OIC SECRETARY GENERAL AT THE OPENING OF OIC NEETING IN JEDDAH
OIC Secretary General at the opening of OIC meeting
on the conditions of Muslim minorities:
OIC adopts calm dialogue to alleviate aggravated conditions of Muslim minorities
in the aftermath of 11 September attacks
“The prevailing international situation arising in the aftermath of the attacks of 11 September 2001 has helped to increase hostile campaigns against Islam. The conditions of many Muslim minorities have worsened, particularly in the West, where discriminatory measures have been taken against them. The OIC has risen to this challenge by making key contacts with many official quarters, including international organizations working on the protection of human rights and fundamental liberties, and adopting an approach based on calm diplomacy and quiet dialogue in order to alleviate the suffering of Muslim minorities living in non-OIC Member States”, said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), in his speech at the opening of the 11th Session of the OIC Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGGE) on the Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States, which started its proceedings on Sunday 11 March 2007 at the Headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. Prof. Ihsanoglu’s speech was delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Izzet Mufti, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
“Over the years,” Ihsanoglu continued, “the OIC has not only effectively supported Muslim minorities through its affiliate Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) by implementing a host of vital projects in their countries around the globe, but also continues to work hard on this issue in collaboration with its Member States and specialized Islamic institutions, such as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), in order to help them meet their urgent needs and surmount their difficulties. Moreover, contacts between the General Secretariat and Muslim minorities in non-OIC Member States are getting stronger by the day, particularly with local and international bodies, and seek to protect their interests and ensure the respect of their rights and identity. Moreover, the positive results achieved by OIC contacts with the representatives of Muslim minorities include the organization of symposia in the different continents with a view to providing them with opportunities to meet each other, exchange experiences, and work out suitable modalities to resolve their problems. In recent years, the OIC has organized symposia that brought together the representatives of Muslim minorities in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, each in their respective region”.
“Muslim minorities face major challenges, the greatest of which are poverty, illiteracy, and deadly diseases. They urgently need child and family care, and they need to protect their identity from missionary campaigns. Most importantly, they need to establish a comprehensive international information centre on Muslim minorities affairs”, Ihsanoglu added.
Concluding his speech, Prof. Ihsanoglu, called on the OIC Member States to redouble their efforts on the issues of Muslim minorities in non-OIC Member so as to support the General Secretariat in its bilateral relations with countries where Muslim minorities live. This will help them to find solutions for their problems within the respect of the sovereignty and laws of their countries, in implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted by the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit Conference held in Mecca Al-Mukarramah in December 2005.
The OIC IGGE on the Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States is expected to discuss the Secretary-General’s Report, which was submitted to this meeting and covered the General Secretariat’s activities and contacts with several regional and international bodies to improve the conditions of these minorities and protect their rights and interests as part of the provisions of the said OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action. The IGGE will be submitting its report to the next session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan, next May.
Jeddah, 12 March 2007
on the conditions of Muslim minorities:
OIC adopts calm dialogue to alleviate aggravated conditions of Muslim minorities
in the aftermath of 11 September attacks
“The prevailing international situation arising in the aftermath of the attacks of 11 September 2001 has helped to increase hostile campaigns against Islam. The conditions of many Muslim minorities have worsened, particularly in the West, where discriminatory measures have been taken against them. The OIC has risen to this challenge by making key contacts with many official quarters, including international organizations working on the protection of human rights and fundamental liberties, and adopting an approach based on calm diplomacy and quiet dialogue in order to alleviate the suffering of Muslim minorities living in non-OIC Member States”, said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), in his speech at the opening of the 11th Session of the OIC Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGGE) on the Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States, which started its proceedings on Sunday 11 March 2007 at the Headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. Prof. Ihsanoglu’s speech was delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Izzet Mufti, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
“Over the years,” Ihsanoglu continued, “the OIC has not only effectively supported Muslim minorities through its affiliate Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) by implementing a host of vital projects in their countries around the globe, but also continues to work hard on this issue in collaboration with its Member States and specialized Islamic institutions, such as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), in order to help them meet their urgent needs and surmount their difficulties. Moreover, contacts between the General Secretariat and Muslim minorities in non-OIC Member States are getting stronger by the day, particularly with local and international bodies, and seek to protect their interests and ensure the respect of their rights and identity. Moreover, the positive results achieved by OIC contacts with the representatives of Muslim minorities include the organization of symposia in the different continents with a view to providing them with opportunities to meet each other, exchange experiences, and work out suitable modalities to resolve their problems. In recent years, the OIC has organized symposia that brought together the representatives of Muslim minorities in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, each in their respective region”.
“Muslim minorities face major challenges, the greatest of which are poverty, illiteracy, and deadly diseases. They urgently need child and family care, and they need to protect their identity from missionary campaigns. Most importantly, they need to establish a comprehensive international information centre on Muslim minorities affairs”, Ihsanoglu added.
Concluding his speech, Prof. Ihsanoglu, called on the OIC Member States to redouble their efforts on the issues of Muslim minorities in non-OIC Member so as to support the General Secretariat in its bilateral relations with countries where Muslim minorities live. This will help them to find solutions for their problems within the respect of the sovereignty and laws of their countries, in implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted by the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit Conference held in Mecca Al-Mukarramah in December 2005.
The OIC IGGE on the Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States is expected to discuss the Secretary-General’s Report, which was submitted to this meeting and covered the General Secretariat’s activities and contacts with several regional and international bodies to improve the conditions of these minorities and protect their rights and interests as part of the provisions of the said OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action. The IGGE will be submitting its report to the next session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan, next May.
Jeddah, 12 March 2007
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