Muslim religious leaders from Asia-Pacific convene in Istanbul

The Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB) will host the four-day First Summit of Asia-Pacific Religious Leaders, which will bring Muslim clerics from Asian and Pacific countries together in Istanbul. The event, set to start today, is the latest bid by the state-run DİB to achieve unity among Muslims.

The summit titled "Abundance In Unity: Thinking Hikmah (Wisdom) and Peace Together" and will be attended by 125 delegates from 37 countries, from Afghanistan to Australia and to tiny Pacific nations.

The event's purpose is "a recognition of Muslims in Asian and Pacific countries, exchanging ideas on problems the Islamic world encounters and discussing solutions, re-establishing historical ties with Muslim countries and communities in the Asia-Pacific region, discussing opportunities for cooperation in religious education and services," according to DİB officials.

Sessions will also focus on the effects of new mindsets in the Muslim world on the Asia-Pacific Muslim communities, the future of the Muslim world and Islamophobia.

The DİB is at the forefront of efforts for Muslim solidarity especially in the wake of rising Islamophobia, terror attacks and wars in Muslim countries. In the past decade, it has organized several events bringing together Muslim clerics from around the world including a summit of Eurasian Muslims, the African Countries Religious Leaders Summit, a convention of European Muslims, a meeting of clerics from Balkan countries and a summit of religious leaders in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Mehmet Görmez, the head of the DİB chairs the Peace and Moderation Permanent Contact Group, a group of top Islamic scholars promoting unity among Muslims in the face of violence stemming from sectarian strife and other internal struggles in Muslim countries.