ISTANBUL

An eight-day-long conference will be held in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul beginning on Friday to discuss Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, as well as Islamic and humanitarian responsibilities in the face of modern history's worst disaster.

The "Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility: Gaza" conference, organized by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the Foundation for Islamic Scholars in Türkiye, is scheduled to commence on Friday in Istanbul, said Mustafa Karatas, a foundation board member, during a press conference.

More than 2.5 million people in Gaza are being subjected to total genocide, Karatas emphasized, adding that the world is currently facing one of the gravest catastrophes in modern, even human, history.

He described how the region is being attacked with lethal weapons, blockaded from food and water, and left to disease and deprivation.

"For the first time in history, in full view of the world, a Zionist terrorist government is implementing a declared plan to completely annihilate a Muslim population," Karatas said.

"It has left no mosque or church, no hospital or school untouched. Homes, camps, and all aspects of life have been destroyed, erasing traces of humanity. Gaza has been turned not into a living space, but almost a stage of death.

"Their crimes are not limited to Gaza alone. By openly declaring the false and sinful ‘Greater Israel’ expansion project, they have announced their aim to seize more than just Arab and Islamic lands, threatening Jordan, Egypt, and numerous other countries."

Karatas stressed that the upcoming conference aims to address these issues.

"Together with the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Foundation for Islamic Scholars, and a dedicated and sincere group of scholars, we will hold a large-scale, week-long conference titled ‘Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility: Gaza,’ bringing together over 100 authoritative Islamic scholars from more than 50 countries.

"The goal of the conference is to speak the truth, fulfill our religious and historical responsibilities, and declare that Gaza is not only a Palestinian issue but a shared and just cause for the entire Ummah and humanity."

Islamic world, humanity will never accept crimes in Gaza

Karatas added that the conference seeks to mobilize the Islamic world and all of humanity to halt attacks, open humanitarian corridors, and deliver all necessary aid to Gaza’s dignified population.

The conference will kick off on Friday with a declaration and a protest by scholars at Eyup Sultan Mosque, followed by protocol speeches from delegation heads on Saturday.

Between Sunday and next Thursday, 18 parallel workshops on key issues in Palestine will be held.

The conference will wrap up on August 29, with a final declaration read after Friday prayers at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

Karatas emphasized that the Islamic world and all of humanity will never accept the crimes in Gaza.

"Our conference will work with full force to increase societal and political pressure to ensure urgent aid, open border crossings, and deliver assistance to our hungry brothers and sisters trapped under the siege in Gaza," he said.

The president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Ali Muhyiddin al-Qaradaghi, also read the Arabic text of the press release.