Imams, preachers' meeting calls for comprehensive religious discourse, community unity

The Democratic Islam Conference in North and East Syria held a large meeting of imams and preachers, on Sunday, at the Hilal Zerin Cultural Center in Hasaka in Jazira canton, under the slogan "Following in the footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in building Medina; Towards construction and human fraternity." A number of religious figures, intellectuals, and representatives of political and social movements participated.

The meeting opened with a speech delivered by Sheikh Mohamed Ali, the co-chair of the Democratic Islam Conference in Hasaka city. He began by quoting a verse from the Holy Quran, "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together, and do not become divided." He emphasized that this verse is a solid foundation for building strong societies, as it explicitly calls for unity and cohesion, rejecting all forms of division, regardless of race, color, religion, or identity.

Sheikh Mohamed Ali stressed that what unites people is "the bond of pure humanity," citing the saying of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, "People are of two kinds; either a brothers to you in faith or your equals in humanity."

After that, Jahed Hassen, the administrator in the Democratic Society Movement, delivered a speech in which he addressed the reality of exclusion and ongoing incitement in Syria, pointing out that the lack of recognition of ethnic and religious diversity and richness still exists. He noted that the fall of the Baath regime was not accompanied by a real change in the centralist mentality, with the continued imposition of opinion, language, and nationalism.

Hassen emphasized that the fundamental problem in Syria remains the absence of a just constitution and laws guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians, highlighting the continued violations and violence in various parts of the country, despite the hopes raised after years of revolution.

For his part, Mazen Harouni, the co-chair of the Democratic Islam Conference in North and East Syria, spoke about the critical phase the country is going through after more than fifty years of Ba'athist dictatorship and fifteen years of bloody conflict and structural destruction.

He made clear that the Syrians' hopes for building a state based on freedom, dignity, and justice have been thwarted by the exclusion of genuine national forces as a result of external political complexities and internal societal and religious challenges, which have deepened divisions and given rise to mass chaos under sectarian labels far from the spirit of Islam and the values of citizenship.

Kholoud Abdo, the co-chair of the Democratic Islam Conference in Hasaka, also delivered a speech focusing on the status of women in Islamic history. She asserted that the marginalization of women stemmed not so much from religious texts as from narrow-minded interpretations.

The meeting criticized Salafist and Takfiri approaches that transform religion into a tool of oppression, producing an understanding that restricts women and marginalizes their role, instead of recognizing them as active members of society.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion, during which the attendees raised questions and offered comments emphasizing the importance of promoting an inclusive religious discourse that supports the values of pluralism, citizenship, and co-existence in North and East Syria and throughout the country.

J.J

ANHA