São Paulo – Between this Friday (19) and next Sunday (21), the city of São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo metro area, will host the 29th International Conference for Muslims of Latin America and the Caribbean Sea. Scholars of the Islamic religion will discuss the presence of Muslims in Latin American countries. Mahmoud Habbash, Palestine’s minister of Religious Affairs, will attend the event.
Speaking to ANBA, Palestine’s ambassador in Brasília, Ibrahim Alzeben, said this Thursday (18) that the meeting is an opportunity to demystify opinions about Muslims. “There’s a great deal of confusion depicting the Arab and the Muslim and this event is a chance to show the Muslim values. The Latin America countries stay away from Islamophobia. This region is where all religions, without exception, coexist harmonically. Latin America is an oasis of peaceful coexistence”, said Alzeben.
The conference is held every year in Brazil. According to the Islamic Dissemination Centre for Latin America (Cdial), discussions in this year’s event will focus on two main topics: the “reality of Muslim communities in Latin America and the Caribbean” and “ways of strengthening Muslim communities”.
Around the two main topics, other topics to be discussed are “the idea of Muslim community”, “obstacles to the work of Muslim community in your country”, “the importance of dialogue”, “the concept of intolerance and its impact on Muslim communities”, and “the importance of cooperation and coordination between Islamic institutions”, among others.
Mahmoud Habbash is Palestine’s highest religious authority. According to Alzeben, Habbash will attend the conference to explain to Muslims the current situation in Palestine territories and to show that the Israel conflict isn’t one of religious nature, but political.
Quick Facts
29th International Conference for Muslims of Latin America and the Caribbean Sea
From Augsut 19 to 21
Rua Henrique Alves dos Santos, 161
Jardim das Américas, São Bernardo do Campo – SP
Information: www.cdialbr.com.br and congresso29@islambr.com.br
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
