The General Assembly of the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations (IIFSO) was convened on April 29th and April 30th, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. A pivotal agenda item of the assembly was the election of the new Secretary-General of the IIFSO.
Following due regulations, Dr. Mostafa Faisal Parvez (Bangladesh) was elected to the position, with effect from May 1st, 2023, for an initial term of three years. The announcement of the election results was made immediately after the conclusion of the second session of the Assembly. Dr. Faisal was the Director of the Asian region of IIFSO from 2019. He is currently the president of Asian Youth Association and Coordinator of International Division of the Yeni Dunya Vakfi, which is renowned Civil Society NGO of Turkey. He received his PhD degree on “International Refugee Crisis and Rohingya Problem” from the Department of Public Administration and Political Science, Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey.
The General Assembly focused on important topics during its recent meeting, in particular, the attendees engaged in productive discussions around the issue of Islamophobia, exploring its underlying causes, manifestations, and potential solutions. The discussions also encompassed the role of youth and students in combating this phenomenon worldwide.
Throughout the event, guests and attendees shared their valuable perspectives on the current state of student and youth activism across the world, as well as strategies for enhancing it given the challenges we face.
Furthermore, the General Assembly reviewed the ongoing developments in Sudan regarding the internal conflicts and tensions. IIFSO firmly emphasizes that the optimal approach to resolving these crises is through constructive and inclusive dialogue that prioritizes the well-being of the Sudanese people above the narrow interests of conflicting factions. The organization affirmed the necessity of empowering the Sudanese people to select their leaders through a democratic process that ensures the integrity and fairness of elections.
IIFSO stresses the importance of limiting foreign interventions in Sudan’s internal affairs, as such interventions only serve to further complicate the domestic situation, as witnessed in several other countries during the past decade. While we support any sincere effort to defuse the crisis, we emphasize that foreign intervention aimed at supporting specific parties is unacceptable and will only exacerbate the crisis.
Moreover, Panelists of the discussion session also mentioned the situation in Tunisia and asked for the immediate release of Rachid Ghanushi, who is the most accepted Muslim leader around the world.
