OIC Journal - Issue 36

Feb - Apr 2017

Gearing Up for First

Issue No. 36

Summit on Science & Technology

Hosting 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers

o v I ’ d e t ô C

e r i

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Abidjan, 10-11 July 2017

OUR MESSAGE Muslim World’s Crises Require Greater Efforts

Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

It is clear that the repercussions of some of the crises ravaging the Muslim world have been felt by other countries through extremist groups perpetrating their crimes unjustly in the name of Islam.

The Muslim world continues to be burdened by its problems and crises that call for reflection, so that greater efforts can be deployed urgently to address all those challenges and elevate the OIC through unity of rank and collective action to achieve joint Islamic solidarity.

The cause of Palestine, particularly the Israeli violations in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, stands out as the most recurring issue on the OIC agenda. Unprecedented Israeli violations to Judaize Al-Quds together with settlement policies go on unabated, taking a dangerous dimension through Israel’s efforts to legalize it and spread it in the Palestinian territories. This requires a strong will to catalyze the peace process through the Arab Initiative and the two-state solution.

Close to the occupied Palestine, bloodshed continues in Syria, a country witnessing an unending war, which can only be resolved politically by implementing the Geneva 1 communiquĂŠ and compliance of the conflict parties with Security Council resolution 2254.

Not far away from that war is Iraq where a bloody confrontation with terrorism is ongoing; the pressing need in that country demands a return to national cohesion. This is what the OIC is working on with the government in Baghdad to convene Makkah 2 conference and bring about national reconciliation.

In the same vein, the OIC continues to support the efforts of the legitimate government in Yemen and the coalition forces to achieve security and stability; similarly supporting the political solution efforts sponsored by the United Nations.

In Libya, the OIC renews its support for the Government of National Accord and for the importance of commitment to the implementation of the Skhirat Agreement in order to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Libya and rebuild state institutions.

Somalia, which witnessed a remarkable political development at the beginning of this year with the election of a new president, suffers drought and thirst at a time of reduced rainfall. This calls for a collective stand by OIC Member States to repeat the huge support they gave through the OIC in 2011, and to proceed with a humanitarian plan that will lift Somalia out of its difficulties and put it on the path to development.

It is clear that the repercussions of some of the crises ravaging the Muslim world have been felt by other countries through extremist groups perpetrating their crimes unjustly in the name of Islam. The OIC renews its principled and absolute rejection of terrorism and extremism, and the modern day kharajites who distort the image of Islam alongside the efforts of Member States, which have and continue to counter actions that contravene the teachings of our orthodox religion for tolerance, coexistence, peace, dialogue, respect for religions and rejection of extremism and violence. I stress, terrorism has no religion, race or nationality and that it is rejected, no matter its source or motive.

The importance of countering terrorism and extremism is recognized in defeating their filthy purpose of seeking to cause sectarian divide that would lead to disunity and conflict. Therefore it is important to underscore the provision of the OIC Charter regarding respect for the sovereignty of Member States, non-interference in their domestic affairs while respecting good neighbourliness in words and deed.

While we reject extremism and terrorism, we also denounce attempts by some mass media to link violence with the generality of Muslims, which has led to fearing Muslims and putting restrictions against them in non-Islamic states. This is why the OIC is following the conditions of Muslim minorities in all parts of the world, and making every possible effort to establish dialogue and consultation with the governments of their counties in order to improve their conditions and their rights to practice their religion in a manner that will not diminish their rights or the sovereignty of the states in which they live.

But there is a growing concern with the increasingly institutional nature Islamophobia is gradually assuming, which constitutes an affront to human rights and to the dignity of Muslims. The growing religious hatred and extremism resulting from Islamophobia has reached disturbing levels with all-out restrictions and discriminatory policies against Muslims, only because of their religion.

What is truly scary is the growing spate of far-right politics in the West based on a very reductionist equation of: we versus them.

No one wants their children to live in this scary scenario of an intolerant world, which is why the international community is duty bound to assume its responsibility in addressing this issue. The OIC is committed to playing its role in this regard.

OIC Journal Issued by The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Chief Editor & General Supervisor Maha Mostafa Akeel Editors Bashir saad Layout & Design Mohammed Abdelqader Qalaba Advisory Board Ali Abolhassani Shahreza Jakhongir Khasanov Translation Amgad Hassan Yahya El-Khatib Mohamed Esseth Address: Madinah Road, P.O. Box 178, Jeddah-21411, Saudi Arabia Tel: 012 6515222 Fax: 012 6512288 Telx.: 601366 Islami SJ. Website: www.oic-oci.org For comments, enquiries

E-mail: journal@oic-oci.org OIC Permanent Observer to the UN New York Office 320 East - 51st Street New York 10022 New York, USA www.oicun.org oic@un.int OIC Permanent Observer to the UN Geneva Office ICC-20, Route Pre-Bois - Case Postal 1818 CH 1215, Geneve, Suisse www.oic-un.org oic@oic-un.org The views expressed by the writers/authors of the articles published in the OIC Journal do not necessarily represent the views of the OIC, but are the personal views of the authors themselves. However, the OIC reserves the right/discretion to amend, revise, edit, delete or scrutinize any part or portion of the text as and wherever deemed necessary.

OIC Related Links Subsidiary Organs The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) www.fiqhacademy.org The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) www.sesrtcic.org The Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) www.ircica.org The Islamic Center for the Development of Trade (ICDT) www.icdt-oic.org The Islamic University of Technology (UIT) www.iutoic-dhaka.edu

Specialized Institutions and Organs The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) www.isdb.org International Islamic News Agency (IINA) www.islamicnews.org.sa The Islamic States Broadcasting Organization (ISBO) www.isboo.org The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Rabat (ISESCO)www.isesco.org.ma Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) www.ias-worldwide.org

Affiliated Institutions Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) www.icci-oic.org Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC) www.oicc.org Organization of the Islamic Shipowners Association (OISA) www.oisaonline.com World Federation of Arab Islamic International Schools (WFAIS) www.wfais.org Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) www.icyf.com Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) www.ias-worldwide.org

OIC Calendar: May – August 2017 7 - 11 May: 11th Regular Session of the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 7 - 8 May: General Assembly Meetings of SMIIC – Istanbul, Turkey 9 - 10 May: 4th Meeting of the Islamic Executive Bureau for Environment – Rabat, Morocco 10 - 11 May: 33rd COMCEC Follow-Up Committee – Ankara, Turkey 12-22 May: 4th Islamic Solidarity Games – Baku, Azerbaijan 14-15 May: OIC-French Colloquium on “The preservation & conservation of cultural heritage in OIC member states” – OIC HQ, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 17 - 18 May: 42nd Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 23 May: 47th Meeting of the Governing Board of IIUM – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 20 June: 34th (AGM) Assembly General Meeting of IIUM – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 10-11 July: 44th session of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) – Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire 7 - 11 September: First OIC Summit on Science and Technology – Astana, Kazakhstan

CONTENTS In Focus: 4: OIC Launches Urgent Intervention Appeal to Save Somalia from Imminent Famine

Palestine File: 6: OIC Regrets the Withdrawal of the UN ESCWA Report on ‘Apartheid’ Israel,

World Affairs: 17: Need to Find Urgent and Durable Solution to Syrian Crisis – Al-Othaimeen

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OIC to Host Afghan Ulema Conference Soon

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Muslim Countries Struggle with High Burden of Humanitarian Crises

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First Decade of OIC Islamophobia Observatory

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OIC Member States Resolved to Consolidate and Preserve Marriage Institution

Special: 18: The Strengthening of Islamic Solidarity is a Challenge of Time

Humanitarian Affairs: 21: Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region

OIC News: 27: EU Officials Stress on Key Role of OIC in Promoting Tolerance 28: OIC Assistant Secretary General Receives the Deputy Grand Mufti of Russia and the Adviser to Afghanistan’s President

Human Rights: 32: OIC Condemns Violence and Abuse of Rohingya as UN Report Details “Devastating Cruelty”

Culture: 34: Kampala Capital of Islamic Culture for African Region 2017

Youth: 45: Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.

Science & Technology 50: Preparation for Science and Technology Summit

Economy: 58: Series of Actions to Tackle Challenges of Unemployment in OIC Member States

Opinion Articles 14: Reconciliation is the Only Path to Peace in Afghanistan 52: One Way the Islamic World is Tackling its Problem with Childhood Vaccines

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Mobilizing Resources for OIC-IDB-IAEA Cancer Care in Member States

OIC Launches Urgent Intervention Appeal to Save

Somalia from Imminent Famine The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) continues to appeal to the International Community to offer more support to the drought affected Somali communities to save them from an imminent famine.

OIC in a statement noted that it is following with deep concern the consequences of famine, which have started to appear in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region in general due to serious drought resulting from shortage of rainfall.

This threatens the lives of more than 17 million people in the states of the Horn of Africa with drought affecting Djibouti, Eretria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

OIC stressed that Somalia is on the brink of imminent famine, as about 6 million people

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– almost half the population of Somalia – require urgent humanitarian aid.

In a development reflecting the depth of the crisis, Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Haire, on 4 March 2017 announced that 110 people died from hunger in a single region in two days from cholera and famine caused by continuous drought.

The cautionary indicators of the famine according to OIC has become very clear as the OIC Office for Coordination of Humanitarian and Development Action in Somalia estimated the number of displaced persons in February to be about 50,000 from Somali villages to the capital Mogadishu and cities such as Afgooye, Baidoa, Kismayo, Dolow, Luk, Beledweyne, Adado, Abudwak, Jaril and Dhuusamareeb.

It should be noted that Somalia is one of

the four countries categorized as being close to facing serious famine, alongside Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen where more than 20 million people face horrific conditions, thus requiring urgent action to avoid the spread of famine to wider areas.

Deep Concerns In the face of this humanitarian disaster, the OIC General Secretariat noted that, it shares the deep concerns of many humanitarian partners about the size of international response towards possible famine in Somalia, which had suffered a similar fate between 2010 and 2012 leading to the death of 260,000 people. The OIC General Secretariat warns about the consequences of slow humanitarian intervention and the need to act immediately.

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IN FOCUS In line with its continued efforts to improve the living conditions of the people of Somalia, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) a specialized organ of the OIC, is increasing its humanitarian aid to Somalia in coordination with various recognized charitable institutions.

In this regard IsDB on March 14 approved $300,000 to support the people stricken by the drought in Somalia.

IsDB has, since 1991, provided millions US dollars in grants and assistance to Somalia covering almost all regions in the country.

The Bank’s support mainly focused on providing medical supplies and emergency relief items in addition to supporting other sectors such as education, health, irrigation and drinking water supplies.

Earlier in January 2017, OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, and Advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, signed an agreement to implement an executive program for distributing assistance to those affected by the drought in the Republic of Somalia consisting of 30,000 food baskets for 180,000 beneficiaries in Somalia.

International Conference on Somalia In line with OIC’s ongoing cooperation to bring succor to the drought affected communities in Somalia, Mr. Barrie Peach, British Consul General in Jeddah Saudi Arabia and the Special Envoy to the OIC and Mr. Abdul Razzak, Permanent Representative of Somalia to the OIC met with OIC Secretary General Dr. Al-Othaimeen at his office on 20 March 2017 and delivered an invitation to him to attend an International Conference on Somalia, which will be held in London in May 2017.

Somalians forced to live in camps (AA)

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Grim Situation Somalia has been gripped by a devastating drought that has killed livestock and caused rivers and wells to dry up and crops to fail.

Hundreds of families have now left Jubaland and sought refuge in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The World Food Program noted that situation is worsening in rural areas following consecutive seasons of poor rainfall and low river water levels. These have resulted in near total crop failures, reduced rural employment opportunities, widespread shortage of water and pasture – with consequent increases in livestock deaths. As local

staple food prices continue to rise sharply and livestock prices decrease significantly, access to food is rapidly diminishing among poor families.

As well as the lack of food caused by the drought, there are many cases of dehydration.

Domestic animals are also dying in large numbers, and carcasses litter the landscape.

Around 5 million Somalis, or more than 4 out of 10 residents, do not have enough to eat because of poor rains and fighting between the militant group al Shabaab and Somalia’s government.

Reports from the regions of Bay and Bakool are most worrying, as poor households have had little to no harvest, own few livestock.

Hunger is particularly acute among Somalia’s 1.1 million extremely poor people who already are displaced internally, forced by conflict and drought to flee multiple times.

Humanitarian agencies and international organisations have started rescue efforts by raising the awareness of the world community.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced on 22 February 2017 that UN relief agencies urgently require $4.4 billion by the end of March to tackle famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, and that what has been received does not exceed $90 million.

The UN Secretary General also stated that 1.4 million children are susceptible to imminent death due to famine in the four countries.

Emergency Meeting in Somalia The OIC chaired an emergency humanitarian meeting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on April 11 under the slogan “Renewed Commitment to Prevent Famine in Somalia”, held in partnership with the Humanitarian Forum and the Islamic Charity Forum, under the patronage of the Somali Federal Government, and the support of United Nations agencies. The meeting aimed to increase humanitarian support in Somalia, mitigate the effects of drought, improve efficiency of coordinated response, and assess the magnitude of humanitarian needs and steps required to accelerate immediate response to the disaster.

The OIC expressed its commitment to exert the necessary efforts to contribute to the provision of humanitarian assistance to those affected by drought and pledged to work together to coordinate and implement efforts.

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PALESTINE FILE OIC Regrets the Withdrawal of the UN ESCWA Report on ‘Apartheid’ Israel, Stresses the Importance of its Conclusions

Rima Khalaf (AA)

The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, expressed his deep regret at the withdrawal of the report of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which objectively represents the reality of Israeli policies of occupation, oppression, settlement and apartheid.

