On World Refugee Day - Muslim Council of Elders Urges Urgent Global Action to Deliver Just Solutions and Support for Refugees
Muslim Council of Elders: The Refugee Crisis Tests the Global Conscience and Its Commitment to Justice, Compassion, and Equity
The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar underscores that the refugee crisis is not merely a transient humanitarian issue but a persistent challenge to the world’s conscience and its dedication to justice, compassion, and equity. The Council calls for urgent international action to develop fair solutions, provide aid, alleviate refugees’ suffering, and establish binding international laws to protect them and uphold their right to live with dignity.
In a statement on World Refugee Day, observed annually on June 20, the Muslim Council of Elders emphasizes that the refugee crisis transcends mere numbers and statistics, embodying the profound suffering of individuals and families stripped of their fundamental rights and deprived of safety and stability. The Council expresses deep concern over the worsening plight of refugees amid ongoing global crises, wars, and conflicts. It stressed that supporting refugees extends beyond emergency aid, necessitating efforts to address the root causes of conflicts and ensure the safe, voluntary return of those who have lost their homes and shelter.
The Muslim Council of Elders applauds pioneering humanitarian initiatives that provide protection and assistance to refugees and displaced persons, addressing their essential needs for shelter, food, medicine, and education while safeguarding their full human rights. It also recognizes the vital support offered to host countries and communities bearing the greatest burden of accommodating refugees. The Council notes that the Document on Human Fraternity, co-signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, and the late Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, called for alleviating the suffering of refugees, the marginalized, the poor, and those without homes or shelter, without exclusion or discrimination.