Tehran: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for a new understanding of Islamic unity based on truth, justice, mutual responsibility, and practical cooperation, emphasizing that unity does not mean eliminating religious, political, or national differences. Speaking at the 40th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran on Thursday, Pezeshkian highlighted that Muslims do not need to become identical to live together peacefully, advocating that differences should not turn members of the Islamic world into enemies.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Pezeshkian stated that unity does not mean becoming the same, but rather ensuring that differences do not turn Muslims into adversaries. He emphasized that Shias would remain Shias and Sunnis would remain Sunnis, while different schools of jurisprudence and theology, as well as nations, governments, and national interests, would continue to exist. Pezeshkian referred to the Prophet Mohammad's efforts in Medina, where different groups of Muslims came together under a common framework without abandoning their differences.

The Iranian president underscored that Islamic unity must not come at the expense of truth or justice. He remarked that if a brother is oppressed, people must help him, and if he is an oppressor, brotherhood requires preventing him from continuing oppression. Pezeshkian argued that the Muslim world does not lack capacity but struggles to transform its dispersed capabilities into common will and collective power, citing the Quranic warning against disputes that weaken communities.

Pezeshkian proposed three practical measures to strengthen cooperation among Islamic countries. He called for a mutual security and non-aggression pact, a permanent mechanism for mediation and conflict prevention within the Islamic world, and transforming Islamic countries from separate markets into a network of economic and scientific cooperation. He proposed joint projects in artificial intelligence, medicine, water management, energy, agriculture, and advanced technologies, alongside greater intra-Islamic trade and investment.

Addressing the recent US-Israeli war on Iran, Pezeshkian stated that Iran had not initiated the war but had responded with strength to attacks on its territory. He highlighted that the attacks occurred amid diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, resulting in casualties and damage. Pezeshkian stressed that defending Iran does not mean hostility toward Muslim or neighboring nations and called for regional security arrangements based on cooperation.

According to President Pezeshkian, martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei viewed Islamic unity as a strategic principle for the dignity, independence, and future of the Muslim world. He regarded the Prophet Mohammad as the central figure of Muslim solidarity and warned against allowing differences to turn into hostility and conflict. Pezeshkian also urged Muslim scholars and universities to counter sectarian hatred, emphasizing respect for religious sanctities as a red line.