The Secretary General emphasized that the withdrawal of the United Nations report on Israeli apartheid practices towards the Palestinian people is counterproductive and would avert the international community from reaching the conclusions of such a substantive and professional document, and would encourage Israel to continue its apartheid policies.

The withdrawn report titled “Israeli Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid.” examined, based on key instruments of international law, whether Israel has established an apartheid regime that oppresses and dominates the Palestinian people as a whole.

The report concluded that “having established that the crime of apartheid has universal application, that the question of the status of the Palestinians as a people is settled in law, and that the crime of apartheid

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should be considered at the level of the State, the report sets out to demonstrate how Israel has imposed such a system on the Palestinians in order to maintain the domination of one racial group over others.”

The report added that “a history of war, annexation and expulsions, as well as a series of practices, has left the Palestinian people fragmented into four distinct population groups, three of them (citizens of Israel, residents of East Jerusalem and the populace under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza) living under direct Israeli rule and the remainder, refugees and involuntary exiles, living beyond. This fragmentation, coupled with the application of discrete bodies of law to those groups, lie at the heart of the apartheid regime. They serve to enfeeble opposition to it and to veil its very existence.

This report concludes, on the basis of overwhelming evidence, that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid, and urges swift action to oppose and end it.”

The then United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rima Khalaf pointed out during a press conference to launch the report that “Israel, encouraged by the in-

ternational community’s disregard for its continual violations of international law, has succeeded over the past decades in imposing and maintaining an apartheid regime that works on two levels. First, the political and geographic fragmentation of the Palestinian people which enfeebles their capacity for resistance and makes it almost impossible for them to change the reality on the ground. Secondly, the oppression of all Palestinians through an array of laws, policies and practices that ensure domination of them by a racial group and serve to maintain the regime.”

Khalaf noted that “the report shows that there can be no solution, be it in the form of two States, or following any other regional or international approach, as long as the apartheid regime imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people as a whole has not been dismantled. Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Not only does international law prohibit that crime, it obliges States and international bodies, and even individuals and private institutions, to take measures to combat it wherever it is committed and to punish its perpetrators.”

The report was prepared, at the request of ESCWA, by two specialists renowned for their expertise in the field: Richard Falk, a former United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University; and Virginia Tilley, a researcher and professor of political science at Southern Illinois University with a wealth of experience in Israeli policy analysis.

However, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf subsequently resigned over what she described as the pressure on her to withdraw the report that was critical of Israel.

The OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen expressed regret at the resignation of Rima Khalaf, commending her professional and balanced performance and her principled and well-appreciated position, which goes fully in line with the principles and Charter of the United Nations.

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PALESTINE FILE Gaza Residents Forced to Use Harsh Alternatives to Electricity Gaza (dpa) – The residents of Palestinian Gaza Strip are struggling to manage their daily life in the face of the repeated exacerbation of power outage crisis, which drove them to unprecedented protests demanding solutions to this crisis.

Dozens of people line up during the day in front of an old traditional oven in the crowded neighborhood of Zeitoun in Gaza City to bake traditional bread and various pastries to overcome power outage.

Abu Salah Sharab, a baker on in his forties, says that the demands for baking bread have become a burden on his work and have increased in light of the power outage crisis and lack of alternatives. He explained that families are used to bake bread using electric utensils, but because of the power outage and shortage of cooking gas, the traditional oven became a daily available alternative for families.

Sharab’s oven, which is made of clay, keeps a very old technique and composition that embodies the Palestinian heritage among families despite all the development in their lives. He says that his work includes baking bread and all kinds of pastries, preparing grilled chicken and rice cooked by crockery with chicken and meat, as well as roasting nuts and Arabic coffee using firewood inside clay stove.

He has been working as baker since he was young and he inherited it from his grandfathers who worked before him in the same oven, which he says its age spans more than a century.

Clay oven is considered part of Palestinian folklore. Families often made small replicas of it inside their home yards.

Even with the development of cooking means, the traditional oven is indispensable for Palestinians.

A traditional oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for heating or baking and most commonly used for cooking. Sharab pointed out that the oven was for a time neglected and limited only to banquets for families. However, the intensification of the crisis in the Gaza Strip due to the siege imposed on it since 2007 has revived the need for it.

People in Gaza Strip, which is home to nearly 2 million people, suffer from the severe Israeli blockade since mid-2007.

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The successive years of blockade have exacerbated the crises of lack of basic services for the residents in Gaza Strip, especially the power outages.

Gaza Strip needs 450 megawatts of electricity, while availability is 210 megawatts, 120 of which is supplied by Israel and 30 megawatts by Egypt, and the rest by the only power plant in Gaza, which does not operate regularly due to the high cost of supplying fuel to it from Israel. As a result of this deficit, Gaza Electricity Distribution Company relies on an electricity-rationing schedule of eight-hour intervals followed by eight hours without power. This schedule is followed during normal days of the year while it is reduced to less than six-hour intervals followed by 12 hours without power when Gaza Electricity Plant shuts down due to lack of fuel, which is repeated periodically.

Ms. Khetam Jadallah says the traditional oven is a very important alternative for families in Gaza. She pointed out, while taking bread and pastries from the oven, that electricity at home is barely available for a few hours and is not guaranteed to last until finishing from baking.

At the same time, Gaza Strip residents are forced to pay additional money to have access to electricity from other sources to manage their daily lives and to provide lighting for their homes. However, as the electricity shortage continues, resorting to use of alternatives is inevitable at all levels of society, such as purchasing generators or sharing in large generators owned by local investors. Some residents are able to install networks of LEDs, purchase batteries, and purchase solar-powered cells.

Abu Khaled Hassanein, a man in his 50s, complains that the continuous power outage for many hours has created a gloomy atmosphere at his home, especially in the winter and cold weather. He points out that he often uses coal to keep his children warm, while he has to buy several batteries to keep the lights on.

However, there is also risk to using coal and the irregular voltage of electricity. According to Palestinian human rights statistics, 29 people were killed, either burned alive or suffocated to death, due to the problem of electricity, including 24 children since 2010.

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PALESTINE FILE

OIC Condemns Israeli Court’s Decision on

Al-Aqsa

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the decision of the socalled ‘Israeli Conciliation Court’ in the occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem) which declared that that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a holy site for the Jews, thus giving them the right to pray in it.

The OIC described the decision as a dangerous continuation of the violations by the Israeli occupation and of its attempts to legalize the Judaization policies and the continuing onslaughts against the sanctity of the Muslim and Christian holy sites.

The OIC Secretary General, Yousef Ibn Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, stated that the decision is a flagrant breach of international law, the Geneva Conventions, and the United Nations resolutions on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the most recent of which was the UNESCO’s resolution declaring it as a place of worship for Muslims only.

He warned about the dangerous consequences of these Israeli policies that can fuel extremism and stoke religious conflict.

Al-Othaimeen called on the international

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community, particularly the UN Security Council and UNESCO to ensure freedom of worship and protect Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem).

Other concerned governments and international institutions have also condemned the Israeli act.

