Strengthening Global Unity Among Imams and Scholars
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
From different countries around the world, senior Imams and scholars gathered in Australia with one purpose and one shared responsibility: to serve Islam and strengthen the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
The Global Imams and Scholars Council (GISC) successfully held its Fourth Retreat in Australia in October 2026, hosted by the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), with meetings and community engagements held across Sydney and Brisbane.
During the Retreat, the GISC delegation also had the opportunity to meet and engage with the Australian Muslim community and its Imams, scholars and community leaders, strengthening relationships and sharing knowledge and experiences.
The Retreat brought together representatives from:
- Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), Australia
- British Board of Scholars and Imams (BBSI), United Kingdom
- North American Imams Fellow (NAIF), United States
- Canadian Council of Imams (CCI), Canada
- United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA), South Africa
The delegates did not gather simply as representatives of separate organisations. They gathered as Imams, scholars and leaders of Muslim communities in their respective countries, united by a responsibility to guide, protect and empower Muslim communities as one Ummah.
Why GISC was established
GISC was established with a simple but important objective: Muslim communities are stronger and more empowered when their Imams and scholars are united and connected, their institutions cooperate, and their experiences are shared.
The challenges facing Muslims today do not stop at national borders. Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, challenges and threats to Islamic identity both now and for future generations, family and youth challenges, media misrepresentation, emerging technologies and international injustices affect Muslim communities in different ways across the world.
No Muslim community, no matter where it is, should feel that it must face these challenges alone.
The experience of Muslims in one country can benefit Muslims in another. A successful program developed by one Imams and scholars council can support Imams and scholars elsewhere. Scholarly guidance prepared in one part of the world can help communities facing similar questions in another.
GISC therefore provides a trusted international platform through which credible national councils of Imams and scholars can learn from one another, share resources, strengthen relationships and work together for the benefit of the Ummah.
It also seeks to strengthen principled advocacy for the rights, interests and wellbeing of Muslim communities, including on Palestine, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, religious freedom, media representation and other matters of shared concern.
One Great and United Ummah
Unity does not mean that every Muslim community must be identical, that Imams and scholars must always agree, or that every council must approach its work in the same way.
Our diversity of cultures, schools of thought, experiences and circumstances should not divide us. When guided by the Qur’an, Sunnah, sincere consultation and mutual respect, that diversity can become a source of wisdom and strength.
True unity is not uniformity. It is brotherhood, trust, cooperation and shared responsibility. That is what the Global Imams and Scholars Council (GISC) was founded upon.
Each GISC member council remains independent and responsible for serving its own country and community. GISC provides a platform and network through which councils can support one another and speak together when collective action is needed.
Key outcomes of the Fourth Retreat
The Fourth GISC Retreat marked an important step in GISC’s development.
The key outcomes included:
- Strengthening GISC’s governance and responsibilities so that cooperation produces practical and measurable results.
- Unanimously adopting the revised GISC Code of Ethics for Imams and Scholars, which establishes shared standards of Islamic ethics, professional conduct, mutual respect, scholarly integrity and accountability.
- Supporting the development of the GISC Khutbah Bank, a trusted international resource providing Imams with quality-assured khutbahs and scholarly materials.
- Progressing an international Imam training and professional development framework covering pastoral care, counselling skills, mental-health awareness, safeguarding, professional boundaries, referral pathways and Imam wellbeing.
- Affirming the preservation of Islamic identity as a shared responsibility, particularly in countries where Muslims live as minorities, with attention to families, young people, Islamic education, healthy institutions and future generations.
- Developing greater international cooperation in responding to Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred through education, advocacy, information sharing and engagement with established Muslim organisations.
- Strengthening relationships with Muslim advocacy and community organisations so that knowledge, resources and successful initiatives can be shared more effectively.
- Agreeing in principle to develop a GISC International Conference bringing together reputable scholars, Imams and Muslim organisations to address shared global challenges.
Moving forward together
The Fourth GISC Retreat represented a renewed commitment to turn unity into service and cooperation into practical benefit.
Our unity must strengthen our Imams and scholars, protect our communities, guide our young people, preserve our Islamic identity and ensure that credible Muslim scholars have a strong voice in matters affecting the Ummah.
The concerns of Muslim communities everywhere are our shared concerns. The challenges faced by one community should be felt by all, and the future of our Ummah is a trust and responsibility that we carry together.
The Global Imams and Scholars Council (GISC) is committed to being a trusted global council through which Imams, scholars and national councils unite their knowledge, experience and voice in service of Islam and the Ummah. GISC’s strength lies in the unity of its members, the credibility of its scholars and its determination to turn shared principles into meaningful action for Muslim communities worldwide.
Together, we are one Ummah, united in faith, connected through brotherhood and committed to building a stronger future for generations to come.
