A university professor form the United Arab Emirates says Islam is based on peace among all human beings, both Muslims and non-Muslims expressing hope that cooperation prevails the entire world.

Dr. Nasr Muhammad Aref, in his speech at the 14^th webinar of the 37^th Islamic Unity Conference held on Saturday warned of the critical condition challenging the world people stressing cooperation as the sole way to overcome these challenges, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
 
He said several facts have been forgotten and values lost as a result of the technological developments around the world.
 
He pinpointed the Islamic nation and the foundations based on which Muslims should interact each other and the non-Muslims and quoted a hadith by the first Shia Imam demanding the Muslims to interact with other people on the basis that they are either their religious brother or their equal in creation.
 
The Emirati thinker referred to a declaration by the Assembly of Islamic Jurisprudence calling the followers of all eight Islamic denominations as Muslims and said,” This means that their lives, properties, and their honor should be respected. No one is allowed to criticize or assault followers of these Islamic denominations or undermine their worldviews.”
 
Dr. Nasr Muhammad Aref stressed importance of respecting all the characteristics of each one of the Islamic denominations and refrain from trying to change mindsets or attitudes of their followers.
 
He also related on the respect and tolerance Islam maintains for those opposite to its principles and said,” This is a point that all human beings have in common and enables them to have peaceful coexistence” referring to “those similar to you in creation” the second category of people in hadith by Imam Ali (AS).
 
Dr. Nasr Muhammad Aref from the United Arab Emirates addressed the elites and religious figures attending the 14^th webinar of the 37^th Islamic Unity Conference held on Saturday, September 30^th.
 
The 37^th Islamic Unity Conference is underway in the capital Tehran as a number of Shia and Sunni scholars attend the webinars and the meeting to be held by World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought. This year the elites and religious figures attending the event discuss the theme “Islamic Cooperation to Achieve Common Values”.  The conference is held on 28^th September to 3^rd concurrent with the Islamic Unity Week which marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).