A Palestinian official warned that the socalled Israeli court’s ruling is an invitation to religious strife.

Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs Yousef Ideis warned that such a ruling “will lead to a religious war that can bring devastation to the entire region.”

He said Israel is taking a dangerous road when it legislates its violations of the sanctity of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, defy-

A Palestinian official warned that the so-called Israeli court’s ruling is an invitation to religious strife.

ing all international resolutions that clearly say Al-Aqsa is holy only for Muslims.

The Arab League also condemned strongly the decision of the Israeli court.

The League demanded the world community and its institutions، especially the United Nations (UN) to secure protection for holy places and force Israel as the occupying power to retreat off implementing its plans to judaize Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.

The League also warned that the Israeli plans lead to collapse opportunities of the two-states solution in Palestine.

Fanatic Jews want to destroy the Mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple by claiming the ancient Jewish temples were once located on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Muslim scholars have strongly rejected the Jewish claim to the site as a fallacy.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the city in 1980.

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PALESTINE FILE Al-Othaimeen Discusses with Al Habash Developments in the Holy City of Al Quds The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al Othaimeen, received in his office Dr. Mahmoud Al Habash, Attorney General and Adviser to the Palestinian President on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations. The two parties reviewed the circumstances relevant to the Palestinian issue and more par-

ticularly the Israeli occupant’s recurrent violations and aggressions against the city of Holy Al Quds/Jerusalem, and ways to boost the Palestinian citizens’ resistance.

The Secretary General reiterated the OIC’s full commitment to stand side by side with the Palestinian people, to support the efforts deployed by the Palestinian leadership

in the international arena and to defend the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights. He also reiterated OIC’s commitment to continue action for the mobilization of support in order to ensure the stable and steadfast presence of the Palestinians in the Holy city of Al Quds Al Sharif.

OIC Holds Consultations with UNRWA Advisory Commission and UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Palestine A delegation from the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) held consultations with the OIC General Secretariat, on Thursday, 2 March 2017, on finding possible ways to boost financial contributions to support the Agency’s budget and mobilize enough financial resources to serve Palestinian refugees.

The Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs, Ambassador Samir Bakr at the meeting emphasized the importance of UNRWA’s role as a demonstration of the humanitarian obligation as well as political and legal responsibility of the international community towards the issue of Palestinian refugees. He also assured of the OIC’s continuous support for UNRWA to play its vital role in line with the mandate given to it by the UN General Assembly of serving this large segment of Palestinians, and keeping alive and active their vital issue as part of the UN’s responsibility until it is resolved in accordance with international

legitimacy resolutions.

For his part, the Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Yousef, assured of the OIC’s readiness to cooperate with UNRWA to organize some activities to boost Member States’ response to its growing needs by increasing their financial contributions to its budget, pursuant to the resolutions of the Islamic Summit and Council of Foreign Ministers.

The visiting delegation gave a detailed explanation of the past role and efforts of the Advisory Commission. Discussions were also held on several proposals that would be included in the report to be submitted by the Commission to the UN Secretary General in mid-March 2017. H.E. Ambassador Manuel Bessler, Assistant Director General, Head of Humanitarian Aid Department and Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA), headed the delegation. Also in the delegation were Ambassador Hassan Oluswi, Director General of Multilateral Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

Turkey and Mr. Robert Hart, Director of Operations at UNRWA in the Gaza Strip, and other accompanying delegations.

On March 15, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, received in his office in Jeddah the deputy special coordinator for peace process in the Middle East and the United Nations coordinator of humanitarian assistance and development aid in the Palestinian Territories, Robert Piper, and his accompanying delegation. Discussions were held on the developments in the Palestinian territory, particularly the situation in the occupied Jerusalem and Hebron as well as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary General commended the important role of the United Nations and its specialized agencies throughout the Palestinian territories, including occupied Jerusalem. He emphasized the readiness of the OIC to cooperate with all active parties to mobilize greater support in the interest of the Palestinian people.

A Workshop in Al-Quds Discusses the Effects of Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Families

Group photo of participants in the workshop

The OIC, through its representative office in Palestine, sponsored a workshop entitled “The Israeli Occupation Attacks and its Im-

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pact on Domestic Violence in the Palestinian Family and Society in Al-Quds”, which was organized in cooperation with the Palestinian Center for Guidance in Al-Quds.

The workshop, which was attended by representatives of many Palestinian and international institutions, aimed at highlighting the systematic and escalating Israeli violations and attacks against Al-Quds children that has completely violated the Palestinian child rights system, including the right to live, the right for education, and the right for health and protection.

The workshop concluded with a series of recommendations, including pressure on Israel, the occupying power, to stop its ag-

gressive policies against children, especially arrest and home imprisonment, because of its severe effects on children. In addition, to stop the policy of collective punishment against Palestinian families in Al-Quds, and to expose occupation policies directed against the children of Al-Quds. As well as providing programs that offer psychosocial services to deal with children who are subjected to violence, detention or imprisonment, including programs aimed at helping children in international forums and others targeting the parents of children who are subjected to violence.

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PALESTINE FILE At Doha Humanitarian Forum:

OIC Calls for Coordination Mechanism to Enhance Support for the Palestinian People

Group photo of participants in the forum

Doha – Doha hosted on 8 March the Humanitarian and Development Forum for Palestine under the theme ‘Together We Make Hope’. The forum is organized by Qatar Charity and sponsored by Qatar Fund for Development along with other international and UN organizations.

The Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador Hesham Youssef focused on the importance of this forum to support Palestinians, pointing to efforts to organize an international meeting to support the Palestinian people and highlight the main Arab and Muslim issue so that it does not recede to the background due to the disasters facing the Muslim world.

The OIC has held several meetings focusing on some crises that were retreated from the limelight such as those in Somalia, the Lake Chad neighboring countries, as well as meetings to support Yemen and Iraq, he said.

The Ambassador pointed to the ongoing suffering of people of Jerusalem, the ongoing Judaization of Jerusalem and attempts to wipe out the identity of Palestinians in this holy city, in addition to the situation in the West Bank and obstacles facing its people due to the settlements. He added, “Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from inhumane destructive Israeli siege for more than ten years.”

He said that “according to UN reports, normal life will not be viable in Gaza territory by 2020 due to the rising unemployment,

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and as 95 percent of water is undrinkable and the education, health, and economy system is on the verge of collapsing.”

Also, 85% of the families in Gaza depend in their daily life on humanitarian aid, which is unacceptable, he added, stressing that Arabs and Muslims were generous in their support for Palestinians over the years, but this support is needed more than ever before.

Ambassador Hesham Youssef called for establishing an efficient mechanism to exchange data, discuss and coordinate aid provided to Palestinians, confirming OIC’s readiness to assume its responsibility to achieve this goal under the umbrella of the Islamic countries and in cooperation with them.

