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Self-Sacrifice. Taking up more substantial issues, the conference sanctioned birth control in special hardship cases, but refused otherwise to raise the lowly status of women in the Islamic world. Moslem husbands may still divest themselves of an unwanted wife by simply repeating "I divorce thee" three times. The conference also took a surprisingly moderate stand on the Middle East. It refused to consider the demand of the El Fatah guerrillas for a jihad (holy war) against Israel — and pointedly explained that the word jihad also meant sacrificing one's self for the good of mankind.
In some ways the conference was a milestone in Islamic history. Although their decisions do not have the weight of religious law, the delegates hoped that the discussions would persuade traditionalists to re-examine their faith in the light of the 20th century. For the first time in centuries, representatives of the two major Moslem sects — the Shiite and Sunnite — held a formal dialogue on their doctrine. To their surprise, they found themselves more in accord than apart. One immediate byproduct of this harmony was a resolution to meet again and form an international Islamic research center.