We Can't Expect Others to Solve Our Problems, Says OIC Chief
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 - OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Muslim leaders attending an extraordinary summit here to take quick action to solve the grave problems facing the nearly 1.5 billion people in their countries. "We can no longer neglect these problems or expect others to solve them for us," he said.
Ihsanoglu warned the leaders of Muslim countries that their disunity and weakness would only increase the ambition of others to rob them of their rights and resources. "The international system - as it is - was not created to give us justice and fairness on a plate of gold. Only our determination and work can give it to us. We must therefore work hard and persevere to earn it."
Ihsanoglu expressed his confidence that the Makkah summit, which was called by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, would serve as a watershed in the Ummah's march to glory and strength. The Muslim world has the resources to overcome the problems facing them. Our rich history, culture and the resources we have today give us every reason to believe that we can move the Muslim world to a brighter future," he added.
Ihsanoglu, who has been working hard to strengthen the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, told the summit that blaming others for Muslim problems was not a solution. "It is high time we address our national and regional problems with courage, sincerity and openness. This is what the Muslim masses expect from us," he stressed.
He urged OIC states to develop a culture of solidarity by mobilizing their political, economic and cultural resources. "We need solidarity in action whereby we unite our resources and energies through concrete action. This solidarity must be operational at the government and NGO levels so that it will have political clout as well as public support," he pointed out.
Unity is not uniformity. "We can achieve unity without neglecting the unique characteristics and circumstances of each Muslim nation," he said. The rich tapestry of the Muslim world is a shining example of unity in diversity and can be an example for other societies. He said the collective strength of the OIC would have its positive impact on its member countries, he explained.
He emphasized the need to counter the growing tide of Islamophobia in Western countries as a result of ignorance, hatred, bigotry and lack of understanding. "We have to tell the world why Islamophobia is an evil whose harm will not be confined to Muslims alone. Hatred of a certain group of people is in fact an open invitation to hate all those who are dissimilar to us," he said. He urged non-Muslim countries to ban the practices of Islamophobia and protect Muslims.
The OIC chief stressed the need for removing the root causes of terrorism and violence. "Muslim masses yearn for a scream of conscience that expresses their hopes and aspirations. As individuals look around but find no one offering relief, they quickly become vulnerable to the ideas of extremist elements and their illegitimate aims. We are, therefore, under obligation to fulfill the most pressing needs of our peoples," he said.
He called for concrete action to solve problems such as poverty, illiteracy, epidemics, corruption, and the lack of equal opportunity and equal distribution of wealth. "When these issues are not addressed properly by legitimate means, they are used as an excuse to push for extremist agendas," he said. The political developments in the Muslim world also feed such agendas and take ordinary people further away from the principles of moderation.
"One of the effective ways of establishing moderation is to change the conditions that feed the sense of helplessness, dispossession and marginalization. All of these lead to the growth and spread of extremist ideas. We can and must create a better environment in which such agendas will not emerge in the first place. To do this, we have to improve the conditions of political and economic life in Muslim countries," he told the leaders.
He urged the international community to force Israel to fully comply with the Middle East peace roadmap. "We also insist that Israel should abandon its policy over Al-Quds, which we consider the major concern of the entire Muslim world," he added. "The world is now aware that the main cause of tension and unrest in the Middle East and even the world lies in the tragedy in Palestine, especially in Jerusalem."
The OIC secretary-general underlined his efforts to strengthen the organization. "I have set standards for accountability and transparency and improved the financial position of the organization. I have ordered that decisions be streamlined so that they are applicable and translate words into deeds," he added.
He emphasized the role of OIC in promoting Islamic solidarity, boosting joint Islamic action, safeguarding the rights of the Muslim world, propagating Islamic principles and virtues and increasing cooperation in economic, scientific and technologic fields.
Model Malaysian Plan a Hit
Siraj Wahab, Arab News
MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 - The Malaysian proposal to adopt Islam Hadhari (Civilizational Islam) as a guiding principle for the successful future of Muslims worldwide was well received by delegates at the Organization of the Islamic Conference's Makkah summit yesterday.
"Islam Hadhari is a working model of renewal, reform and revivalism for the Muslim world," said Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi during his speech on Tuesday. "It is not a new religion or mazhab (Islamic school of thought). It is not a new ideology. It is a guide for our development."
Badawi said Islam Hadhari, a more moderate vision of Islam that focuses on economic and technological development, social justice, and religious tolerance, is being aggressively promoted in Malaysia as a remedy to Islamic extremism.
"The offer to OIC leaders to consider Islam Hadhari as a model for growth is timely as the grouping of 57 Muslim countries considers reforms for it to play a more effective role on the world stage," said a Malaysian journalist covering the summit.
