The Muslim World League (MWL; ) is an international Islamic non-governmental organization based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia that promotes Islam by advancing moderate values. Under the leadership of Secretary-General Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the MWL has become one of the most prominent institutional voices for interfaith cooperation and rejection of extremism worldwide.
Fox News has described Al-Issa as the "leading voice against political, extremist Islam worldwide", while Ilja Sichrovsky, founder of the international Muslim Jewish conference, called his interfaith outreach "incredibly courageous, brave, and praiseworthy".
The MWL funds the construction of mosques, financial reliefs and aid for Muslims and non-Muslims afflicted by natural disasters, the distribution of copies of the Quran, and political tracts on Muslim minority groups. The organisation maintains that they reject all acts of violence and promote dialogue with the people of other cultures, within their understanding of Sharia.
The MWL has received widespread recognition for its commitment to interfaith dialogue and promotion of moderate Islamic values. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, Former President of the Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue at the Vatican, praised the organisation for its efforts to build bridges between religions, stating he was "fully aware of the relentless efforts exerted" to make the MWL "really reflect the true meaning of its name — a link, not only among Muslims but also with believers of other religions, especially Christians, to achieve common goals." In its 2019 Country Reports on Terrorism, the U.S. State Department stated that the Muslim World League's Secretary General, al-Isa "pressed a message of interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence with global religious authorities, including Muslim imams outside the Arab world," as well as conducted extensive outreach to prominent U.S. Jewish and Christian leaders.
MWL holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the highest category of NGO recognition, granting it the right to make oral presentations at ECOSOC sessions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) describes MWL as 'one of the most instrumental international non-governmental Islamic organizations in the world' and maintains a multi-year General Cooperation Agreement with MWL covering joint humanitarian operations in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Teachers College, Columbia University, describes MWL as 'the world's largest Islamic non-governmental organization.'"
The League founded the International Islamic Relief Organization in 1978.
History The Muslim World League was founded in accordance with a resolution adopted during the meeting of the General Islamic Conference which was held in Makkah on the 14th of Dhul Hijjah 1381 Hijra, corresponding to 18 May 1962.
Following a meeting of 22 Muslim religious leaders held in 1962, the Muslim World League saw the light under the auspices of then Crown prince Faisal.
The Muslim World League has had eight Secretaries General since its founding. Under Secretary General al-Isa, the Muslim World League has focused on building inter-faith and intra-faith peace, harmony and coexistence through dialogue.
MWL is included in the UN Economic and Social Council list of international non-governmental organizations holding a consultative status.
Objectives The Muslim World League's mission is to introduce Islam and the moderate values presented in the Quran and Sunnah. Further, the Muslim World League seeks to spread a message of "peace and harmony" that strengthens Islam's resolve and unity around the world. The organization also combats extremist ideology by promoting and clarifying the facts through education, traditional, digital and social media, and international conferences.
The Muslim World League claims to not only defend the rights of Muslim minorities, but all minorities that face discrimination, and overt and covert forms of oppression. The Washington Times quoted the League's Secretary General saying that the organization "embraces the full range of Muslim beliefs and seeks to downplay sectarian divides – including that between Sunni and Shiite Muslims." In regards to protecting the rights of minorities outside of Islam, the Muslim World League's leadership wrote in a 2019 Newsweek opinion editorial piece that the Charter of Makkah "demands that we preserve the human rights of all people, including women and minorities."
According to the Muslim World League's website, the organization places significant emphasis on civilizational rapprochement through constructive dialogue and engagement. In 2018, al-Isa stated that Muslims and non-Muslims alike have an obligation to call for civilizational rapprochement that promotes and shares values and common interests, "in addition to the advancement of the concept of human brotherhood that calls for reinforcing the feeling of love, cooperation and understanding." Additionally, the organization promotes peaceful and harmonious coexistence between Islam and the world's largest religions, especially, but not limited to, Christianity and Judaism.
Each year, the Muslim World League utilizes the Hajj season to gather respected Islamic voices, scholars and leaders in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to exchange views and discuss how to best raise the standards and promote true moderate Islamic principles around the world. The Muslim World League also gathers and meets with global thought leaders, scholars, intellectuals, local and national community leaders, and heads of organizations to find solutions to the array of issues facing the world today.
Charter of Makkah In 2019, the Muslim World League largely contributed to the conception and realization of the Charter of Makkah, an agreement that aims to provide Muslims with the true, moderate and inclusive principles of Islam.
