7th World Islamic Forum: Political Solution Only way to End Crisis in Syria

TEHRAN– Participants in the Seventh World Islamic Forum stressed that political solution is the only way to end the crisis in Syria and the Syrian people only have the right to determine the future of their country, underlining the need for safeguarding Syria’s unity, territorial integrity, independence and national sovereignty, SANA reported.

Wrapping up the Forum’s activities in the Iranian city of Yazd on Wednesday, the participants reiterated the peoples’ right to self-determination, emphasizing that any internal change should be sought through democratic and peaceful means.

 The statement stressed that the Zionist occupation and its unbridled atrocities against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples continue to be the major concern of the Islamic World.

It noted that the international community is witnessing exacerbated emergence of and unfortunate institutionalization of Islamophobia and anti-Islamic behavior in the West, voicing concern over those harboring violent and extremist thoughts and abusing the mass media and the Internet under pretexts of the freedom of speech.

The emergence of Takfiri groups throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, is the result of deception by some oppressive states in the region and the world, calling upon the elites of the Islamic World to raise the public awareness, resist the enemies and foil their plots and overt and covert support for the terrorism phenomenon, the statement added.

The participants also called for unifying efforts to uproot the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization and other terrorist organizations, emphasizing that any attempt to classify terrorists into “good” and “bad” is impermissible.

The statement warned against the grave consequences of terrorist acts in Iraq, calling upon the international community to support the people and government in Iraq in their war on terrorism and its sponsors.

The participants recommended to set up a school for reduction of Inter-Madaheb differences in which scholars, Ulama and experts of Islamic jurisprudential excellence can discuss various issues.

Earlier, Special Assistant to the Iranian President on Ethnic and Religious Minorities Affairs, Ali Younesi, said that the murder and crimes committed by takfiri groups in the name of Islam have no relation with this religion.

110 scholars, intellectuals, researchers and political figures from 40 Islamic states participated in the two-day Forum.