The 40th International Islamic Unity Conference has opened in Tehran, bringing together more than 100 Muslim scholars, religious figures and officials from around the world.

Organized by Iran’s World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, the conference is being held under the theme “Islamic Unity in the Thought of the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution.” The first edition of the conference is being held following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The four-day conference runs from August 27 to 30 in Tehran, with a series of parallel meetings scheduled in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, as well as in Sunni-populated areas of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Sistan and Baluchistan, Razavi Khorasan and Golestan provinces.

Shia and Sunni scholars from around the world are expected to exchange views on major challenges facing the Muslim world, with discussions focusing on the Palestinian issue and ways to counter 'global Zionism.'

Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi