AMN / KUALA LUMPUR
— The Second International Summit of Religious Leaders, held in Kuala Lumpur and jointly organized by Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Office and the Muslim World League (MWL), concluded on August 28 with a powerful consensus: the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza represents one of the greatest moral failures of the modern international order.
Over 400 religious leaders from across the world gathered under the theme “The Role of Religious Leaders in Resolving Conflicts.” In their closing declaration, participants strongly condemned the war, blockade, and starvation in Gaza. They urged governments, international institutions, and faith leaders to exert immediate pressure on Israel to halt its military aggression, comply with international law, and recognize the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to an independent state.
The summit reaffirmed its backing for the High-level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN in New York earlier this year. Leaders pledged to mobilize their moral and spiritual authority to build global support for a two-state solution.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned that the Gaza crisis has exposed “a profound collapse of international commitment to justice and humanity.” He argued that all faith traditions demand compassion and coexistence, cautioning against divisive narratives of a “clash of civilizations.”
MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa described the summit as a turning point, emphasizing that peace in Palestine is not just a political imperative but a moral one, vital for the credibility of the UN Charter and the conscience of humanity. He also announced initiatives to strengthen the role of religious leaders in peacebuilding and to safeguard vulnerable minorities worldwide.
Through five sessions, delegates examined the roots of religiously motivated conflicts and the central role of interfaith diplomacy in conflict resolution, repeatedly citing Gaza as a tragic reminder of the international community’s failures.
Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Makkah, the MWL has long championed interfaith dialogue. But at this year’s summit, the plight of Gaza dominated the agenda — sending an unmistakable message: the path to lasting global peace runs through justice for Palestine.