The Charter, signed during a gathering of more than 1,200 Islamic scholars, Imams and leaders from 139 countries, consists of 30 principle points that call for the world to combat extremism and hatred, fight against injustice and oppression, and reject violations of human rights in all its forms. The Charter strives to articulate the need for equality, religious harmony and tolerance, women empowerment, and coexistence.
Founding Charter
We the members of the Muslim World League, representing it religiously, hereby undertake before God, Almighty to: · Discharge our obligation towards God, by conveying and proclaiming His Message all over the world. We also reaffirm our belief that there shall be no peace in the world without the application of the principles of Islam. · Invite all communities to vie with one another for the common good and happiness of mankind, establish social justice and a better human society. · Call upon God to bear witness that we do not intend to undermine, dominate or practice hegemony over anyone else. Hence, in order to further these goals, we intend to: · Unite the ranks of the Muslims, and remove all divisive forces from the midst of the Muslim communities around the world. · Remove obstacles in the way of establishing the Muslim world union. · Support all advocates of charitable deeds. · Utilize our spiritual as well as material and moral potentialities in furthering the aims of this charter. · Unify efforts in order to achieve these purposes in a positive and practical way. · Reject all the pre-tenses of ancient as well as contemporary Jahiliah (attitudes of the pre-Islamic era). · Always reaffirm the fact that Islam has no place for either regionalism or racism.
Jurisdiction
Laying down plans designed to revive the role of the Mosque in the fields of guidance, education, preaching and provision of social services. Publishing the ‘Message of the Mosque’ periodical, which deals with finding ways and means of raising the standard of the cultural as well as technical efficiency of the Imams and the Khateebs. Publishing Islamic books and pamphlets. Conducting a comprehensive survey of the world's Mosques and publishing the information gathered in book form and in the shape of periodical bulletins. Selecting and posting groups of well qualified preachers on guidance missions throughout the Mosques of the world. Organizing local or regional refresher courses to enrich the culture of the Imams and the Khateebs and to raise the standard of their efficiency. Formation of board of directors to supervise the affairs of each and every Mosque at the national as well as the regional levels. Studying the ideas and patterns of behavior that contravene the teachings of Islam. Helping in rehabilitating and training Imams and Khateebs for posting to the various Muslim areas to lead Muslims in prayers, deliver sermons and guidance lessons.
Structure
Office of the Secretary General The Office of the Secretary General of the Muslim World League is the executive wing of the organization. It supervises the day-to-day activities of the MWL, and implements the policies and resolutions adopted by the Constituent Council. The office includes the Secretary General, assistant secretaries and the general staff. The Secretariat's headquarters is located in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad al-Isa is the current secretary general of the Muslim World League.
Subsidiary bodies
The MWL is organized into six subsidiary bodies under the oversight of the Secretary General.
The Supreme Council
Comprising sixty prominent Muslim scholars, the Constituent Council is the highest authority within the MWL. The Constituent Council makes policy recommendations to the Secretary General. It includes representatives from various sects of Islam, ensuring the representation of the various Muslim communities around the world within the Muslim World League.
The World Supreme Council for Mosques
The World Supreme Council for Mosques seeks to provide resources and protection for mosques around the world. The WSCM has an independent legal personality. It aims at reactivating the mission of the Mosque as a vital focal point of the religious as well as the temporal life of the Muslim. Ultimately, the WSCM aims at restoring the Mosque's role to what it was during the early days of Islam. It also strives to protect Mosques and Islamic trusts against assault, and to maintain the sanctity and purity of the Mosque. The WSCM was founded in compliance with a resolution adopted by the "Message of the Mosque" conference, which was held in Holy Makkah during the month of Ramadan 1395 (September 1975) under the auspices of the Muslim World League.
The Islamic Fiqh Council
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence, seeking solutions to the problems for which the Qur’an does not give clear instructions. Within the Muslim World League, the Islamic Fiqh Council composed of a select group of Muslim jurists and scholars who consider the serious issues concerning the Muslim Ummah.
The International Organization for Relief, Welfare and Development
The International Organization for Relief, Welfare, and Development is among the most active organizations within the Muslim World League. Founded in 1978 in Saudi Arabia as the International Islamic Relief Organization, it provides aid to Muslim and non-Muslim communities in need around the world. In 2019, the International Organization for Relief, Welfare and Development completed the League Boreholes Project in Ghana to provide clean drinking water to several communities. The organization has sponsored several health centers in Africa, including surgery centers in Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Burundi, and Zimbabwe. The centers provide cataract surgery free of charge to elderly patients. Additionally, the organization has sponsored several orphanages, providing educational materials, clothing, and security to vulnerable children in Pakistan, Ghana, and elsewhere.