Muslim World League (MWL) chief and Saudi Arabia’s former Minister for Justice Mohammad Bin Abdul karim al-Issa today hailed India as “a great model for coexistence” and said the country could send a message of peace to the world.

“We have talked just moments ago about the different components in Indian society and we have been in the past few days engaging with them. And I know that the Muslim component of the Indian society, they are, as I said, proud of their Constitution and proud of their nation and they are proud of the brotherhood that they share with the rest of the components of the Indian society” said al-Issa, who is on a five-day visit to India, at a function here. The Saudi-Based (MWL) is an organisation representing Muslims worldwide.

Appreciating “Indian wisdom”, he said, “We reach out with the different components and diversity for the common objectives that we share. We have heard a lot about Indian wisdom and we know that it has contributed a lot to humanity…”

He said “We know that coexistence here is very important… we also work on promoting stability and harmony all over the world. We know that the Indian component, with all its diversity, is a great model for coexistence not only in mere words but also on the ground.”

The visiting Saudi delegate said that his organisation was working across the world to promote religious awareness. “There is this pessimist theory in the world that says that the clash between civilizations is unavoidable, and thus such a clash depends on two factors,” he said.

“There are religions and also civilizations. That’s why the United Nations has been aware of such theories, and they have established an organization within the United Nations called the Alliance of Civilizations,” al-Issa said.

He further stated that the Muslim World League in cooperation with the United Nations and their leadership have launched an initiative titled “Building Bridges between the East and the West” from the platform of the United Nations.

“Yes, we can cooperate together, and yes, we can live in peace together,” he said.

During his stay in New Delhi, al-Issa is expected to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani. He may also call on President Droupadi Murmu.