The forum sought to strengthen coordination and partnership between the various supporters of the Palestinian people, diagnose the reality of development and humanitarian work, and find the most effective solutions for support, exchanging experiences and information related to development and humanitarian work in Palestine, as well as moving beyond temporary efforts to sustainable development projects in Palestine.

According to the Executive Director of the Department of International Development of the Qatar Charity, Mohammed bin Ali AlGhamdi, the forum has succeeded in mobilizing various humanitarian actors from local, regional and international organizations to discuss education, economic em-

powerment, health and social welfare plans in Palestine.

Al-Ghamdi explained that Qatar Charity sought through the forum to emphasize the centrality of the Palestinian cause in humanitarian work in light of the many crises that plague the region. He said, “The Palestinian cause should be always a central cause, especially in its humanitarian and development dimension. The Palestinian cause should have priority for Arabs and Muslims, as well as for the humanitarian and international organizations.”

Around 75 local, regional and international humanitarian and development organizations participated in the Forum in addition to donors to discuss key support areas of education, health, economic empowerment and social welfare.

The agenda included meetings and workshops dealing with the reality of development and humanitarian work in Palestine, partnership mechanisms and sustainable development strategies, as well as reviewing developmental and humanitarian experiences and practices in the areas of education, health, economic empowerment and social welfare, and other initiatives to support development and humanitarian work provided to Palestinian people.

Initiatives presented at the forum included a training center for disasters and emergencies presented by the Palestinian doctors’ group in Europe, with the aim of raising the efficiency of health institutions, training in first aid and succeeding to provide - according to an ambitious plan - ‘a medical care in every neighborhood, every street and every house in Palestine’.

Another initiative involved the employment of graduates in the Gaza Strip at a distance (outsource), and another called “Dignity”, a fund that provides loans to laborers to help dozens of low-income families.

There were also projects focusing on developing the performance of associations, and other participants chose to implement a project targeting Palestinians diaspora in Syria through an initiative called “We will not forget you”.

In addition to the new initiatives, the forum reviewed successful experiences, stressing the importance of building on them and benefiting from them.

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WORLD AFFAIRS Five Countries in the African Sahel Region Create a Joint Counter Terrorism Force The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has welcomed the decision of leaders of five (G5) Sahel countries, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, to establish a Joint Counter Terrorism Force to combat violent extremist and terrorist groups operating in their common space.

Secretary General Othaimeen stressed the importance that the OIC attaches to such collaboration by its Members States in combating the threat that terrorism poses to their security and stability and commended the leaders of the five countries who are all OIC Member States for the important decision taken at their one-day summit held on 6 February 2017 in Bamako. He also noted that such a concrete collective action would

Friday prayer at Grand Mosque of Bamako, Mali, Jan. 20, 2017 (AA)

go a long way in confronting the wave of cross- border attacks by militant and terrorist groups spreading insecurity in the Sahel region.

Chad’s President H.E. Mr. Idriss Deby said the members of the G5 group were on the

“frontline against terrorism”.

Their meeting followed an attack in January near the Malian city of Gao which killed nearly 80 people. The suicide bombing was the worst attack in the region for years.

The countries will seek European funding, according to Mr. Deby.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali consists of 12,000 troops, including hundreds of Europeans. Seventy people have died in the Gao operation, which is one of the UN’s most dangerous in decades.

More than 3,000 French troops are also deployed in the region, having intervened in Mali in 2013.

UN Security Council approval and a UN resolution would be requested before the force could be set up, Niger’s President H.E. Mr. Mahamadou Issoufou said.

Somalia Elects Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as New President

Former President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (L), 7th President of Somalia Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (R) and Somalia›s new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (C) during inauguration ceremony of the new president in Mogadishu, Feb. 22, 2017. (AA)

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen has congratulated the people of Somalia for the election on 8 February 2017 of a new President, HE. Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and for a successful political transition in their country.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen who commended all the stakeholders especially members of the Federal Parliament for their maturity and patriotism by voting to elect through a democratic process and bring a new dawn

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in Somalia, noted that the country has taken a significant step towards more political stability and full blown democracy by 2020.

He urged all Somalis to build on this momentum in order to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation and progress While congratulating the new President, Mr. Mohamed for the confidence reposed in him by his people, the Secretary General also paid tribute to the other contestants especially former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for their remarkable spirit of

sportsmanship during the electoral contest.

He then assured the new leader of the determination of the OIC to support his government in confronting the multiple challenges that continue to confront Somalia in its peace and state building process.

Somalia’s new President, Mohamed Abdullahi, has been inaugurated in the capital Mogadishu, on 22 February, promising to restore dignity to the troubled Horn of Africa nation but warning it will take another two decades to “fix” the country.

“Multiple challenges are ahead of our government. Therefore, I am telling people that because of the limited resources we have, our achievements will be limited,” said Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, at the ceremony.

“For the past 26 years there have been conflicts and droughts, so it will take other 20 years to fix this country.”

The dual US-Somali citizen and former prime minister was sworn in at a ceremony held in the highly secured airport zone to avoid an attack by the al-Qaeda-linked alShabab group, which has threatened a “vicious war” against the new government.

All major roads and streets inside and outside the capital were blocked and commercial flights were cancelled for security reasons.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 11

WORLD AFFAIRS

OIC to Host Afghan Ulema Conference in the Next Coming Months as ICG on Afghanistan Meet

ICG meeting hosted by OIC in Jeddah on Feb. 28, 2017

Jeddah – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has reiterated that his organization with the support of the Afghan Government, High Peace Council and Ulema Council has started preparation for holding the International Muslim Ulema Conference in the next coming months to support peace, security, stability and national reconciliation of Afghanistan.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Amb. Tarig Bakheit, Director General of Political Affairs at the Organisation during a meeting of the International Contact Group on Afghanistan (ICG) hosted by OIC in Jeddah on Feb. 28 and attended by delegates from more than 50 countries and international organizations, Al-Othaimeen noted that the planned Ulema Conference is expected to address the issue of radical and erroneous interpretations of the teachings of religion in order to promote moderate and tolerant peaceful coexistence between all the adherents of different religious schools of thoughts in Afghanistan.

“Today’s meeting attests to the importance the OIC has always attached and continues to accord to the situation in Afghanistan as well as its readiness to maintain its role in helping the country restore peace, security and development,” he added.

On his part, H.E. Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and coChair of the session, stressed that Afghan National unity Government remains highly

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committed to taking every measure to protect civilians, women and children against the brutality of enemies who deliberately target them.

He stressed that the Afghan National Unity Government is undertaking key reforms that will advance the cause of peace in the country.

The Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that his country attached immense importance to its relationship with the Muslim world, and appreciate the sincere support it has received from some of the Muslim states. In this context, he commended and welcome the OIC’s initiative to host the ICG meeting, “as we look forward working with this prestigious Organization to advance the cause of peace in Afghanistan.”

He added that The fatwa issued in 2015 by the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia against all acts of terrorism, which violate the core tenets of Islam, and the communiqué issued

ICG Members reaffirmed that sustainable stability in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a political settlement between Afghans

in 2015 by the Muslim World League Global Conference on Islam and Counter Terrorism in Makkah Al Mukarama, have effectively begun countering the un-Islamic narrative of extremists in the country.

