General Secretariat – Doha
His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), emphasised the importance of addressing the phenomenon of Islamophobia that has spread globally due to certain hostile entities against our noble Islamic religion.
He stated that the creation of a GCC Scientific Observatory to Combat Extremism, through the Committee of Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for Islamic Affairs and Endowments in the GCC countries, is indeed an important and necessary proposal that will help highlight the true image of Islam and counter hate campaigns.
This statement came during the 10th meeting of Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for Islamic Affairs and Endowments in the GCC countries, held today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, in the Qatari capital, Doha, chaired by His Excellency Mr Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanim, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar - the current session's president - with the participation of Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for Islamic Affairs and Endowments in the GCC.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General expressed his deepest gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar who is the president of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, for the sincere and dedicated efforts exerted by the Government of the sisterly State of Qatar in managing and ensuring the success of the joint GCC meetings during its presidency of this session. He wished the State of Qatar continued progress, advancement, and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Highness.
He stated: "The 10th meeting of Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for Islamic Affairs and Endowments in the GCC is held in implementation of the visions and directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC countries, regarding the importance of unity, integration, and proximity among the GCC countries in various fields."
"The meetings of this esteemed committee since its establishment have achieved numerous accomplishments that promote integration, cooperation, and the exchange of experiences in the field of Islamic Affairs and Endowments among the GCC countries. Your discussions on topics such as unified calls to prayer, the knowledge acquisition of imams, and the role and impact of religious discourse in the cohesion of society reflect the reality of cooperation between the GCC countries and embody the noble and blessed message of the GCC, which is to achieve integration," he further added.
He also praised the proposal to prepare a paper on the role of the Ministries of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in caring for people with disabilities, as well as a paper titled "The Importance of Caring for Historical Mosques," expressing his gratitude and appreciation to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their efforts in preparing these two papers.
