In July 2019, corresponding to Dhu Al-Qi’da 1440 AH, the Sri Lanka Declaration of Peace among Followers of Religions was signed during the National Conference on Peace, Harmony, and Coexistence in the Sri Lankan capital. The summit was convened in response to the urgent appeal of H.E. the President of Sri Lanka to the Muslim World League (MWL), following the terrorist events that had afflicted the country at the time.
The signing was attended by H.E. Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa , Secretary-General of the MWL and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, whose intervention—praise be to Allah—contributed to easing tensions as he visited and held dialogues with religious leaders of all faiths—Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians—in the capital, Colombo, and the city of Kandy.
H.E. the President expressed his appreciation for this effort, stating in a speech after the recitation of the Sri Lanka Declaration: “We are pleased to present the Supreme Medal of the Republic of Sri Lanka to H.E. Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the MWL, for his role in promoting interfaith peace in Sri Lanka, and we are pleased that he will be a permanent ambassador for peace.”
H.E. Dr. Al-Issa expressed his gratitude to H.E. the President for the invitation, facilitation, and honor, emphasizing that this comes within the framework of the humanitarian and civilizational duty undertaken by the Muslim World League in accordance with its Islamic values that call for peace, coexistence, and cooperation among the components of religious and ethnic diversity around the world. He clarified that generalizing extremist or terrorist acts to all followers of a religion or ethnicity contradicts truth, logic, and the values of religions.