EDIRNE, Türkiye / ISTANBUL

Scholars and religious leaders attending the second Balkan Scholars Meeting in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Edirne on Sunday emphasized the importance of unity in the Islamic world and called for global efforts to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The two-day event gathered religious leaders and scholars from North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Western Thrace, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Crimea.

At the closing session, the final declaration of the meeting was read out by Nasrullah Hacimuftuoglu, head of the Foundation for Islamic Scholars.

Hacimuftuoglu said the participants exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including religious services, cultural activities, family challenges, and the unity of the Muslim ummah, with particular attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The final statement emphasized the urgent need for the Islamic world to take active and result-oriented initiatives to stop what it called the “genocide” being carried out by Israel in Gaza.

“Despite the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and with the support of the very powers that signed it, the Zionist terrorist state of Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza before the eyes of all humanity for more than two years,” said Hacimuftuoglu.

“In the face of this, the Islamic world must take concrete steps and intensify efforts to end this tragedy.”

Hacımuftuoglu criticized the “double standards” of states that, while pledging to uphold human rights, have remained silent - or even supportive - of Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including infants, children, women, and the elderly.

He also noted that despite declared ceasefires, Israel continues its actions in Gaza, and called for global civil initiatives such as the “Global Sumud Flotilla” and “Freedom Flotilla for Gaza” to be strengthened as a means of peaceful resistance.

Turning to social challenges, Hacimuftuoglu warned against what he described as global efforts to erode moral and family values through politics, law, economy, culture, media, and education.

“The family is not merely a legal contract but a moral and religious institution,” he said. “Efforts to strengthen it must rely on both material and spiritual foundations. Otherwise, societies risk mental occupation, alienation, and fragmentation.”

Hacimuftuoglu underlined the importance of solidarity among Islamic scholars and opinion leaders in addressing challenges facing Muslim communities.

“These meetings must be held more frequently,” he said. “Particularly in the Balkans, scholars should play an active role in preventing provocations and social unrest. Civil and official institutions must act responsibly to prevent incidents that could harm public conscience.”

The second Balkan Scholars Meeting was hosted by the Edirne Governorship in cooperation with the Mimar Sinan Foundation and the Balkan Cities Cooperation Platform.