Badawi said Islam Hadhari is aimed at enhancing the quality of life through the mastery of knowledge and the development of individuals and the nation.
"It is intended as an integrated and balanced development that creates a knowledgeable and pious people who hold noble values - people who are honest, trustworthy and prepared to take on global issues," Badawi said.
Badawi said Islam Hadhari was neither a concept to pacify the West, nor an approach to apologize for perceived Islamic threats.
"It is an approach that seeks to make Muslims understand that progress is enjoined by Islam," said Badawi. "It is an approach that is compatible with modernization and yet firmly rooted in the noble values as injunctions of Islam. It is an approach that emphasizes substance over form."
Badawi outlined ten fundamental principles of Islam Hadhari:
. Conscientiously promoting and fostering unity among Muslims through emphasizing matters that unite them rather than those that divide them;
. Being more proficient at harnessing the resources that OIC countries have at their disposal through innovative measures;
. Undertaking capacity-building measures that enable all Muslims, particularly women, to realize their full potential;
. Strengthening trade and economic links among Muslim countries in order to benefit from the globalization process and to move into the mainstream of the global economy;
. Putting their houses in better order by combating corruption and promoting good governance;
. Increasing transparency and accountability;
. Being more articulate in convincing the wider world that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and moderation that promotes progress;
. Urgently establishing a disaster-response mechanism that would enable OIC countries to quickly respond with financial and other forms of assistance in a coordinated manner;
. Never giving up support for the Palestinian cause; and
. Doing its part to fight international terrorism in all forms and manifestations, irrespective of race and religion.
Muslim Leaders Vow to Fight Terror
Siraj Wahab & Galal Fakkar, Arab News
MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 - The two-day extraordinary summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference came to a fitting end here yesterday with OIC leaders, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, circumambulating the Holy Kaaba (tawaf) in an unprecedented show of Islamic unity and solidarity.
The Muslim leaders, who came from across the globe, were united in the call to combat terrorism and defend the image of Islam.
"All agree on combating terrorism and extremism and stressing the moderate (nature) of Islam," Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal told reporters.
He said the summit leaders stressed the need to stop blaming outside forces for problems in the Muslim world and focus on cooperation.
"(They agreed) on stressing the importance of cooperation between Muslims; putting an end to complaints of foreign conspiracies; and concentrating on common efforts to face development challenges."
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah opened the summit on Wednesday with a call for moderation and tolerance and a rejection of extremist violence.
"Islamic unity will not be achieved through bloodshed as claimed by the deviants," said King Abdullah in reference to Al-Qaeda terrorists.
Addressing the concluding session, King Abdullah hoped that the summit would open a new chapter in the history of the Islamic nation.
"Some of its most significant resolutions have stressed the values of tolerance and compassion and unity among Muslims to ensure a prosperous future for the Ummah (the Muslim global community)," the king said.
While performing the tawaf, King Abdullah was accompanied by prominent leaders, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Sudanese President Omar Bashir and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. The OIC leaders were also given an opportunity to pray inside the Kaaba.
The summit adopted the Makkah Declaration and the 10-year action plan designed to usher in a new era of renaissance in the Muslim world. The final communiqué issued by the conference urged all member states to fight terrorism in every possible way. It also called for revising the education curricula, with a view to promoting tolerance and understanding among the followers of the Islamic faith.
British Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Kim Howells, welcomed the summit declaration to combat terror. "As EU Presidency, we support the call by the Muslim leaders at the OIC summit hosted by Saudi Arabia for a forward-looking vision for the Muslim World. The international community stands with them in their staunch rejection of those who distort the noble faith of Islam. We join them in celebrating the values of Islamic civilization. Their values are our values. We share their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and their determination to condemn it," he said.
Prince Saud called it a summit of moderation and modernization as the whole conference revolved around these two key themes.
"There was total unanimity that Islam is a religion of moderation and the Muslim world needs to modernize itself," he told reporters after the summit.
Saud said he was very happy at the way the summit had gone and thanked King Abdullah and other OIC leaders for making it a resounding success. "But for King Abdullah we would not have been able to see the light that we have now today."
The foreign minister said the summit was a giant step while other delegates pointed out that it would be a turning point of the Islamic world.
"The steps that we have taken today are irreversible," the prince said.
The summit leaders have set up a follow-up committee to oversee the implementation of the 10-year plan in letter and spirit. "I am more optimistic today than I was yesterday," Saud said.
He, however, urged the media to keep on reminding OIC leaders of their commitment. He said OIC countries would support a member state if it were attacked by a foreign power.
