The 38th International Islamic Unity Conference, spearheaded by the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, commenced this week in Tehran, Iran. The seven-day conference started on Sept. 14 and will continue until Sept. 21.

The event is taking place during one of Islam’s most festive occasions, the birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The two major Islamic sects differ on the exact date of the Prophet’s birth, with Sunnis referencing the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, and Shiites commemorating on the 17th. 

In a quest to unite all Muslims in celebration of the Prophet of Islam, the late Imam Khomeini called for a “week of unity” in the 1980s that would span the week between the Sunni and Shiite narrations regarding the Prophet’s birth date. 

The Theme of Palestine

With Palestine as the main theme of the year’s conference, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Hamid Shahriari expressed that the Islamic convention will centralize on“ Islamic cooperation for reaching common values with a focus on the issue of Palestine.” 

Over 230 scholars and intellectuals, as well as religious, cultural, and political figures from across the globe will be addressing the conference in 16 forums. 

Guests from 30 Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE, as well as a number of non-Muslim countries such as the US and Russia, are in attendance.

Over 12 books are set to be released in ceremonies throughout the conference.

The major topics being covered in the conference include Palestinian resistance as a unifying factor for the Muslim Ummah, Islamic brotherhood and combating terrorism, solidarity among Muslims to avoid tension and conflict, and mutual respect among various Islamic schools of thought. 

Emphasis on Islamic Unity

In a meeting with Iranian Sunni scholars on Sept. 16, coinciding with the start of unity week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressed the critical role of Islamic unity, describing it as a “Quranic principle.” 

He further highlighted attempts by enemies who fan the flames of religious discord throughout the Muslim world, especially in Iran.

He explained that the “ill-wishers are using intellectual, propagandistic, and economic tactics to create division between Shias and Sunnis in Iran and across the Islamic world, aiming to turn them against each other.” 

Khamenei also emphasized the importance of Muslims standing for Palestine. “It is against Islamic teachings that a Muslim be oblivious to the suffering of another Muslim in Gaza or other parts of the world,” he stated.

With this year’s Islamic Unity Conference focused on the plight of the Palestinians, Muslims across the globe hope the seven-day event can be a step toward uniting the people of truth and justice to end the Israeli regime’s ongoing onslaught in Gaza.

The 11-month war has now killed almost 42,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured close to 95,000 others. Almost all of Gaza’s 2.2 million civilians have been displaced amidst a crippling and inhumane blockade.