Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and Co-President of the Religions for Peace World Council, has called for an immediate end to what he described as the genocide in Gaza and urged world leaders to cancel the debts of low-income countries to address global wealth inequality.
Speaking on Tuesday at the World Council meeting of Religions for Peace in Istanbul, Turkey, the Sultan decried the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where, according to the World Health Organization, women and children are starving in growing numbers due to ongoing hostilities.
Held every five years, the high-level interfaith meeting brought together delegates from about 60 countries, including adherents of various faiths such as Hinduism, Baháʼí, Catholicism, Anglicanism, Judaism, Islam, and the Orthodox Coptic Church. The last council meeting took place in Lindau, Germany.
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, delivered the keynote address, calling for a global alliance of conscience rooted in the core values of all religions to promote peace and social harmony worldwide.
In a session focused on the debt burden of developing nations, Sultan Sa’ad emphasized the need for immediate debt cancellation for low-income countries. He highlighted how heavy debt loads cripple economic growth, perpetuate poverty, and sustain a global imbalance fueled by historical exploitation. He argued that debt relief would be a significant step toward redistributing global wealth more equitably.
Another major session at the meeting examined the intersection of faith, dignity, and artificial intelligence, with participants raising concerns about AI’s cultural and spiritual implications.
The two sessions drew robust contributions from religious leaders, technocrats, gender rights advocates, scholars, and members of royalty.
At the conclusion of the summit, the council unanimously adopted a nine-point resolution, including a strong appeal to global leaders to halt the violence in Gaza.
Religions for Peace is a United Nations-affiliated interfaith organization headquartered at the UN building in New York. The next General Assembly of the council is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi in 2030.
The Sultan was accompanied by a Nigerian delegation that included Dr. Danladi Bako, the Kogunan Sokoto.
