamic Call and value education, and working to activate the mechanisms of Islamic solidarity. Add to all this, striving seriously with all peace-loving countries and with the United Nations to block the sources of provocation and injustice and criminalize insults to sanctities.

 

At the conference, they also expressed their sincere thanks to the Muslim World League, praising the speech of its secretary-general, which represented a basic document of the conference, thanking the League for its tireless work to connect the people of the nation, and for its endeavor to reform and renew the methods of call and good conveyance about Allah and His Messenger (PBUH). In this regard, they referred to the cooperation between the MWL and the Islamic Cultural Group in Mauritania and West Africa, calling for the strengthening of this cooperation. The conferees also voiced their appreciation for the Islamic Cultural Group which set a good model in fully serving the upright religion.

The conference sessions began with a speech by His Excellency President Ghazouani, in which he welcomed the guests coming from fifty-five countries to attend the Prophet’s Biography Conference. He confirmed that the people of Mauritania have a natural inclination for the love of the prophet (pease be upon him). He pointed out that they always cling to his Sunnah and care for it, by conveying, studying, and teaching it.

 

His Excellency drew attention to the importance of the theme of the conference; explaining that Africa and the entire world are in dire need of enhancing the role of scholars and sheikhs in reconciling relations between people. Afterwards, His Excellency Sheikh Al-Issa delivered a speech, which he began by expressing his happiness for attending a meeting which fully discussed the noble Sunnah. He also voiced his appreciation for the presence of scientific statures, and their noble manifestations about the facts of the biography of our noble Prophet Muhammad (pease be upon him), whose Sunnah illuminated the whole world with its generous guidance, and its fragrance of humanity.

Dr. Al-Issa pointed out that our noble prophet (pease be upon him) is a name that brings together all virtues, and includes - among others - the values of moderation in speech and action, especially tolerance, forgiveness, leniency, wisdom, and compassion, and even includes all happiness in this world and the hereafter.

 

His Excellency pointed out that the fragrant biography of the Messenger of Allah (pease be upon him) was refined by divine education before the mission, so that its educational values - in its early inception - were in harmony with its legislative values, so the message took its place, and "Allah knows best where to place His message".

Dr. Al-Issa touched on the ideas of some people who are ostensibly affiliated with Islam, saying that these ideas are only welcomed by those who lack knowledge and reason. He pointed out that they are a group of people who have deviated from the pure truth, and they have perished and destroyed their peers in ignorance and misguidance. They are people who have followed the desires of other people who had gone astray before, and had strayed from the right path.

His Excellency made a statement following the conference's final statement in which he said: (We were honored by noble days full of study of the honorable biography of the Prophet, and we were pleased with its solid scientific stature and its blessed whiffs which illuminates the path for the guided).

His Excellency the President of the Islamic Cultural Group, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hafiz Al-Nahwi, delivered a speech at the opening of the conference in which he called for emulating the life of the Prophet (pease be upon him), in confronting the major problems that the world is going through today, to improve the emerging generations and provide intellectual immunity to the youth. He also called for taking the great lessons from the life of the most honorable Prophet, stressing that this is the goal of the conference.

He stressed that the Muslim is commanded to love the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because he can find in this love peace and tranquility. It is this love which brings Muslims together, and brings together the attendees of this conference from fifty-five countries, including scholars, imams, and muftis, who are entrusted with playing the role of peacemakers.

Sheikh Al-Nahwi praised the Muslim World League for its efforts in serving Islam and Muslims. Then, the speeches of the conferees and the sessions of the conference followed one another, including a number of topics, working papers, and theses.