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JEDDAH: It does not take long to realize that there is little convention about Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdallam. and not just because his words and actions have made the world eyebrow since his appointment in August 2016 as secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL).

Many Muslim clerics forbid, for example, photography and other forms of art. But just minutes from our meeting last week in a MWL rescue center in Jeddah, Arab News photographer Ziyad Alarfaj and I were treated to a sermon on the best way to take pictures and to edit them. It turns out that Al-Issa is not just a practicing calligrapher but also an avid photographer.

He is a controversial figure, chosen to preside over one of the most controversial Islamic organizations. The MWL has had its share of criticism since its inception in 1962, but the last two years have sparked quite a different controversy. If the words and actions of extremists in the name of religion are a disease that must be treated, the words and actions of Al-Issa are a form of "shock therapy".

Yet the new leadership of the MWL continues to -liners, Al-Issa continues to be received in high places like the Vatican and the White House. It has also opened previously closed doors on the far right, sitting and talking with, for example, the former French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen (and for a passionate photographer, c & n Was an image that was really worth a thousand words).

The appointment of Al-Issa has clearly coincided with the implementation of Saudi Arabia's reform program, Vision 2030, by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At a world forum in Riyadh last year, the Crown Prince said that he was seeking to destroy the extremists "now and immediately", and that he was talking about bringing back the "warrior". Saudi Arabia to "moderate Islam." His words coincide with remarkable decisions. Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Ending the De facto Prohibition of Driving Women and Reopening Cinemas

Because Al-Issa is Tolerant and Modern – a world away from the image of Islam many minds are related to exclusion, militancy and extremism – are entirely consistent with the vision and the statements of the Crown Prince, some have portrayed the sheikh as a mere man to use during this phase of reform

", he replies." What I have said in my past, let's say now and say in the future reflects my convictions … deep convictions, because they represent the true Islam in which I believe, and not the result of any phase. "

The Crown The approach of the prince makes a real difference in confronting extremism and empowering moderate scholars to create a moderate discourse, believes Al-Issa. "The difference is now in the existence of initiatives and practical programs to implement this discourse."

Critics of the programs run by the MWL centers around the world would say that & # 39; They were not noted for the promotion of moderation, but they preceded the appointment of Al-Issa as Secretary-General. "It's not my right and my agenda to talk about the past," he says. "The past belongs to its owners … I only talk about myself and my future." The current programs at MWL centers around the world focus on moderation and "the explicit appeal to promote the development of the world." national integration of these communities in their countries. Another indication that it is not conventional in his work, Al-Issa is not convinced of the effectiveness of these centers in the modern era, and believes that the moderation message can be more effectively delivered on social media platforms.

do not open new centers because … now is the time for social media, "he said." The new media play the role of a thousand centers. The message of Islamic moderation, wisdom and humanity that we send in a tweet does the work of dozens of centers. "

In addition to social media, Al-Issa relies on continuous travel and public engagement." "Barely a week passes without a photo of him with a religious or political personality in a country or with Muslim communities in another, or without a speech or conference in a think tank or conference, and because he believes that the MWL now represents moderate Islam, his travels Frequent and his public appearances give him a role closer to that of an "Islamic Minister of Foreign Affairs" than a Secretary General in the bureaucratic sense

.Last week, in Florence, Italy, Al -Issa has received the prestigious Galileo Prize in recognition of his work promoting peace and harmony among civilizations, which, he says, shows that international institutions are fair in their work and do not have to pay for it. have no progress "Those who believe otherwise," says Al-Issa, "are victims of the conspiracy theory too common in our part of the word that the West is plotting against Islam.

"Many Muslims have a negative perception that there is a conspiracy against Islam and Muslims, but, my brother, the West gave up his religious state, chose the secularism and fought Christianity as a way of life, so why do you think it's targeting you? ", he said.

"We went to dialogue with the West and the Far East, and found an appreciation of Islam, a love for Muslims and a desire to cooperate with them when they have learned the truth of Islam.

"Do not blame the far right if it becomes suspicious of you because of an (existing) example before it that it exploits in a political game. If he had not had such an excuse, he would not have used this extremist talk.

However, the problem around the world is the lack of impression of Muslim moderation and tolerance that Al-Issa promotes. So why are not there more sheikhs like him calling for the same thing as him?

See our Photo Gallery of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa

They do not realize the seriousness of the negative perceptions against Islam and, therefore, they do not intervene in their correction, "he said. "Some fear the reaction of extremism and do not want to engage in debates with extremists.And the religious knowledge of others does not reach the correct level of understanding."

Al -Issa criticizes those who speak in the name of religion on the basis of "feelings, impressions and religious zeal devoid of any thought or scientific proposal". For his part, his own opinions, firmly rooted in Muslim theology, are anathema to hard-liners.

An example was when he said that not wearing the hijab has not made a woman an unfaithful.

"I think that no Muslim can call a Muslim woman an infidel or question her values ​​because she has never worn a hijab," he says. "The Muslim woman, if she does not wear the hijab … is not unfaithful and does not move away from Islam."

In Belgium last year, he preached against the tide of many local leaders when he said that Muslims should respect the laws, culture and customs of non-Muslim countries in which they live, even if They felt that it violated their faith. If they (Muslims) were unable to legally persuade local authorities to respect their wishes, they should obey local laws or leave, advised Al-Issa.

More recently, in Washington DC, Al-Issa visited the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, criticized the Holocaust deniers and condemned this hate crime – deemed remarkable by a cleric of his caliber and an organization of notoriety of MWL.

However, this did not happen without attracting the attention of extremists who saw it as an attempt to get closer to Israel at the expense of Palestinian rights.

Al-Issa, however, sees no contradiction between opposing the occupation of the Palestinian territories and condemning the Holocaust, which he says "has shaken humanity" .

"We call for a just peace, in accordance with the Arab Initiative," he said. "East Jerusalem (capital of Palestine) and West Jerusalem (capital of Israel), and it does not matter. there is no choice but peace. "

Despite his controversial remarks, Al-Issa says he's not afraid, although he knows some people." I speak with logic, and I have the right and justice on my side. And whoever has the right and justice, God willing, is deeply reassured in his heart. But I take my necessary (safety) precautions without exaggeration. "

Al-Issa says that logic from his point of view has changed the minds of people about Islam.He knows it because of dozens of private messages that he has received from scholars and great preachers, inside and outside the Kingdom, whose names he keeps, and he says that, despite the criticisms, he enjoys a wide support in the Muslim world because of its openness to all, the strength of its opinions rooted in Islamic theology and the fact that MWL speaks of its seat in the most sacred place for all .Muslims: Mecca.