Muslim World League Chief Urges Faith Leaders to Lead on Peace at G20 Forum

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL), told religious leaders gathered for the G20 Interfaith Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah, that they must do more to protect peace and social harmony. Speaking as guest of honour at the forum, held from October 15 to 17 ahead of the G20 Summit in the United States, he warned against polarisation, incitement and violence that draw on distorted religious language.

What Sheikh Al-Issa said

According to Arab News, Sheikh Al-Issa, who also heads the Association of Muslim Scholars, said religious leaders bear a special responsibility because hate speech and extremism often borrow the vocabulary of faith. He called for faith communities to contribute more actively to global peace and social cohesion.

He pointed to the MWL’s “Building Bridges of Understanding and Cooperation Between East and West” initiative, whose conference was held at United Nations headquarters in New York in 2023, and said work on its outcomes continues. He also described the League’s humanitarian partnerships with international organisations, and welcomed the World Economic Forum’s decision to hold, for the first time, a dialogue session on the role of religion in global affairs.

The largest interfaith gathering Utah has hosted

Local media in Utah described the G20 Interfaith Forum as the largest interfaith event ever held in the state. The opening ceremony took place at the Salt Lake Tabernacle, with meetings continuing at the University of Utah and closing ceremonies at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Speakers included Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Martin Luther King III, and a message from Pope Leo XIV delivered by the Vatican’s envoy to the United States. Themes included peacemaking across disagreement, religious freedom, poverty, displacement and care for the environment. Organisers plan to carry the forum’s recommendations to the G20 Summit in Miami in December.

Why this matters for Muslims in India

The Qur’an describes humanity as made into nations and tribes “so that you may know one another” (Al-Hujurat 49:13), and the Rasool ﷺ encouraged good relations with neighbours of every faith. For Indian Muslims, who live in one of the world’s most religiously diverse societies, the message from Salt Lake City is familiar: Ulema, imams and community leaders can do much to calm tensions, check rumours before they spread, and keep dialogue open with neighbours. At the local level, that can mean inviting people of other faiths to a Masjid open day, joint relief work during droughts or floods, and responsible use of social media.

The MWL has been active on several fronts this month. Read our earlier reports on the MWL’s meeting with Belgian Muslim leaders and key takeaways from the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting in Baghdad. For practical guidance, see how mosques can welcome first-time visitors.

Key facts

Event: G20 Interfaith Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 15–17, 2026
Speaker: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, MWL Secretary-General
Core message: faith leaders should actively counter polarisation, incitement and violence
Initiative highlighted: Building Bridges Between East and West (UN conference, 2023)
Next step: forum recommendations to the G20 Summit in Miami in December

FAQ

What is the Muslim World League?
The MWL is an international Islamic organisation based in Makkah that works on da’wah, education, humanitarian relief and interfaith dialogue.

What is the G20 Interfaith Forum?
It is an annual gathering of religious leaders, scholars and policymakers held alongside the G20 to feed faith perspectives into global policy debates.

Further reading: KSL report on the Utah forum.

Source: Arab News — https://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/mwl-chief-highlights-role-of-religion-in-promoting-global-peace-at-g20-forum-3007027