Islamic Values And Human Dignity Highlighted By MWL Chief At George Washington University

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa used a lecture at George Washington University to warn about hatred, highlight human dignity in Islamic values, and call for international solidarity against racism and contempt.

Al-Issa explained that hatred is not a simple feeling but a cluster of harmful emotions that may develop into racist behaviour. Addressing this danger, Al-Issa said societies needed to recognise how these emotions grow and then confront them before they spread.

In his address, Al-Issa stressed that human dignity formed a core principle in Islamic values, and that Islamic Sharia strictly prohibited any violation of that dignity. He said Islam rejected any contemptuous or racist practices against people of any faith or ethnic background.

Al-Issa added that Islamic teachings viewed the origins of humanity as shared, and therefore indivisible. He noted that anyone who failed to respect the humanity of others was, in effect, hating themselves, whether that person realised it or not, because such behaviour contradicted this shared origin.

To give a religious basis for equal dignity, Al-Issa cited the Qur’anic verse, "And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam" (Qur’an 17:70). He said this verse supported the Islamic belief that every person held an inherent right to dignity, without any discrimination or ranking.

Al-Issa told the audience that confronting hatred at its roots required preventive work that started early in life. Families and educational institutions were described as the most influential platforms, where awareness could become instinctive behaviour, going beyond the role of laws, although laws also remained essential.

The lecture at George Washington University was followed by a discussion on "the General Concept of Hatred" and "A Comprehensive Definition of Hostility Toward Followers of Religions and Ethnicities that Undermines Their Dignity, Humanity, and Rights." University President Ellen M. Granberg hosted Al-Issa, with academics, students, and representatives of research centres attending.

Al-Issa underlined that tackling hatred was a shared international duty based on solidarity among nations and communities. According to SPA, the event was reported at 01:09 local time and 22:09 GMT under reference number 0006, reflecting the wider attention given to these issues.

With inputs from SPA