A senior Islamic leader will visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland as part of an agreement signed between the Muslim World League and the American Jewish Committee to enhance cooperation and understanding between the two communities.
Dr. Mohammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary general of the Muslim World League will accompany American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris to Auschwitz in January to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the infamous death camp -- where 1.5 million Jews perished during the Holocaust.
The visit will come as part of a memorandum of understanding between their two institutions signed Tuesday "to further Muslim-Jewish understanding and cooperate against racism and extremism in all its forms," the AJC said in a statement.
As part of their agreement, Al-Issa will also address the AJC Global Forum in Berlin in June 2020 and Harris will reciprocate by leading an AJC delegation to Saudi Arabia where the Muslim World League is based.
"I believe that by paying my respects to the victims of Auschwitz, I will encourage Muslims and non-Muslims to embrace mutual respect, understanding and diversity," Al-Issa said in the statement, adding that recent attacks against places of worship in Pittsburgh, Christchurch, and Sri Lanka "compel us all to unite and stand up against those who want to divide us."
On Tuesday, Al-Issa also signed an agreement with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, to coordinate efforts to protect religious sites and worshipers, of any religion, from violent attacks.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en
