Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL), met in Riyadh on Thursday with Jean Christophe Bussel, adviser of religious affairs in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the French ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Francois Goite.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the MWL’s initiative about shared citizenship in countries of diversity and the road map for positive national integration, based on respect of the constitutions and laws of the countries where it is applied.
They stressed that the demand for religious privacy should be according to legal procedures and within respect of the final decision regarding this demand, whatever the results were.
Both sides emphasized that love, tranquility, cooperation and coexistence must prevail among all national components, and that everyone must fulfil the requirements of accepting the other’s national identity and respecting the official reference of each national or religious component.
Speaking at the Wilton Park Inclusive Citizenship Dialogues forum in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Al-Issa said: “It’s wrong to accept from individuals or institutions any justifications that threaten national unity. It’s also essential to protect legitimate freedoms, especially ones that promote and support citizenship.
“We appreciate the concept of national integration ministries in countries of religious and ethnic diversity, but… some of them suffer gaps due to the lack of participation of all national segments in the formulation of their programs,” he added.
Al-Issa said: “Followers of religious and ethnic minorities have sacrificed a lot to show their loyalty to the countries that welcomed them and their parents.”
