Addressing a youth forum in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkey's president called on Muslims to raise their voice against injustices they witness.
"Muslims should take responsibility for their own peace and well-being, as well as for the security and future of all humanity, and raise their voices against the injustices they witness," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in his video message to the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF)'s 4th General Assembly being.
Noting that the world is witnessing one of the most turbulent times in human history, Erdoğan said that security problems, terrorist activities, and the coronavirus outbreak prevented longed-for peace.
"Muslims struggling with conflicts, migration, poverty, and disease in a wide geography from Syria to Afghanistan, on the other hand, have to struggle with rising Islamophobia and cultural racism, especially in Western society," he said.
Citing one of his long-held maxims that "the world is bigger than five," in reference to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in a call to reform the body, Erdoğan said Turkey draws attention to global injustice at every opportunity.
Erdoğan also called on young people to take part "in very active roles in politics, academia, sports, commercial, and social life."
"I expect you not to allow anyone to come between us and divide you over ethnic, sectarian, or cultural differences," he said.
Representatives from 56 member countries will discuss the forum's Islamic Cooperation Youth strategy, youth development, economic empowerment, culture, arts, sports, networking, and environmental issues over the two-day assembly.
Founded in 2004 in Baku, the ICYF is an international, not-for-profit, non-partisan organization uniting leading umbrella youth organizations from the member states of the OIC, as well as international youth organizations representing Muslim minorities worldwide.
