A Global Conference Unveils the Dangers of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on the Family and Calls for Withdrawal
In an important step to highlight one of the most dangerous documents issued by the United Nations and to demonstrate its impact on the family, the Family Committee of the International Union of Muslim Scholars organized a global conference titled "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Its Implications on the Family," which took place on January 7, 2025, at the headquarters of the Association of Scholars of Turkey (UMAD).
The United Nations launched this document during the General Assembly meeting held in New York in September 2015, with the participation of heads of member states. Since that time, the governments of so-called "developing countries" have based their development policies and strategies on this document, and these countries have labeled it the "2030 Vision for Sustainable Development," leading to comprehensive changes in family laws, educational curricula, and media programs to align with this document.
Importance of the Conference:
The conference's importance lies in shedding light on the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and focusing specifically on its most dangerous aspects that clearly threaten the identity and cohesion of the family.
Objectives of the Conference:
- To raise awareness of the global challenges and dangers threatening the family due to the implementation of several international treaties and conventions that adopt a Western, unilateral vision that contradicts many of its provisions with Islamic law.
- To highlight the importance of adopting and spreading Islamic family charters, developed by specialized scholarly bodies, as an alternative to international conventions, to serve as an Islamic foundation for legislating family laws and shaping educational, media, and societal policies and strategies, all aimed at strengthening the family structure and preserving its identity and cohesion.
Conference Participants and Papers Presented:
- His Eminence, Professor Dr. Ali Mohiuddin al-Qaradaghi, President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, who discussed "The Jurisprudence of Balance and the Constants of Family Relations."
His Eminence considered the "Jurisdiction of Balance" in Islam as the key to understanding Islamic law, explaining that the balances are clarified in the Quran and Sunnah. He emphasized that the Jurisprudence of Balance helps regulate intellectual chaos by setting standards for weighing issues, framing terms, and clarifying concepts. If everything does not receive its proper weight, the balance is disrupted, and consequently, judgments and outcomes are affected. Furthermore, the Jurisprudence of Balance offers solutions for many family-related issues, with the aim of applying the principles of Islam and setting a good example for the world.
He also explained that Allah (SWT) wants this nation to be the best nation brought forth for humanity, not based on race or ethnicity but on attributes like service, strength, honor, mercy, and justice. Therefore, He has given utmost care to the family in His book, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ raised the nation through his hadiths, biography, ethics, and interactions based on sound family values to ensure that the Islamic family is peaceful, cohesive, strong, and based on love, affection, respect, and mutual giving.
- Dr. Kamilia Helmi Toulon, Head of the Family Committee at the International Union of Muslim Scholars, who presented a paper on "The Most Dangerous Aspects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
Dr. Toulon began by reviewing the history of the issuance of this document, which the United Nations launched during the General Assembly meeting in New York in September 2015, with the participation of heads of member states, to serve as a global document upon which different governments base their development strategies, referred to as the "2030 Vision for Sustainable Development." This has resulted in sweeping changes in family laws, educational curricula, and media programs to align with this document.
She then discussed the most dangerous implications of this agenda that threaten the identity and cohesion of the family, including:
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First: The opposition to early legal marriage, as the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" calls for the elimination of early marriage, labeling it a "harmful practice" for girls.
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Second: Promoting illegal sexual relationships by ensuring "universal access to sexual and reproductive health services," including family planning services and education, and integrating sexual and reproductive health into national strategies and programs by 2030. The term "everyone" includes individuals of all ages, including teenagers and unmarried youth.
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Third: The legitimization of homosexuality through the integration of the "gender" system in national policies and strategies, suggesting that gender characteristics and roles are socially constructed and not inherently fixed by nature, allowing individuals to choose their gender and relationships freely.
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Fourth: The insistence on eliminating all distinctions between men and women in roles, laws, and regulations, considering any such distinctions as "discrimination against women," leading to the abolition of the complementary roles between spouses, such as the husband's responsibility for leadership and the wife's responsibility for nurturing the children, which ultimately threatens the family structure.
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Professor Dr. Raafat Muhammad Rashid al-Miqati, President of the University of Tripoli in Lebanon and member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, presented a paper titled "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Violence Against the Family."
Dr. Al-Miqati stressed the need for a reevaluation of this global agenda, ten years after its launch, and briefly summarized the harmful effects of this agenda on the five basic necessities in Islamic jurisprudence—religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth—and warned of its serious dangers and moral bankruptcy.
He pointed out that this agenda has stripped nations of their right to determine their cultural, legislative, and family paths in a unified, binding manner. Furthermore, it prevents countries from having reservations, makes the 17 goals indivisible, and enforces the framework of the CEDAW, Beijing, and Cairo agreements, all of which are contrary to the values of the Muslim world.
Dr. Al-Miqati also highlighted the deceptive use of terms such as gender and family reformation, leading to chaos in sexual practices, the disintegration of family roles, and the distortion of values.
- Mr. Abdul Wahab Ekenji, Assistant Secretary of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and President of the Association of Scholars of Turkey (UMAD), discussed the importance of the family and the necessity to confront conspiracies aimed at destroying it.
He emphasized that the collapse of the family structure would lead to the disintegration of society, and outlined practical steps for strengthening the family unit. He stressed that the destruction of the family begins with the breakdown of the individual and that conspiracies, particularly from Zionist circles, are designed to destroy the individual first and then the family.
- Sheikh Muhammad Asoum Khalil, Chairman of the Shura Council of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon and Coordinator of the Family and Society Protection Campaign (HASM), presented a paper on "The Terms of Sexual and Reproductive Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
He clarified the terms of "sexual health" and "reproductive health," explaining that these terms are not related to physical health but to changing societal norms, promoting extramarital relationships, and legitimizing abortion. He highlighted the Islamic laws that preserve the integrity of family life by limiting sexual relations to marriage and prohibiting abortion except in the case of necessity.
- Professor Dr. Ayman Al-Jamal, Professor of Contemporary Jurisprudence at the University of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih in Istanbul, presented a paper titled "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: A Double Standard."
Dr. Al-Jamal focused on the misleading slogans in the document, arguing that it falsely portrays men and religion as the oppressors of women, when in reality, the document and similar international agreements are the ones that oppress women and neglect the rights given to them by Islamic law.
Conference Recommendations:
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A recommendation for Islamic governments to withdraw from international agreements that contradict Islamic law, such as CEDAW, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to stop engaging with treaties that threaten the family, such as the Cairo Population Document and the Beijing Document.
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Promote Islamic family charters issued by reputable scholarly bodies, such as the International Family Charter created by the International Union of Muslim Scholars, as an alternative to these harmful international documents.