According to the statement, a congress titled “Unity of the Ummah: From Fundamentals to a Charter of Unity” was held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 28 to 30 October 2026 by the International Union of Muslim Scholars, with the participation of prominent figures from the Islamic world. However, despite not inviting the Kurdistan Union of Islamic Religious Scholars, the congress’s final communiqué did not mention—even in a single word—the rights and oppression of the Muslim Kurdish people.
The Union of Scholars noted that few nations have faced as much oppression, persecution, chemical attacks, the Anfal campaign and the denial of the right to self-determination as the Kurds have over the past 100 years. It also stressed that, religiously, the Kurds are an inseparable part of the Islamic ummah, while as a nation they are a people to whom God Almighty has given a distinct identity and language.
The message concluded: “We address our criticism to the congress organizers and participants because the legitimate Kurdish cause—which was a close neighbor of the congress—should have been discussed, rather than issues concerning countries on the other side of the world, while the cause of an oppressed nation such as the Kurds was completely sidelined.”
