KUWAIT CITY, May 18: Director of the Center for Promoting Moderation at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharika confirmed that “Islam and Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism, and the shameful operations carried out by some people are their own”, reports Al-Rai daily. This is part of Al-Sharika’s statement to KUNA during his participation in a symposium entitled, “Meeting of the Strategic Vision Group” -- one of activities of the 15th Russia-Islamic World Economic Forum held in the Russian city of Kazan.

He expressed pride in the great and effective role that Kuwait plays in serving humanitarian, Islamic and Arab issues at the political, diplomatic, charitable and public awareness levels. He affirmed: “The forum contributes to highlighting the role of religions and peaceful coexistence by strengthening the role of the family and rejecting everything that would threaten its existence in the world, including strange ideologies and wrong behaviors rejected by Islam, laws and common sense.” He added that his participation comes out of his keenness to highlight Kuwait’s commitment to moderation and peaceful coexistence among the components of society and believers of different religions, stressing that “everyone enjoys the rights granted to them by Islamic law (Sharia).”

On the other hand, Al-Sharika stated that “the participants in the symposium discussed the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people.” He also thanked those in charge of the conference, Kazan International Center and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, hoping that the forum will be fruitful and bring about useful recommendations.

The five-day forum was launched on Tuesday, with the participation of the representatives of 80 countries and international experts and specialists in the field of Islamic economics and finance. It is being held annually with the aim of strengthening cooperation between Russia and the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It was granted federal status through a decision issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 due to its importance to Russia. The first forum, which was held in 2009, established a leading international platform to discuss issues of mutual concern and implementation of joint projects. It is one of the three largest international economic forums held annually in Russia, along with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok