Istanbul, August 24, 2025 – The Europe Today: Prominent Muslim scholars on Saturday emphasized the urgent obligation to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, as the second day of an international conference continued on Democracy and Freedom Island in Istanbul.
The gathering, titled “Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility: Gaza,” has been organized by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the Foundation for Islamic Scholars in Türkiye. It has drawn more than 150 scholars from over 50 countries to deliberate on Israel’s war on Gaza and the broader response of the Islamic world.
The day opened with a protocol session featuring addresses from IUMS President Sheikh Ali Muhyiddin al-Qaradaghi, Ali Erbaş, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and IUMS Secretary-General Sheikh Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi. Sheikh Abdul Wahab Aykinci, president of the Ummat Association, inaugurated the session on behalf of the organizing committee. Iraqi and Turkish scholars, including Sheikh Ahmed Hassan Al-Taha of the Iraqi Fiqh Council and Prof. Nasrullah Hacimuftuoglu, president of the Foundation for Islamic Scholars in Türkiye, also delivered keynote remarks.
The first workshop focused on “the obligation of aid to Gaza,” during which delegation heads presented recommendations. While a press briefing on Gaza and a planned public statement and protest in solidarity with Palestinians were scheduled later in the day, these events were postponed due to adjustments in the program.
The conference will continue on Sunday with parallel workshops engaging scholars, state representatives, business leaders, media professionals, and political figures. Key themes include the responsibilities of Islamic scholars and governments, the role of the private sector in reconstruction and aid projects, the duties of media, and strategies to strengthen unity within the Muslim world. The day will close with the preparation of workshop reports and a plenary session evaluating the outcomes.
Spanning eight days, the conference opened on Friday with prayers at Istanbul’s historic Eyup Sultan Mosque. It will run through August 29 and conclude at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque with the issuance of the “Istanbul Declaration,” which organizers say will outline concrete steps for political, humanitarian, and legal action in support of the Palestinian cause.
On the sidelines of the conference, Abdul Vakhed Niyazov, president of the European Muslim Forum, praised Türkiye’s leadership in hosting the gathering. He criticized the silence of many Muslim organizations on Gaza but commended the IUMS and Diyanet for mobilizing religious leaders and raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis.
Niyazov also highlighted the role of European Muslims, noting that diaspora communities have been more active than many Muslim-majority governments. “Every weekend, Muslims of Europe fill the largest squares and streets, raising their voices in defense of Gaza and Palestine,” he said, stressing that their efforts were often joined by Christians and Jews condemning “genocide and Zionist crimes.”
He further accused European Union institutions of indifference, saying that while public opinion across Europe is shifting against Israel’s actions, EU leaders remain largely silent. “They can no longer deny the genocide in Gaza, but they are trying to remain silent,” Niyazov said, adding that history would judge such leaders as “accomplices of bloody crimes.”
The Istanbul conference is expected to conclude with strong calls for collective Muslim action, enhanced humanitarian support, and greater international pressure to end the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
