Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Muslim World League
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Date:
1962 - present
Headquarters:
Mecca
Areas Of Involvement:
Islam
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Muslim World League

international organization
Also known as: MWL
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Muslim World League (MWL), international nongovernmental organization founded in 1962 to propagate Islam and to improve worldwide understanding of the religion. The MWL is headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and maintains offices in countries throughout the world.

Mission and activity

The MWL works to improve Islamic mass media as a means of propagating Islam and Islamic culture, advocates for the application of sharia law by individuals and groups as well as by states, counters militant interpretations of Islam and promotes coexistence, organizes symposia and other educational events, promotes the teaching of Arabic, and seeks to foster better relations between Islamic religious associations—in part by hosting meetings of leading Islamic scholars during the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Through a subsidiary body, the International Organization for Relief, Welfare and Development, the organization also provides relief to Muslims who are affected by war and natural disasters.

Governance

The MWL is governed by a Supreme Council composed of 60 members drawn from leading Islamic organizations. The day-to-day management of the MWL is handled by a secretary-general, who reports to the Supreme Council. The MWL is funded by the government of Saudi Arabia.

Partnership with other organizations

The MWL maintains consultative status with a number of United Nations agencies, including UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund), and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), and the World Food Programme. It also participates in other Islamic organizations, such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Islamic Development Bank, and ICESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). In 2019 the MWL promulgated the Charter of Makkah, a set of pan-Islamic principles that includes the equality and human dignity of all people, coexistence, and environmental protection, while rejecting war, terrorism, and sectarianism. That same year the MWL signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) to cooperate on combating Islamophobia and antisemitism and to promote interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Jews.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.