The Deputy Foreign minister also updated the meeting on the ongoing Electoral and Anti-Corruption Reforms in the country, which he said President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah have worked hard to implement with the aim of achieving self-reliance.

He noted that the government is working on infrastructure development through regional cooperation by working with the Heart of Asia countries to expand regional connectivity for increased commerce, transit trade, and investment.

He added that in line with these regional trade projects, the government has prioritized private sector development in order to facilitate domestic and foreign investment in Afghanistan’s “virgin markets.” Since Afghanistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2015, Hekmat Khalil announced that Afghanisatn’s exports have increased to $570 million, up by $150 million since 2013 adding that the country has made additional efforts in the agriculture sector, enabling Afghan businesses to access regional and international markets.

This has helped generate over $79.5 million in exports of fruit, nuts, and cashmere.

In the security sector, the deputy foreign minister observed that Afghanistan has adopted a five-year National Campaign Plan to increase the mobility and effectiveness of its security forces. The improvements to the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) are critical not only for securing the country against terrorist networks but also for reducing criminality, which has become a major disincentive to business investment.

He added that the government’s plan focuses on three areas: reconciliation, security, and stability, noting that the senior military leadership has been revamped, professionalized training for officers is implemented, and civilian controls over principal support functions such as procurement, fi-

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WORLD AFFAIRS nancial management, and audit have been introduced.

In her speech, the co-chair of the meeting and Special Representative of the Germany Federal Government for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser, restated the International community’s support to the ongoing reforms by the Government of National Unity in Afghanistan and stressed that the ICG meeting will focus on Security Situation, Timetable for Election and Anti-Corruption war among other crucial issues in Afghanistan.

ICG Members during the meeting, affirmed their commitment to strengthen and renew cohesion among all of Afghanistan’s international and regional partners. They welcomed initiatives towards closer coordination among the key international and regional stakeholders to help stabilize and develop Afghanistan, underlining the importance of Afghan leadership and ownership.

The ICG Members also took stock of security developments and improvements in the performance of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. They Acknowledging the sacrifices of the Afghan people and its international partners over the past 15 years, they recalled that Afghanistan is a front-line in the regional and global fight against terrorism and violent extremism and that its security and prosperity are critical for ensuring regional stability and prosperity and maintaining international peace.

They reaffirmed the enduring commitment of the international community to support Afghanistan in countering terrorism and violent extremism, noting the important role of the Muslim world in this regard.

Recognizing that Islam strictly forbids violence against innocent civilians and the production and trafficking of illicit narcotics and that it teaches peace and reconciliation, ICG Members reaffirmed that sustainable stability in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a political settlement between Afghans. They welcomed the agreement reached with Hezb-e Islami and expressed their support for the National Unity Government as the elected and legitimate government of Afghanistan in its efforts to engage with all armed groups in a political process leading to the renunciation of violence, breaking of all ties to regional and international terrorist networks and respect for the constitution.

The meeting took note of the briefing on the state of implementation of the agreed

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Afghan security officials take position as smoke rises after terrorist attack, claimed by Taliban on a Military base in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 1, 2017 (AA)

reform agenda under the “Self-Reliance through Mutual Accountability Framework.” The gathering also took note of the measures adopted to fight corruption and urged the government of Afghanistan to pursue further vigorous policies in this regard. They welcomed overdue progress towards electoral reform and stressed the need to create capacity to implement reforms, especially those aimed at minimizing the risk of fraud, in preparation for free, fair, inclusive, and transparent parliamentary elections.

Looking forward to the Seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Ashgabat, ICG Members emphasized that regional cooperation holds the key for economic development in Afghanistan. They noted that sincere regional security cooperation, which promotes security for all states, is a condition for enabling the whole region to develop economically. They noted the growing importance of Afghanistan and its neighbours sharing responsibility for development and stability in the region, including through de-

veloping a common counter-terrorism strategy that delivers tangible results.

The Seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA VII) ministerial meeting is scheduled to hold on 14-15 November 2017 in Ashgabat- Turkmenistan. It is expected that senior officials from nearly 40 countries and international organizations will attend the ministerial meeting.

The Contact Group on Afghanistan thanked the OIC for its hospitality in hosting the ICG meeting.

The ICG has regularly met in different countries to discuss issues related to Afghanistan and its peace, security, stability and development.

The ICG is a forum for political coordination with respect to the multifaceted civilian and security assistance provided by the international community in the country.

Over 50 ICG Member States and multilateral organizations participated in the Jeddah meeting hosted by the OIC. The OIC had hosted a previous meeting of the ICG in March 2011.

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OPINION Reconciliation is the Only Path to Peace in Afghanistan

Amb. Abdullah Abdulrahman Alim OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs

At the last meeting, over 50 ICG member states and multilateral organisations came together to ratify a fundamental idea: that sustainable stability in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a political settlement between Afghans.

In early March five Pakistani soldiers were killed in Taliban attacks on checkpoints along the border. The attacks followed a veritable massacre the previous week in the Afghan capital of Kabul, where nearsimultaneous Taliban suicide bombings were followed by drawn-out shooting match Afghan security forces. The gruesome episode left at least 16 people dead and over 100 wounded.

This is the routine carnage wreaking havoc across Afghanistan. But after 15 years of war, it is clear that we need a new strategy, one that enfranchises all groups in Afghanistan – with a view to build a truly viable and lasting democracy.

That was the theme of the meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) for Afghanistan hosted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the end of February – shortly before the renewed outbreak of violence.

The OIC is the intergovernmental body comprised of 57 Muslim majority member-countries. We formed the ICG in 2009, under the auspices of Germany, to coordinate international efforts to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan.

At the last meeting, over 50 ICG member states and multilateral organisations came together to ratify a fundamental idea: that sustainable stability in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a political settlement between Afghans.

In September 2016, the national government of Afghanistan signed an unprecedented agreement with Hezb-e Islami, one of the country’s armed groups. Critics have pointed out that the agreement could allow the group’s leader, Gulbeddin Hekmatyar, to return to political life in the country.

This is an understandable reservation, but the critics overlook the alternative. Two years ago, Hekmatyar had announced Hezb-e Islami’s support for the growing presence of Daesh militants in Afghanistan, with a view to combat the Taliban.

Afghanistan is already unstable. Such a prospect would have plunged the country even further into a heightened state of prolonged civil war between Hezbi-Islami, Daesh, the Taliban and the Afghan government. But by signing the peace deal with Hezb-e Islami, the Afghan government managed to stave off this potentially catastrophic scenario.

It is just the beginning. At the previous ICG meeting in February we supported the efforts of the Afghan government to engage with all armed groups, including the Taliban, in a political process whose goal is the renunciation of violence and respect for the constitution. Only through such a political process can we begin rebuilding Afghanistan.

