Within the framework of the official visit of His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), to the United States of America at an official invitation from the US State Department, His Excellency visited the Religious Freedom Institute in the American capital, Washington, on 24 Shawwal 1443H corresponding to 25 May 2022G. His Excellency and the accompanying delegation were received upon arrival by His Excellency Dr. Thomas Farr, President of the Institute.

His Excellency welcomed the Secretary General and thanked him in particular for his keenness to strengthen relations of cooperation and partnership between the Academy and the Institute, and then briefed His Excellency on the most important programs, activities and projects organized by the Institute. He also expressed the Institute’s readiness to conclude a solid strategic partnership between the two institutions in areas of common interest, especially the field of enhancing awareness of religious freedom and its role in achieving peace and stability around the world, as well as coordinating efforts to spread a culture of constructive dialogue, acceptance of others, and peaceful coexistence among followers of religions, noting in this regard the Institute’s readiness to sign multiple partnership agreements on various topics related to religious freedom, and to organize joint scientific events inside and outside the United States.

For his part, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his great thanks and great appreciation to His Excellency the President of the Institute for the good reception and warm welcome, and his pleasure to meet him again four years after their last meeting in Malibu, California. His Excellency praised the distinguished efforts made by the Institute in the field of consolidating the concept of religious freedom inside and outside the United States of America, which contributes to establishing security, peace and peaceful coexistence between religions and races within human societies. Then His Excellency seized the occasion to give an introductory overview of the vision, mission, values, objectives, and five-year strategic plan of the Academy, noting that the Academy, as the first jurisprudential reference for the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Muslim Communities outside the Muslim world, enjoys the appreciation and respect of all Muslims in all parts of the world. Therefore, the Academy looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the Institute in appreciation of its efforts in the field of enhancing cooperation and communication among followers of religions. His Excellency then explained, on this occasion, that there is a great convergence between some of the goals of the Academy and the goals of the Institute, especially the goal related to the rejection of fanaticism, sectarian fanaticism, extremism and terrorism, and the goal of constructive dialogue with followers of other religions and cultures with the aim of cooperating in achieving the good of human society. His Excellency also expressed the Academy’s aspiration to sign several cooperative agreements in the near future, and to hold specialized seminars and workshops on the concept of freedom and its necessity, and the importance of promoting international peace and security.

In conclusion, His Excellency the Secretary General invited the President of the Institute to visit the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Academy in Jeddah, as permitted by his schedule, in order to enhance and consolidate relations of cooperation and communication.

His Excellency was accompanied to this meeting by Ms. Sarah Amjad Hussein, Director of Women and Family Affairs at the Academy.