Peace is an Islamic prerogative and religious scholars are the owners of that

Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace, at the consultative meeting on "Unity and Support of the Ulema for the Peace Process" noted that peace is an Islamic prerogative, and religious scholars as the owners of this prerogative, play an important role for peace-building in society at this critical historical stage.

Consultative meeting of unity and support of religious scholars for the peace process with the presence of Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace, Mawlawi Enayatullah Baligh and Dr. Mohammad Amin Ahmadi, members of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mawlawi Mohammad Aref Malekyar, acting deputy minister of Islamic studies in the Ministry of Education, representatives of the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, with the participation of 40 Sunni and Shiite religious scholars from the male and female strata, was organized in the State Ministry for Peace.

In this meeting, Abdul Rahman Hotak, Senior Advisor to the State Ministry for Peace, briefed on the previous meeting of religious scholars and said that in the past two months he had met with religious scholars and representatives of various religious institutions from all over the country. He added that the representatives of these institutions are present in the current meeting as well.

The religious scholars, on behalf of the working committees of the previous meeting, shared the results of their group discussions with the authorities. The religious scholars called on the leadership of the State Ministry for Peace to pay attention to their suggestions, opinions and demands, and to follow their instructions in the light of religious teachings to advance the peace process.

Mawlawi Mohammad Aref Malekyar, Deputy Minister of Islamic Studies of the Ministry of Education, said at the meeting that peace is a religious phenomenon and a divine rule, and from that perspective, the role of religious scholars in creating peace is important and effective. He stressed that religious scholars are the best option to connect people with officials.

On the other hand, Dr. Mohammad Amin Ahmadi, a member of the negotiating team, said at the meeting that it is necessary to institutionalize a culture of peace in society and that it is the scholars who, as a major part of civil society, can work to ensure social peace.

Expressing that the negotiating team would not be successful without the cooperation and support of the religious scholars, he requested the religious scholars to institutionalize social peace in the society with a single and independent voice, through mosques and religious media outlets.

Mawlawi Ruhullah Hotak, the Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, also said at the meeting that we should use the golden opportunity provided to achieve peace.

According to Mawlawi Hotak, maintaining and strengthening the system and the achievements of many years are among the main points of these the peace negotiations.

Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace, after hearing the comments and suggestions of the participants, expressed his gratitude for the presence of religious scholars and their support for the peace process, calling the role of religious scholars important in establishing peace. He added that religious scholars have a heavy responsibility in this sensitive historically stage.

Referring to the importance of the status of religious scholars in the society, Mr. Rahimy said that due to the effectiveness of the religious scholars’ guidelines on the public mind, they can work to direct the mentality of the people to seek peace.

He also said that the consultative meetings with religious scholars will continue.

This meeting was held in continuation of the previous meetings of the State Ministry for Peace with the religious scholars in order to get their opinions and suggestions for improvement in the peace process.