Istanbul is preparing to host a landmark eight-day international conference dedicated to confronting Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and fulfilling the Islamic and humanitarian responsibilities of the global community.

The “Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility: Gaza” conference, jointly organized by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the Foundation for Islamic Scholars in Türkiye, will commence on Friday, August 22, 2025, and continue until August 29. The event is expected to bring together over 100 senior Islamic scholars, intellectuals, and leaders of Islamic institutions from more than 50 countries, making it one of the most comprehensive gatherings of Muslim thought leaders in recent years.

Gaza: A Catastrophe in Human History

At a press conference in Istanbul, Mustafa Karataş, board member of the organizing foundation, described the ongoing tragedy in Gaza as not only the darkest chapter in Palestinian history but also one of the greatest catastrophes in modern human civilization.

“More than 2.5 million people in Gaza are enduring the horror of total genocide,” Karataş said. “This is not simply a war. It is the systematic annihilation of a Muslim people in broad daylight, before the eyes of the entire world.”

He underlined that Gaza has been reduced to “a stage of death,” where no mosque, church, hospital, school, or home has been spared destruction. The siege has stripped the enclave of food, water, medicine, and electricity, while deadly weapons rain down on its people daily.

“For the first time in history, a Zionist terrorist entity has openly declared its plan to wipe out an entire population while shamelessly expanding its so-called ‘Greater Israel’ project, threatening not only Palestine but Jordan, Egypt, and the entire region,” Karataş added.

A Unified Call to the Ummah

The conference, Karataş emphasized, is being organized not only as an academic or religious discussion but as a historic call to action for the Ummah.

“The goal is to speak the truth loudly, fulfill our religious and moral obligations, and reaffirm that Gaza is not just a Palestinian issue—it is the shared cause of the entire Islamic Ummah and indeed of all humanity,” he said.

The program will begin on Friday, August 22, with a declaration and protest by scholars at Eyüp Sultan Mosque, one of Istanbul’s most symbolic spiritual landmarks. Protocol speeches by heads of delegations will follow on Saturday.

From Sunday through Thursday, the conference will feature 18 parallel workshops focusing on urgent issues such as:

• The duties of Islamic scholars, states, and civil society in halting genocide.
• The role of donors, businessmen, and NGOs in rebuilding Gaza.
• Media strategies to counter Zionist propaganda and mobilize global opinion.
• The centrality of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem to the Muslim Ummah.
• Steps towards ending the occupation and liberating holy lands.
• Strategies to unify Islamic movements under the Qur’anic principle: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together, and do not be divided.”

The gathering will conclude on Friday, August 29, with the Istanbul Declaration, a comprehensive roadmap for Islamic and humanitarian action, read after the Friday prayers at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

A Global Statement of Defiance

In a statement, the International Union of Muslim Scholars also stressed that this conference is a turning point for global Islamic mobilization.

“The conference will unite efforts to stop the aggression, open humanitarian corridors, and deliver urgent aid to Gaza. It will establish a permanent committee to ensure follow-up and transform decisions into reality. Through this event, we affirm that Gaza is not a local or regional concern but a humanitarian trust and a civilizational responsibility for the entire Ummah,” the statement read.

The Union also outlined six major objectives, including:

1. Supporting Gaza and halting aggression through unified action.
2. Forming an Islamic alliance to prevent future massacres.
3. Drafting a global humanitarian charter to pursue war criminals.
4. Issuing the Istanbul Declaration as a binding institutional and political framework.
5. Mobilizing public opinion and engaging world leaders in defense of Palestine.
6. Establishing a permanent follow-up mechanism to ensure continuity of action.

A Message to the World

Karataş concluded with a firm reminder that the crimes being committed in Gaza are not only crimes against Palestinians but against the conscience of humanity itself.

“Our conference will work with full determination to increase political and societal pressure to ensure urgent aid, open border crossings, and break the chains of this criminal siege. The Ummah will never accept these crimes. Humanity will never accept them. And history will record that when Gaza cried out, the scholars of Islam answered.”

The president of the IUMS, Ali Muhyiddin al-Qaradaghi, also delivered the Arabic text of the press release, underlining that the upcoming Istanbul gathering will be remembered as a historic stand of the Muslim Ummah against tyranny, occupation, and genocide. (ILKHA)