Sheikh Al-Issa inaugurates the international conference “Faith in a Changing World” to confront suspicions of atheism

Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, inaugurated the activities of the international conference “Faith in a Changing World”, organized by the Muhammadiyah League of Scholars in cooperation with the Muslim World League, and under the patronage of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, with wide participation from international religious and intellectual figures with expertise and experience, and witnessed and appreciated dialogues on issues of faith and the controversies of contemporary atheism.

The conference, which is hosted by the Moroccan capital Rabat and continues for two consecutive days, seeks to highlight the evidence of contemporary faith, strengthen it in souls, confront the suspicions of atheism, monitor its dangers, and explain methods of dealing with it. It is expected to issue the “Document of Faith in a Changing World”.

In his opening speech “framing” the conference’s activities, Sheikh Al-Issa stressed that the conference comes to remember the evidence of faith, and to strengthen it in the hearts of believers on the one hand; And for the people of science and faith to continue to defeat atheism on the other hand.

He touched on pivotal matters in the subject of atheism, including the conceptual control of the term, the historical context, and the deconstruction of the relationship of correlation between atheism, intelligence, and material sciences, in addition to responding to a number of atheistic doubts and arguments with their debates that appeared since the beginning of the emergence of those sciences.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League also touched on the distinctive design of this wonderful universe that led some scientists of material sciences, such as Einstein, to the conviction that the laws of the universe have the authority to manage the universe, indicating that Einstein was forced to do so because of facts that were shocking to nihilistic thought, although he was not seeking the existence of the Creator, the Almighty, but those facts made him speak as they made others speak.

At the end of his speech, Sheikh Al-Issa pointed out a number of matters related to confronting suspicions of atheism, the most important of which are: that only well-established specialists should confront this, and that several specializations should come together for this, as suspicions overlap with more than one science, in addition to the necessity of confronting it with a discourse that everyone understands and accepts its common logical axioms, without affectation, and negativity of enthusiasm, especially the severity of the presentation; because this is likely to turn the issue into an issue of stubbornness, and we are advocates of good for faith, and we only want to guide people, not tempt them and cause them loss. During the opening session of the conference, Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, President of the Mohammedia League of Moroccan Scholars, Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the Emirates Fatwa Council, Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Juma, former Egyptian Minister of Endowments and member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, Dr. Qutb Mustafa Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Shawqi Allam, former Grand Mufti of Egypt and member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Muslim World League, Dr. Salem Al-Malik, President of ISESCO, Professor Alberto Meloni, UNESCO Chair in Religious Pluralism and Peace, Sapienza, University of Rome, Mohammed Youssef, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Scholars in Morocco, Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, Archbishop of Rabat, and a number of religious and intellectual figures and prominent figures in related studies spoke. The first day of the conference witnessed the holding of two scientific sessions, the first of which dealt with the theme of “Atheism in the Contemporary Context… Presentation and Criticism”, while the second session dealt with the theme of “Faith in the Light of Contemporary Technology… Stakes and Challenges”. It also witnessed the holding of three workshops, the first of which focused on “Belief and Burning Issues in a Changing World”, the second on “Faith in Today’s World and the Functionality of the Representational, Cognitive and Intellectual Dimensions”, while the third focused on “Faith in a Changing World… Relational Dimensions and Social Systems”. At the conclusion of its work, the conference will witness the announcement of the document “Faith in a Changing World”, which represents an important statement from the elites and religious and intellectual figures worldwide on faith in the face of atheism, while emphasizing the existence of differences between religious and intellectual beliefs in the meaning of faith in God, but rather the focus of the discussion and concerted efforts is on confronting nihilistic atheistic ideas.