‘Ignoring spirituality leads to forming extremist groups’

Addressing the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World in Doha, Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaili said that what the world needs currently is morality and spirituality.

Desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and other parts of the globe has indicated that those who are opposed to Islamic unity resort to some measures to create a rift among Islamic nations, he asserted.

The Iranian minister called on the participating countries in the conference to take immediate steps to support the Palestinians in the face of the child-killing and blood-thirsty Zionist Israeli regime.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he suggested that a secretariat for cultural dialogue be set up under the umbrella of the secretariat of ISESCO, which is a specialized organization concerned with fields of education, science, culture, and communication in Islamic countries to bolster relations among 54 member states.

He voiced Iran’s readiness to host the first round of the cultural dialogue in that regard.

The 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World is underway under the theme “Toward renewing cultural action in the Islamic world”.

The two-day conference will discuss the main principles of cultural policy and indicators of sustainable development, mechanisms for developing the “Cultural Capital of the Islamic World” program, and the expansion of joint cultural activities in combating the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage.

The event will also review the nomination document submitted by Azerbaijan to declare the city of Shusha, the cradle of art and culture of Azerbaijan, as the “Cultural Capital of the Islamic World” for 2024.

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