Al Habtoor welcomed Sheikh Ahmad Al-Kubaisi at the Al Habtoor Group head office on 7 April 2016. Dr Ahmad Al-Kubaisi, a long-term friend of Al Habtoor, is the founder of the Ulama Organization in Iraq. He is one of Iraq's most prominent Sunni clerics.
They discussed political issues in the region and the rise in Islamophobia in the West and ways to tackle it. Al-Kubaisi praised efforts by the Chairman and the Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque and Centre to promote East-West dialogue and religious tolerance. The Al Farooq Mosque was built and funded by Al Habtoor, and is the base for his philanthropic endeavours via the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation. Al Habtoor said, “Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. The Holy Quran uses the word ‘peace’ more than any other holy book. There is no connection between Islam and Terrorism. Criminals are using Islam as an excuse for their heinous crimes. They are not Muslims. Islam disowns these people.”