The Secretary General of the Muslim World League Highlights the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition Pivotal Role in Combating Terrorism and Extremist Ideologies

The Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, visited the headquarters of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in Riyadh, where he delivered a lecture entitled “A Reading in the Transformations of Contemporary Ideological Thought.” The lecture was attended by the Secretary General of the IMCTC, representatives of member states, and coalition personnel.

In his address, Dr. Al-Issa reviewed the trajectory of extremist ideologies in the modern context, highlighting their diverse religious, intellectual, and political manifestations across the international arena. He traced their evolution, including both corrective and tactical revisions.

He further discussed the essential pillars for addressing or countering extremist ideologies—chief among them dialogue and debate, particularly in refuting misconceptions raised either from within the Muslim world or from outside it. He presented examples of issues that have been successfully addressed through debate and engagement, stressing that the missing link in global counter-extremism efforts lies in the quality of discourse, both in substance and delivery.

Dr. Al-Issa also addressed the phenomenon of Islamophobia: its definition, causes, and examples of approaches to addressing it.

The lecture came as part of his visit to the IMCTC headquarters, where he was received by the Coalition’s Secretary-General, Lt. Gen. Pilot Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi.

During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the MWL and the IMCTC, ensuring complementarity in efforts to combat extremism and terrorism. Lt. Gen. Al-Moghedi expressed his appreciation for Dr. Al-Issa’s visit and affirmed the Coalition’s aspiration for greater constructive cooperation to unify efforts and resources in facing the global threat of terrorism.

Dr. Al-Issa was also briefed on the IMCTC's core initiatives in four main domains: ideological, media, countering terrorist financing, and military. These include numerous strategic initiatives and specialized programs to combat terrorism and extremism.

He praised the IMCTC’s significant contributions across both the Muslim world and the international community in countering terrorism and violence. He further highlighted the pivotal role of the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in providing unwavering support for combating terrorism and extremism in all its forms, affirming that the IMCTC plays a central role through its strategic initiatives and specialized programs in confronting terrorism and extremist ideologies.