In that spirit of cooperation, the OIC will host an International Ulema Conference on Afghanistan later this year in an effort to unite leading Islamic clerics from the region behind a single, viable peace process for the country. And in November of this year, Turkmenistan will host the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to explore opportunities for countries in the region to work together to revitalise the Afghan economy.

The RECCA agenda offers a meaningful vision of economic prosperity for Afghans. Among the issues on the table are agreements to create ground-breaking new institutions and mechanisms for trade: a new infrastructure to supply electricity to Afghanistan from Turkmenistan; the ‘Lapis Lazuli’ trade corridor from Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, the Caucasus, Turkey and to Europe; the Chahabar trade and transit route that will allow Indian goods to reach Afghanistan via the Iranian port of Chahabar; a new rail connection with China; and the creation of a modern ‘Silk Road’ through Afghanistan. This vision sees Afghanistan emerging as a trade, transit, energy and communications crossroads between Central, South and Southwest Asia.

That is the bright future that Afghans could see come to fruition if we work together to achieve political reconciliation.

February also saw the 28th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan. While the Taliban used the occasion to repeat its commitment to driving American forces out of the country, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani renewed the call for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban.

If the Taliban truly cares for the interests of Afghans, they would do well to take up this call. Because surely the most viable path to an independent and peaceful Afghanistan that is free of foreign forces, is not to keep fighting – but for Afghans to come together, resolve their differences, and build the vibrant nation that has been denied them for too long. * This article was published in The Diplomat on April 1, 2017

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WORLD AFFAIRS Al-Othaimeen Addresses Arab Summit:

Affirms OIC and Arab League are in One Trench

King Abdullah II of Jordan receives OIC Secretary General Al-Othaimeen

Amman- The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, stressed that both the OIC and the Arab League are in one trench to address contemporary challenges facing the Arab and Islamic world.

Addressing the 28th ordinary session of the League of Arab States at the summit level, which was held on March 29, 2017 at the Jordanian capital Amman, Dr. Al-Othaimeen stressed the need to address the challenges facing the Arab and Islamic worlds realistically, wisely, courageously and within the spirit of real solidarity, to promote the rights of the Ummah and to champion its causes, while realizing the aspirations of its people.

At the same time, he underlined the importance of using the OIC and the Arab League in upholding the high interests of both worlds in the different fields.

The Secretary General stated that the cause of Palestine and Al Quds top the causes of the Ummah as unprecedented Israeli violations aimed at Judaizing Al Quds continue with escalation and legitimization of the settlement policy.

He added that the apprehension of putting an end to bloodshed in Syria is one of the OIC’s main concerns. He affirmed that this can only be achieved through the implementation of the Geneva I communiqué

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and the UN Security Council Resolution No.2254.

Al-Othaimeen drew attention to the OIC’s continued efforts with the Iraqi government to hold the Makkah Conference (2) as part of its endeavors to achieve national reconciliation among components of Iraqi people.

The statement of the Secretary General also touched on the efforts of the OIC to support the legitimate government in Yemen and to renew its support to the national reconciliation government in Libya and stability in Somalia. He also indicated that the OIC welcomes the outcome of the national dialogue in Sudan to achieve national reconciliation.

The Secretary General renewed the OIC’s principled and categorical rejection of terrorism and extremism as they distort the image of Islam. At the same time, he rejected attempts made by certain media to link the phenomenon of violence to Muslims in large leading to the exacerbation of the Islamophobia phenomenon.

Side Meetings His Majesty King Abdullah II, Monarch of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan received the Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Othaimeen, on the sidelines of the 28th Session of the Summit of the Arab League Council

held on the Dead Sea. King Abdullah laid stress on the importance of the OIC’s role in boosting cooperation among Member States and defending their just causes.

The meeting addressed the current regional situation, the agenda items of the Arab Summit meeting and the need to activate and institutionalize joint Arab action to better serve the Arabo-Islamic causes, in addition to issues of cooperation between the OIC and the Arab League concerning issues of common interest. The two parties also touched upon the developments relevant to the Palestinian cause.

Dr. Al Othaimeen briefed King Abdullah II on the activities and programs undertaken by the OIC in all the fields, and expressed appreciation of the support the OIC receives from the Kingdom of Jordan.

The Secretary General also expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts put in by H. M. King AbdullahII in all international fora to display the message of the noble Islamic faith, to disseminate the values of tolerance and moderation and to build bridges of dialogue and understanding among the adepts of all religions. The Secretary General also reviewed the efforts of the OIC in this area and presented an overview of its role in initiating dialogue with the Muslim communities in Europe to encourage the voice of moderation and openness.

The Palestinian President, H.E Mahmoud Abbas, also received the Secretary General on the sidelines of the Arab Summit.

The two sides discussed the developments regarding the Palestinian cause, especially the Israeli settlement policy and the violations committed by Israel in Al-Quds AlSharif.

The Secretary General stressed that OIC has put the Palestinian cause at the forefront of its political concerns and actions, underscoring the continued cooperation and coordination between the Organization and the State of Palestine in supporting Palestinian rights in international forums.

The Secretary General also had a bilateral meeting with the newly elected Somalian President H.E. Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

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WORLD AFFAIRS Life Returns to Eastern Neighborhoods of Aleppo Despite Many Difficulties

Aleppo (dpa) – Life began to return to the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo 5 years after it came out of the control of the Syrian regime. The fighting and regaining the eastern neighborhoods of about 60 per cent of the city left thousands dead and wounded while destruction surrounded those neighborhoods and turned some of them to ruins. Work is underway to open the main arteries and streets in the city and service centers and the transfer of thousands of tons of rubble and sorting them for reuse.

“Reconstruction needs of Aleppo are wide, but we have started with the top priority, i.e. the return of the people to their homes.

We seek to secure the basic necessities given the absence of water and electricity network. There are alternative plans; we have provided water tanks until the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of water, sewage, telephones, sidewalks and gardens,” said Aleppo City Council Chairman Mohamed Ayman Halaq.

Halaq confirmed that no entity has come to participate in the reconstruction yet.

Among the most complex files in the reconstruction process is the great destruction of the ancient city of Aleppo listed on the World Heritage List, which needs special restoration. “The old city has its own

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characteristic. We have accorded special care to each destroyed archeological structure through a professional qualified team that undertakes speedy relief intervention only. Other mechanisms have a strategy.

We are keen to make the reconstruction in the highest technical and professional form given the care required by these archaeological assets. Restoration needs expertise and time and we have a full archive of all the archaeological sites in the city,” elaborated Halaq.

The restoration of the ancient city and the slow pace of the procedures have put pressure on the people who own shops and buildings in the city and need to return to them. “We hope that the regime allows us to work on the restoration of our homes and shops so that we can bring life back to the old city, which is the jewel of Aleppo,” said Mohammed Zahran, owner of shops in Bab Antakya in the Old City of Aleppo.

“There are various damages in the old city.

Some commercial markets and the surrounding area of ​​Aleppo Castle have been severely damaged while some neighborhoods in this area have been less damaged.

