It is with deep sorrow that we followed the listing of International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) as a “terror organization” based on groundless claims through the joint declaration of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

As the current Summit Chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), we hold that this step, which was taken at a sensitive time when there is an increased need for solidarity among Muslims, is a grave mistake that will only serve the abusive purposes of Islamophobic circles.

The aforementioned organization gathers scholars under one umbrella, who are in no way involved in terror incidents. We hold that listing this organization as a terror entity is an attitude that clashes with the tradition of science and wisdom in our civilization.

In the hope that this decision originated from a flawed assessment, we expect that the decision will be renounced in due course and the respect deserved both by the IUMS and scholars gathering under this umbrella will be paid.