The 29th International Islamic Unity Conference opened in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Sunday morning with high-ranking officials of Muslim countries and Shiite and Sunni scholars in attendance

The 29th International Islamic Unity Conference opened in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Sunday morning with high-ranking officials of Muslim countries and Shiite and Sunni scholars in attendance.

The main subjects to be discussed in the three-day international event will revolve around the current crises facing the Muslim nations.

Iranian President Hasan Rouhani spoke at the opening of the conference calling for unity between Islamic nations.

Rouhani defined the theme of the conference, “The Muslim World’s Current Crises,” to be the lack of unity within Islam, stating that big world powers are trying to depict Islam as a religion of ‘violence’.

Extremist groups are creating a militant picture of Islam that is benefiting only ‘Israel’ and the Zionist movement, he added.

The Iranian president called on the Islamic scholars to allow for mutual respect during their time at the conference saying, "Muslims have no option but to become more united," in order to thwart the efforts to portray Islam as a violent religion.

Rouhani emphasized the importance of bringing an end to extremism from terrorist groups like ISIL who have committed a series of attacks against Muslims in the name of Islam.

The conference came as Muslims are celebrating the Unity Week, which is an annual occasion as a sign of solidarity among different Islamic schools of thought. The birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) falls in the week, which started on Thursday.

Attendees at the Islamic Unity Conference, which will last until Tuesday, include educated Muslim figures, ministers of Islamic countries, clerics, scholars and representatives of scientific and cultural circles from Iran and across the world.

The main purpose of the gathering is to discuss ways to promote unity and solidarity in the Islamic world and bring closer views of Muslim clerics and scholars’ on diverse religious issues.

The event will also focus on problems that have beset the Islamic world, particularly the threat posed by the Takfiri thoughts and sectarianism. The Palestinian cause is to be discussed too, and solutions might be proposed to settle its problems and adopt a common stance on the issue.