October 21-22, 2024

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

The “International Leadership Summit,” organized by the “International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations” (IIFSO), successfully concluded on October 21-22, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. The event brought together approximately 130 leaders from youth and student organizations, representing 65 entities from 40 countries worldwide.

During the summit, participants discussed the concerns, hopes, and challenges facing the Islamic world, along with opportunities and the role of student and youth organizations in effectively responding to these challenges. The participants affirmed the following points:

First, we commend the steadfast struggle of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza, the West Bank, al-Quds, and the diaspora—especially the resilient Palestinian students and youth who have endured a year of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and attempts to judaize Al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic sanctities while altering their identity.

Second, we commend the efforts of some Islamic countries and the steps they have taken to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, at the same time, we denounce the disgraceful positions of many other Islamic, Arab, and global governments that have failed to fulfill their roles in halting the genocide and displacement in Gaza, as well as the aggression in the West Bank, al-Quds, Lebanon, and the region. They have limited themselves to diplomatic statements without taking any serious, meaningful action to exert actual pressure on the occupying entity and its supporters.

Third, we value the youth and student activism that has shaken major capitals, particularly in Europe, America, and various universities within our Islamic nations, in support of Palestinian rights and against Zionist aggression, while protesting the international silence and inaction in response to the atrocities and violations. We urge Islamic institutions and organizations to embrace their historical responsibilities by continuing and intensifying this activism to pressure governments to adopt more serious, decisive, and resolute positions against the ongoing genocide that has persisted for nearly 13 months, and to halt normalization and relations with the occupying entity.

Fourth, we applaud the struggle and efforts of the youth in Bangladesh, which led to the downfall of a corrupt and oppressive regime that has oppressed the Bangladeshi people for over 15 years. This underscores that the youth remain the hope of their nations for freedom, dignity, revival, and honor, and that their activism is capable of shifting balances. This amplifies the responsibility on their shoulders, encouraging them to work harder and fight for the revival of this nation.

Fifth, we express our solidarity with our suffering Sudanese brothers and sisters, who endure hardship, famine, and displacement amidst a backdrop of international silence and media blackout. We condemn the foreign interventions aimed at destabilizing Sudan and subjugating its people while seizing its resources and wealth. We honor the resilience of the Sudanese people and express our support for their state institutions. We call on the people of Sudan—government, leadership, and citizens—to unite under a common banner, centered on Sudan’s unity and a rejection of foreign interference and dictates, which are the root of all evils and corruption.

Sixth, we express our complete solidarity with our brothers and sisters in East Turkestan, Kashmir, and Burma, as well as all Muslims and oppressed individuals worldwide who face severe violations and are subjected to repressive and brutal policies targeting their cultural and religious identity.

In this regard, we reaffirm our unwavering support for these just causes, as their suffering resonates deeply within the conscience of the Islamic world. We emphasize that solidarity with our brothers and sisters everywhere is not merely a humanitarian duty, but also a collective moral responsibility that reflects the unity of the Islamic Ummah.

In conclusion, the summit calls upon all student and youth organizations across the Islamic world to revitalize, intensify, and enhance their student and youth efforts in their countries, coordinate initiatives on both regional and global levels, and extend assistance in all possible ways to our oppressed brothers and sisters.

Allah Almighty says, “And say (unto them): Act! Allah will behold your actions, and (so will) His messenger and the believers, and ye will be brought back to the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, and He will tell you what ye used to do”.