Riyadh (UNA-OIC) – In conjunction with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, which coincide with September 21st every year, the Muslim World League (MWL) with the participation of the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and a high-level delegation from the Kingdom of Sweden, celebrated the inauguration of the famous symbol of peace “The Knotted Gun” at the MWL’s sub-headquarters in Riyadh, which has become a global icon that started from the UN headquarters, going beyond the framework of its first idea in New York, where the UN installed, inside its headquarters, a model of The Knotted Gun for its global connotation calling for peace and the rejection of violence.
The MWL’s Wednesday-morning celebration of this international event and the inauguration of its global icon took place in the presence of His Excellency the MWL’s Secretary-General, Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, and in the high-level presence of international and Islamic leaders active in promoting peace and combating violence in the international arena.
His Excellency the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, and a number of Muslim personalities participated in this event, which highlighted the MWL’s efforts calling for peace and rejecting violence as it is the approach of Islam under its lofty and wise guidance that came as a mercy to the worlds, reconciling their hearts, and incubating them with its blessed message. The event also saw the unveiling of the sculpture “The Knotted Gun”, the world’s most prominent icon of peace.
The Knotted Gun bears the name “Non-violence”, and is considered the most powerful global symbol of peace and rejection of violence. Standing in the MWL’s Riyadh branch affirms one of the most important pioneers of its Islamic values calling for peace and rejecting violence.
Dr. Al-Issa delivered a speech welcoming the participants in this extraordinary international event, in which he said: “We are pleased with your company to celebrate the International Day of Peace as we inaugurate The Knotted Gun model. It has become a global icon of peace and the rejection of violence. We share this supreme value that is what we need most in today’s world. We assure everyone that true peace begins with the sincerity of effective institutions in their earnest endeavor to reinforce the peace of our world and the harmony of our national societies”.
He added, “We, in the MWL, and by embracing this UN symbolism, reaffirm that we are advocates of peace and mercy in the worlds, rejecting violence in all its forms and pretexts. We want to say that there is no violence in our values, no violence in our ideas. Risks that raise slogans in the name of Islam represent themselves and do not represent the reality of Islam. Also, the negative slogans raised in the name of any religion or culture only represent themselves. We do not generalize the ruling on this to the followers of other religions and cultures, as they enjoy a degree of human awareness”.
He continued: “We are all aware that true peace means an active and sincere contribution to its realization. It starts from the inner certainty that peace is the only option in the logic of the wise, and that peace passes through the gate of good intentions with its sincerity and tolerance. This is demonstrated by the rejection of all forms of severe confrontations, including the rejection of all methods of violence or encouraging it”. He stressed that the clash cannot be resolved by clash, and that most of today’s conflicts and disputes can be resolved with the logic of wisdom.
He said that celebrating the symbolism of The Knotted Gun comes out of the Islamic welcome for peace and its international connotations and symbols, and that our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, witnessed an pact of justice and peace, “League of the Virtuous” or “Hilf Al-Fudul”, before the advent of Islam and said: If I be invited to such a pact again I will surly take part”.
Mr. Abdullah Shahid, in a recorded speech, thanked the MWL for embracing the occasion of The Knotted Gun in its international significance. He also praised the efforts of those in charge of the Non-Violence Project in Sweden to promote peace in all societies, stressing the importance of the symbolism of The Knotted Gun project in ending conflicts in the world.
He said that the MWL carries out an integrated work in calling for peace and taking charitable initiatives to promote it, stressing that the MWL has not only called for harmony and coexistence, but has taken tangible and practical steps on the ground to consolidate this, by distributing humanitarian aid and opening windows for dialogue between various parties, and clarifying the reality of Islam based on peace.
Mr. Abdullah Shahid asserted that the MWL’s work in spreading harmony and understanding has a profound effect in dispelling tendencies of discrimination and hatred. “I commend the MWL for its efforts, encourage it to do more, and confirm that the UNGA will continue to provide support to the MWL”.
For his part, the Executive Director of the “Non-Violence” Foundation, Professor Rolf Sköldebrand, delivered a speech in which he praised the role of Dr. Al-Issa in spreading peace, and the MWL’s efforts to establish harmony and coexistence in all societies, expressing his happiness with the inauguration of The Knotted Gun in the MWL’s Riyadh branch.
He stressed the Non-Violence Project’s keenness to spread tolerance and dialogue in every spot around the world, and to call for the rejection of violence and the destruction and devastation that it leads to, and the loss of opportunities for prosperity and progress by nations.
This was followed by a myriad of related speeches and dialogues. Prominent Swedish figures in their traditional national uniform, usually accompanying the inauguration of such events, took part in the event starting in Sweden before the UN embraced it and then turned it into an international icon beyond the framework of its first idea.
