MCE Secretary-General: “Religious leaders shoulder the responsibility of countering global challenges and promoting sustainable development”

Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has stressed that religious leaders and faith-based organizations must counter global challenges and contribute to sustainable development. He further said they should take advantage of their spiritual influence on millions worldwide.

This came during the Secretary-General’s virtual participation in the opening session of the international meeting, co-hosted by Religions for Peace and Manresa City Council in Spain, with the theme: “At a Crossroads: A Multireligious Intergenerational Response to the Social and Environmental Crises.” In his remarks, Judge Abdelsalam said we are indeed at a crossroads where our world is facing a real challenge in terms of grave crises that have left millions of refugees, forcibly displaced people, and many others uprooted and on the move. He noted that all of this happening while the world has not fully recovered from the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

These challenges are obstacles to efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the 11th goal of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Therefore, as leaders of faiths, communities, and faith-based organizations, we should join forces to develop efficient programs. We should consolidate our efforts to build capable, ambitious strategies to address social and environmental crises and create generations that are better informed and more capable of facing today’s challenges, Judge Abdelsalam explained.

He underlined the importance of building upon the great efforts made by the two prominent religious figures in our contemporary world, His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, noting that they have set a unique example of leading interfaith dialogue and building a culture of human encounter.

The Secretary-General pointed out that the MCE, under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb, will spare no effort to help address the global challenges and build safer, inclusive, and resilient communities. He added that the MCE shares the same mission of creating a world where justice and equality prevail and all acts that harm man, the environment, or the earth – our common home – will come to an end.