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NSA Doval, Muslim World League’s Al-Issa to address religious leaders’ meeting
Al-Issa, a former Saudi minister of justice, now heads the Intellectual Warfare Center, a body affiliated with Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry that is dedicated to combating extremist and terrorist ideology
NEW DELHI: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Muslim World League secretary-general Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, considered a leading voice on moderate Islam, will jointly address a gathering of religious leaders and academics in New Delhi next week.
Al-Issa’s five-day visit to India from July 10 is being seen as part of the Indian government’s continuing outreach to key religious figures from across the Islamic world. Al-Issa will hold talks with Doval a day before both of them address the gathering at the India Islamic Cultural Centre on July 11.
The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, met senior officials, clerics and academics during a visit in May, while Doval and his Indonesian counterpart Mohammed Mahfud Mahmodin addressed a special meeting of ulema or Muslim scholars in New Delhi last November.
The July 11 event, which is being organised by Khusro Foundation and the India Islamic Cultural Centre, is expected to be attended by religious and community leaders, academics from institutions such as Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University and diplomats, according to the organisers.
Al-Issa, a former Saudi minister of justice, now heads the Intellectual Warfare Center, a body affiliated with Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry that is dedicated to combating extremist and terrorist ideology. He is expected to speak on inter-faith dialogue, religious tolerance and countering radicalisation, people familiar with the matter said.
The people said Al-Issa is also expected to meet minority affairs minister Smriti Irani and external affairs minister S Jaishankar. As part of his engagements in New Delhi, he will visit Akshardham temple and offer Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid.
He will also meet the leadership of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and interact with a gathering at the Vivekanand International Foundation. A visit to Agra to see the Taj Mahal is also part of Al-Issa’s itinerary.
The Muslim World League is a Mecca-based NGO funded by the Saudi government that promotes moderate values. During his stint as justice minister, Al-Issa was credited for changes in areas such as legislative reforms in family matters and the rights of women.
The people said the ongoing outreach was aimed at bolstering the government’s efforts to counter radicalisation and extremist ideologies. The Indian side also wants to learn from the experiences of other countries that have successfully countered radicalism, they added.
