IPOH: Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah has urged the global Muslim community to unite to address the growing crisis that affected the ummah of all backgrounds amid worsening wealth gaps between countries and intensifying international conflicts.
"Some of us thrive, while others suffer dreadful hardships and deprivation.
"In the light of the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) trends and the terrible conflicts, the focus should once again be on humanity," Sultan Nazrin said in his Royal keynote address at the 7th World Conference On Islamic Thought and Civilisation (WCIT) at Casuarina Hotel here on Monday (July 29).
The Ruler said with this year’s theme for the conference ‘Together We Stand: Muslims and Global Humanity’, he wanted to focus on the first word ‘together’.
"So today, I want to reflect on how we can help some of the most vulnerable members of our international community, particularly those living in poverty and hardship, as well as children from all backgrounds.
"I want to reiterate that we do not stand ‘together’ until all of us are standing. We must not leave a single member of our global community behind.
"Indeed, it is our duty to help, as the Quran teaches, “If anyone saves a life, it will be as if he had saved all of humanity," he added, calling on Muslims to stand together to help vulnerable Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
"Now, I believe there are already success stories to be shared in this area.
"There is no shying away from the seriousness of the international situation, or the worrying downward trends I highlighted earlier.
"There are many reasons for hope that are important to acknowledge because the warning bells tell us we are charting the wrong course," he added.
The Ruler also stressed that children of all faiths and backgrounds were disproportionately affected by poverty and depended on global humanity to help them as a vulnerable group.
He added that children are presently suffering disproportionately in humanitarian crises and conflict situations.
"There are currently four million children in Sudan facing acute malnutrition, 3.5 million children living under severe to catastrophic levels of need, while in Gaza, half of the 1.7 million people displaced from their homes are children.
"These children are losing their families, their homes, their loved ones, and all too often, tragically, their lives.
"Even those who survive through conflict and famine are at risk of losing their futures, as they do not have access to education," he added.
The Ruler said the scale of the destruction is such that scholars worldwide have now coined a shameful new word - 'scholasticide.'
He said despite global progress in achieving gender parity, there is still a disproportionate number of young girls missing out on education in conflict regions especially.
