He made the remarks in a meeting with Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Director of the Iranian Seminaries, held on the sidelines of the Second International Conference of Religious Leaders on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Resolving Human Conflicts” in Malaysia.
Al-Issa lauded the presence and viewpoints of Iranian seminaries at the conference and emphasized the importance of strengthening rapprochement among Islamic schools of thought. Referring to the scientific contributions of Shia scholars, he noted his familiarity with figures such as Martyr Sadr and Martyr Motahari and described the jurisprudential and intellectual capacities of Shia scholarship as highly valuable.
On the issue of extremism, the Secretary General stressed: “Unfortunately, extremists exist among both Sunnis and Shias. The only solution to confront them is adherence to moderate Islam.”
While highlighting the achievements of seminaries in various academic and cultural fields, Al-Issa reiterated that religious rapprochement and stronger ties among Islamic countries are urgent priorities for the Muslim Ummah.
During the meeting, Ayatollah Arafi presented a report on the achievements and approaches of Iranian seminaries, describing their scientific disciplines, intellectual traditions, and specializations as significant capacities for the entire Islamic world.
He outlined the two prevailing currents in the Islamic world—one petrified and inflexible, the other Westernized and superficial—and stressed that the discourse of the seminaries represents a rational, disciplined, dynamic, and authentic tradition rooted in Islamic sources and oriented toward the needs of the Muslim nation.
Highlighting the role of Iran and Saudi Arabia as two key and influential countries in the Islamic world, Ayatollah Arafi called for expanding bilateral relations despite differences, and emphasized that the capacities of seminaries in Islamic sciences, humanities, philosophy, and ethics can contribute to broader Islamic cooperation.
