International Islamic Unity conference opens in Tehran

The 26th International Islamic Unity Conference has started in Iran’s capital, Tehran, with the presence of the country’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Shia and Sunni thinkers from 102 countries will be discussing the issue of unity among Islamic Ummah and the existing problems of the Muslim world during the two-day event.

Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the secretary general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, said on January 20 that, “A total of 1,000 thinkers from Iran and 300 prominent scientific, political and cultural figures of the Muslim world, including thinkers from al-Azhar University, Grand Muftis of Sudan, Tunisia and Syria, thinkers from Pakistan and Persian Gulf littoral states are among the participants of the conference.”

The 25th International Islamic Unity Conference was held in Tehran in February 2012. A major part of the conference revolved around the topic of Islamic Awakening and the popular uprisings in the Arab world.

The World Forum for Proximity is an international organization founded by Iran. Its main aim is to create more unity and solidarity among Muslims worldwide, regardless of their schools of thought.

The Islamic unity conference provides an opportunity for scholars to share views and review problems facing Muslims while presenting solutions.