Statement of Scholars Councils and Islamic Organizations on UN 2030 Agenda

Statement of Scholars Councils and Islamic Organizations on UN 2030 Agenda

Joint international press statement issued by Islamic scholars councils and UNIW member organizations regarding UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.


Issued on 1 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1436 AH / August 15, 2015

Joint Statement Issued by Islamic Scholars Bodies and Organizations Regarding the Document Presented at the UN General Assembly Special Session (New York, Sept 25–27, 2015) Titled: "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:

The entire world anticipates the new document launched by the United Nations and its agencies at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly in New York (Sept 25–27, 2015) titled "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". The preamble states: "We are determined to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind."

Although this new document contains numerous vital development clauses, it regrettably repeated controversial and contentious issues inserted persistently into UN documents on development, population, and women—issues that rendered full implementation impossible due to objections from many governments and peoples.

Core Reservations of Scholars Bodies and Islamic Organizations Regarding Agenda 2030:

First: Insistence on Universal Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: Demanding unrestricted sexual health services regardless of age or marital status, encompassing family planning, sexual education, and integrating reproductive health into national strategies according to the Cairo and Beijing platforms. This grants adolescents and non-married individuals full access to contraception and abortion services, effectively providing a green light for extramarital relations and compromising parental authority.

While such documents consider restricting sexual freedoms a human rights violation, they turn a blind eye to blatant atrocities suffered by Muslim women in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Burma, and the Central African Republic—including murder, systematic rape, torture, and arbitrary detention.

Second: Endorsement of Gender Equality Ideology & LGBT Rights: Insisting on "Gender Equality" as a core component of human rights and directly linking it to sustainable development, promoting sexual orientation and gender identity concepts contrary to authentic family values and Islamic jurisprudence.

Third: Demanding Revisions to Family Legislation: Labeling divine family laws as "discriminatory" and demanding total mathematical equality in marriage, divorce, guardianship, and inheritance, threatening the integrity and complementary structure of the family institution.

Fourth: International Compulsion and Overriding National Sovereignty: Attempting to enforce mandatory global implementation by 2030 while overriding national laws, cultural diversity, and religious principles of sovereign nations.

In Light of these Realities, We Affirm the Following:

1. Demanding that the United Nations and its agencies respect the will of peoples and their moral value systems essential for maintaining genuine international peace and security.

2. Calling upon Islamic nations to adopt a unified and decisive stance regarding international population documents, rejecting all provisions conflicting with Islamic Shariah in Agenda 2030.

3. Strengthening government reservations to preserve Islamic identity and national sovereignty.

4. Calling on the UN to take practical steps to halt genuine violence against women suffering murder, torture, and systematic oppression in conflict zones worldwide.

And Allah is the Granter of Success.
Scholars Bodies and Islamic Organizations Issuing the Statement (Including International Union for Muslim Scholars, European Council for Fatwa and Research, Australian Federal Council of Imams, Algerian Muslim Scholars Association, Supreme Council of Imams in Brazil, etc.).