ABU DHABI, 28th April, 2025 (WAM) -- As part of its cultural and intellectual activities at the 34th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the Muslim Council of Elders organised a seminar titled "Intra-Islamic Dialogue: One Nation and One Shared Destiny." The seminar was presented by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Haddad, member of the Muslim Council of Elders, Senior Mufti and Director of the Fatwa Department in Dubai, and member of the UAE Fatwa Council.

At the outset of the seminar, Dr. Al-Haddad emphasised that the unity of the Muslim Ummah is a fundamental pillar for achieving peace and stability. He pointed out that division and fragmentation open the doors to destruction, strife, and intellectual invasion. He clarified that the unity of the Muslim Ummah is a divine mandate outlined in the Glorious Quran and advocated by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), where Allah Almighty commands the believers to hold fast to His rope and not be divided, as stated in the verse: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." (The Quran, 3:103).

Dr. Al-Haddad added that since its establishment, the Muslim Council of Elders has been keen on building bridges of dialogue among various religions and cultures. One of its most prominent milestones was the signing of the "Document on Human Fraternity," in Abu Dhabi, in 2019.

He explained that after the Council's success in extending bridges of dialogue with followers of other religions, it found an urgent need to focus on intra-Islamic dialogue due to the sectarian differences and divisions that have weakened the Ummah and led to its fragmentation. He confirmed that the call for internal unity has become a religious duty and a collective responsibility.

The Muslim Council of Elders' pavilion at the 2025 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair presents more than 250 diverse intellectual and cultural publications, including a number of the latest releases from Al-Hokama Publishing in 2025. These publications address the most prominent intellectual and cultural issues, stemming from the Council's mission aimed at promoting peace and instilling the values of dialogue, tolerance, and human coexistence.