Palestinian scholar and writer Dr. Nawaf Takruri has described Gaza as a global center of Islamic outreach, saying the Palestinian people’s steadfastness, patience and faith amid Israel’s devastating military campaign have conveyed the message of Islam to people around the world.

Speaking at the 11th Scholars’ Meeting organized by İTTİHADUL ULEMA in southeastern Türkiye’s Diyarbakır province, Takruri delivered a presentation titled “The Contributions of the Gaza Struggle to Islamic Outreach and Its Global Reflections.”

The two-day gathering, held at the conference hall of Selahaddin Eyyubi Mosque in the central Yenişehir district, brings together Islamic scholars to discuss da’wah, or inviting people to Islam, Muslim unity and new approaches to religious outreach.

Takruri expressed confidence that Islam and Muslims would ultimately achieve victory, while acknowledging that the path toward that goal would involve hardship, sacrifice and oppression.

Reflecting on the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza, he argued that the Palestinian struggle had exposed the realities of the conflict and brought fundamental questions of faith, justice and human dignity to the forefront of global consciousness.

“With the Al-Aqsa Flood, the enemy’s face was blackened. What they had hidden came to light. Their true nature was exposed,” Takruri said.

He added that Gaza had brought Islamic faith out of the realm of abstract belief and demonstrated it through the daily lives, conduct and perseverance of Palestinians enduring war and loss.

‘Gaza performed the duty of a scholar’

Takruri said the people of Gaza had communicated the principles of Islam to the world through their actions, particularly their patience and steadfastness despite the deaths of family members, widespread destruction and immense suffering.

“Gaza is the center of invitation, the center of patience! How should the world appear in the eyes of a Muslim? Gaza demonstrated this through their way of life, their attitudes, and the behaviors they displayed in the face of events,” he said.

He argued that the conduct of Palestinians facing adversity had illustrated Islamic teachings in a way that transcended language, geography and formal religious instruction.

“They manifested creed through their deeds. Therefore, Gaza performed the duty of a scholar. It conveyed this message to the entire world,” Takruri said.

According to the Palestinian scholar, Gaza's example has demonstrated that da’wah is not limited to speeches, books or formal religious gatherings. Rather, faith can also be communicated through patience, moral conviction, sacrifice and steadfastness in the face of injustice.

He described the Palestinian people's experience as a powerful reminder that religious outreach must be reflected in practical conduct, particularly during times of hardship.

Gaza's struggle inspires interest in Islam

Takruri also highlighted accounts of people in Western countries who, he said, had embraced Islam after witnessing the events in Gaza and the Palestinians' response to their suffering.

He pointed to growing interest in Islam in Europe and elsewhere, attributing part of this development to the examples of patience, faith and moral conviction demonstrated by Palestinians.

“Europe is also becoming Muslim because of the examples of patience and invitation in Gaza,” he said, arguing that the impact of the Palestinian struggle had reached far beyond the besieged enclave.

He added that Gaza had become a means through which thousands of people had encountered Islam, describing the Palestinian experience as a contemporary example of how faith can be communicated through lived experience.

Takruri's remarks placed the Palestinian struggle at the center of his understanding of modern Islamic outreach, emphasizing the role of moral example in reaching people who are searching for truth, justice and spiritual meaning.

‘The people of Gaza have opened a door of invitation for us’

Takruri urged Islamic scholars and religious outreach workers to make greater use of the international attention focused on Gaza to explain Islam's teachings and the Palestinian cause.

While praising their efforts, he warned that existing initiatives were insufficient given the scale of the opportunity presented by the events in Palestine.

“A friend speaks the bitter truth. I am also your friend. With open-heartedness I say that the things you are doing are very good, but they are not enough,” he said.

“The people of Gaza have opened a very great door for us. They have opened a door of invitation. Let us use this door. Let us speak about Gaza, let us explain Gaza. Let us conduct invitation over Gaza,” he added.

He called on those engaged in da’wah to reach out to people who have demonstrated concern for Gaza, arguing that their solidarity reflects a willingness to confront injustice and defend human dignity.

Takruri urged Islamic outreach workers to use that shared concern as an opportunity to explain Islam's message, while encouraging them to regard the suffering of Palestinians as a concern that belongs to the entire Muslim community.

“If a person stands up for Gaza, he has a conscience. Therefore, let us enter through that door,” he said.

He emphasized that scholars should approach people with wisdom and sincerity, connecting the public's concern for Palestine with broader discussions about faith, justice and humanity.

‘Let our work continue after the gathering’

Concluding his presentation, Takruri stressed that the impact of scholars' meetings should extend beyond the sessions themselves and translate into sustained action within communities.

He said gatherings that bring scholars together are valuable, but their success should ultimately be measured by the work carried out after participants return to their respective countries and communities.

“We have a great goal, a great message. Coming together is a very beautiful thing. But when we disperse, let it not remain only as much as we have dispersed,” he said.

His message called on Islamic scholars and da’wah workers to turn the global attention generated by Gaza into sustained efforts to communicate Islamic teachings, support Palestinians and strengthen solidarity among Muslims.

Takruri's address underscored a central theme of the 11th Traditional Scholars’ Meeting: that Islamic outreach must respond to contemporary realities and that Gaza's suffering, steadfastness and struggle for dignity have become central to discussions about faith, justice and the responsibility of the Muslim ummah. (ILKHA)