The 24th International Congress of the Union of Muslim Communities opened in Istanbul yesterday, bringing together representatives of political parties and Islamic movements from around the world. The two-day event is hosted by Turkish think tank Economic and Social Researches Center, an organization linked to the now-defunct Welfare Party (RP) of Necmettin Erbakan, a prominent Turkish politician known for efforts to renew Turkey's ties with Muslim countries.

This year, the theme of the annual summit is the "Islamic world in the grip of imperialism," and participants will discuss Western imperialism's threats to the Muslim world. Topics to be covered at the summit include how to respond to the imperialist threat and building "a new world based on justice and rights."

Among the participants are Dr. Ali Barakeh, representative of Palestinian faction Hamas, Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the opposition Malaysian Islamic Party, Sheikh Osama al-Rifai of the Syrian Islamic Scholars Association, Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of the Philippines, and leaders and senior officials of Islamic parties and movements from across the globe.