"If anybody genuinely faces threat then there is a mechanism in the 10-year plan charter to help the country against the aggressor," he added.
Saud urged Muslim media to project the true image of Islam and to effectively deal with the international media to attain this objective.
The summit expressed its concern at rising hatred against Islam and Muslims in the world and condemned the recent incident of the desecration of the image of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the media of certain countries.
"It is the responsibility of all governments to ensure full respect for all religions and religious symbols," the communiqué said, adding that the freedom of expression should not be used as a pretext to defame any religion.
As for political issues, the summit stressed the Palestinian issue as the central concern and called on Israeli forces to withdraw from Palestinian lands, which have been occupied since 1967, in addition to the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese lands.
An Israeli withdrawal, the summit added, would unify Muslim nations' stands concerning a comprehensive solution for the Palestinian issue in accordance with the United Nations resolution, the Arab peace initiative and the road map peace plan.
The conference stressed the importance of preserving Jerusalem's Islamic and historic identity. The summit also said that OIC member states should allocate the necessary resources to preserve Al-Aqsa Mosque, support Palestinian institutions and establish Al-Aqsa University in Jerusalem.
It also urged OIC member states to cooperate with the international community to stop and dismantle Jewish settlements, and to cease the construction of the Israeli separation wall and remove the parts already built as ruled by the International Court of Justice. The summit urged all Muslim individuals to support the Al-Quds Fund by contributing one dollar in order to preserve the holy sites in Jerusalem, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
On the Iraqi situation, the summit lauded the Iraqi national reconciliation conference and denounced terrorist operations carried out against the Iraqi people. In addition, the summit affirmed its support for the political process and the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
The summit also expressed support for the people of Kashmir, Turkish Cypriots, the Somali government and the Sudanese peace agreement. The summit proposed the establishment of an independent Islamic human rights organization to monitor human rights in OIC member states.
"It called for respecting the human rights of the Kashmiri people and agreed to provide all possible political and diplomatic support to the true representatives of the Kashmiri people in their struggle against foreign occupation," the communiqué said.
It also proposed establishing a free-trade zone for the member states and stressed the importance of increasing trade among member countries.
Senegal President Abdullah Wad, who is the upcoming president of the OIC, said Muslim leaders should have the political will to restore the Islamic world's past glory. He called for the establishment of a special fund to fight poverty to achieve sustainable development. He also proposed to increase the capital of the Islamic Development Bank to finance long-term and big projects. He welcomed the leaders to the next summit in Senegal.
OIC Secretary-General Ihsanoglu said the Makkah Declaration "implies self-criticism and correction as the basis for development and progress of the organization."
The member states expressed their determination to upgrade their legislations to toughen penalties against terrorist actions and to cooperate with the international community to eradicate terrorism. The summit emphasized the need to make optimal use of the human, natural and economic resources of the Muslim world in order to promote this cooperation; accede and implement the agreements and resolutions concluded; and support the activities of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The Conference decided to take practical steps toward achieving scientific and technological development, with a view to supporting sustainable development in OIC member states.
- Additional input by P.K. Abdul Ghafour
Iran President Urges Just Resolution of Issues
Galal Fakkar, Arab News
MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that peace imposed on the Muslim world would not be real unless justice was done to Muslim issues.
During a press conference at the Al-Safa palace in Makkah, the Iranian leader said Muslims should demand justice and equality among the nations of the world. Addressing the nuclear question, Ahmadinajad said that nations with nuclear arsenals cannot speak about peace solely from their own perspectives, but must also take into consideration other nations' needs for justice.
Praising the OIC conference as a serious step toward achieving pan-Islamic progress and unity, Ahmadinejad said that Islam has the ability to achieve justice and to demand it, and that these Muslim dreams can be achieved step by step.
When questioned about Iran's involvement in Iraq, Ahmadinejad pointed out that Iran is a neighboring country to Iraq and that they are historically connected. On the question of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western pressure on Iran's nuclear development prospects, the president said that there are two sides to the issue: The political and the legal. He said that he is dealing with the legal side according to rules and regulations of the agency.
Regarding Saudi-Iran relations, Ahmadinajad emphasized the importance of the two countries in the Islamic world and noted that it was fortunate that the two countries share similar views on many issues.
Leaders of other Muslim countries held press conferences on the last day of the Makkah summit.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia thanked King Abdullah for the call to hold the summit in this very difficult time. In her speech, she said that the summit was important and necessary because of the difficult time facing the Muslim nation. She called for the establishment of a new commercial system between Muslim countries. She also stressed the importance of fighting terrorism.
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