A LOPIS Delegation Received by the Prime Minister of Niger

A delegation from the League of Ulemas, Preachers and Imams of the Sahel (LOPIS) was received in Niamey by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, with whom it reviewed the League's vision and its role in strengthening intellectual security in the region, a statement from the body indicated on Tuesday.

The delegation was composed of the President of LOPIS, Dr. Abakar Walar Modou, its Secretary General, Lakhmissi Bezzaz, the representative of Algeria, Kamel Chekkat, the representative of Niger, Ibrahim Moussa Souleymane, as well as representatives of the Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL).

During this meeting, held on Monday, the delegation delivered a presentation on "the League's strategic vision and its role in strengthening intellectual security in the Sahel region." It brought to the Nigerien Prime Minister's attention the conclusions of the high-level training session organized in Niamey, where emphasis was placed on "the importance of the complementarity of intellectual and on-the-ground efforts to protect religious affairs executives from extremist thought."

In this context, the Nigerien Prime Minister emphasized "the central role played by the Ulemas in the fight against extremism and the dismantling of its root causes, through the adoption of scientific approaches and a religious discourse based on moderation and the middle path."

At the end of the meeting, the LOPIS delegation presented the Nigerien Prime Minister with a copy of the "Mushaf of Algeria," as well as the scientific and practical guide for the prevention of radicalism and extremism, in addition to the League's publications. This was done within the framework of "its firm commitment to continue its training programs aimed at enshrining the values of moderation and the middle path," recalling that it had organized 19 regional training sessions in this field.