This would help the owners of the shops to restore them so that they can return home after being displaced for more than

4 years,” added Zahran.

The war that took place in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo over the past five years has destroyed these neighborhoods fully, especially the areas that were at the front lines of the clash. The profound destruction sustained requires reconstruction rather than restoration. Add to this the destruction of electricity networks of the eastern neighborhoods, which requires great efforts to restore basic services of water, electricity, sewage network and telephone.

Yassin Safi from Al-Sha’ar neighborhood returned to it after 4 years of displacement and began renovating his house that was damaged by shelling and fighting. “I left the neighborhood at the end of 2013 and we hoped to return within days. However, we remained away for years. The piles of dust and debris in the streets are because of the process of cleaning inhabitable houses.

Despite the difficult conditions, this is easier than renting in the western neighborhoods.

There is no water or electricity here and there and all depends on tanks and generators”.

As for restoring the educational process, which stopped for five years in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, Ibrahim Masso, Director of Education, indicated “as of February 26, we opened 36 schools in the eastern neighborhoods of more than 24,000 students at all levels. The children who did not leave the neighborhoods of eastern Aleppo during the past years and did not enter schools took placement tests and adopted curriculum (B) for them. They started the second semester. They are studying the curriculum of one grade and during the summer vacation they will study the curriculum of another grade so that they will study two academic years in one year.”

The residents of the eastern districts of Aleppo suffer from the lack of drinking water due to the damage to the water network from the military operations. “They provided water tanks at the end of last January which were enough for the available number of residents. Now dozens of families arrive each day. The number of residents increases while the number of tanks is constant, in addition to the lack of private cars that carry water and their high costs.

Electricity is sparse,” says Mohammed Diab in the neighborhood of Al-Akhwar.

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WORLD AFFAIRS Need to Find Urgent and Durable Solution to Syrian Crisis – Al-Othaimeen

Group photo of participants in the conference.

Brussels – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has stressed that the current situation in Syria remains extremely dangerous, the humanitarian situation remains dire, and there is urgent need to find a prompt but durable solution to the crisis.

In a statement to the Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region on 5 April 2017, the Secretary General expressed deep concern and profound pain at what the situation in Syria has turned into, with the ongoing bloodshed, the indiscriminate killing of innocent lives including children and women and the large scale destruction of homes and infrastructure.

“From a humanitarian perspective, the escalation in fighting has led to tragic and unnecessary civilian deaths, casualties and a worsening of humanitarian suffering,” said Al-Othaimeen.

“The number of refugees as well as internally displaced persons has risen, and it goes without saying that the current crisis has spread beyond the country’s borders and further destabilized the region,” he added.

The Secretary General noted that the OIC has been striving since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis to respond to the humanitarian plight of the Syrian people through raising funds not only within its Member States but also in coordination with its international partners and such endeavours would

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certainly continue.

He equally re-affirmed the OIC’s support to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial A chemical gas attack survivor 9-yearsintegrity as old boy, Hassan Dallal (AA) well as resolution of the crisis through a political solution based on UN Resolutions.

At the same time, Al-Othaimeen expressed his appreciation to the Government of Kazakhstan, a key Member State of the OIC, for hosting Astana talks aimed at finding a peaceful resolution of the prolonged crisis.

He also commended Syria’s neighbouring countries for their generosity in hosting huge number of Syrian refugees as well as many EU countries for their open door policy that they pursue by granting asylum to people fleeing violence and conflict.

The Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region was cochaired by the European Union, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Nations and comes on the heels of the latest attack targeting civilians in Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province of Syria using prohibited chemical weapons.

The OIC strongly condemned the attack.

Delegations from 70 major donor nations, civil society, humanitarian and development organisations who attended the Brussel

conference assessed where the international community stands collectively in fulfilling commitments made at the London Conference in February 2016, and agreed on additional efforts needed to meet the needs of those affected by the Syrian crisis.

The conference recognised that the humanitarian and resilience needs of vulnerable people (especially women and children) inside Syria and in the region have never been greater. It took note of UN-coordinated appeals requesting $8 billion in 2017 to cover assistance and protection needs inside Syria as well as in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. It acknowledged the continuing generosity of neighbouring host countries and their communities in providing refuge to millions of displaced people.

Participants agreed that in order to meet the massive needs of populations inside Syria and in neighbouring countries and strengthen the resilience of host communities, significant financial support and innovative and holistic approaches are needed. They pledged $ 6 billion (5.6 billion) for 2017, as well as multi-year pledges of $ 3.73 billion (3.47 billion) for 2018-2020.

In addition, some international financial institutions and donors announced around $ 30 billion (27.9 billion) in loans of which elements are on concessional terms.

The conference however highlighted that, humanitarian assistance alone, cannot stop the suffering of Syria›s people in the absence of a political solution negotiated between the Syrian parties, on the basis of relevant UNSCRs, including 2254, and the 2012 Geneva Communique. The participants stressed that any lasting solution to the conflict has to be centered on meeting the democratic aspirations and needs of the Syrian people and providing safety and security for all. Only through a genuine and inclusive political transition will there be an end to the conflict.

The conflict in Syria has brought about destruction and human suffering on an enormous scale. In particular, the Conference condemned the use of chemical weapons by the Government and ISIL/Daesh, as identified by the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, and the attacks on Khan Sheikhun a day before the conference. The use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, must stop immediately.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 17

SPECIAL The Strengthening of Islamic Solidarity is a Challenge of Time

U Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Building and developing relations with the Islamic world have been among the key priorities of Azerbaijan`s foreign policy in the years of independence

N Security Council Resolution 2334, passed in December 2016, brought a positive transformation in the Palestinian cause. It reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 has no legal validity, and demanded that Israel immediately and With its ancient history, rich cultural legacy, huge natural and human resources, the Islamic world has played a crucial role in the establishment and development of the modern world order and international relations system. Islam always encouraged peace, tolerance, humane ideals and made an outstanding contribution to the world civilization.

Being a crucial and integral part of the Muslim world, Azerbaijan is renowned as one of the important places where the Islamic cultural legacy was established and preserved. Islam, which became widespread in the territory of Azerbaijan in the 7th-8th centuries, enriched the spiritual life of our people, later growing into one of the main factors defining their lifestyle and co-existence norms. Ashabi-Kahf pilgrimage site, the most ancient mosque in the Caucasus – Shamakhi mosque built in 743 – Bibiheybat mosque and pilgrimage complex, Ganja “Imamzade” complex and many other sites can be considered as Azerbaijan`s outstanding contribution to the system of Islamic religious and cultural values. The people of Azerbaijan have always had great respect for their history, spiritual values; and even the flag – a state symbol – of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was founded in 1918, reflected their Islamic identity. Despite persecutions under the USSR, the people of Azerbaijan managed to preserve some of their religious sites and mosques, and remained committed to their religious values.

Restoration of state independence in the early 1990s marked the establishment of the freedom of religion and conscience in Azerbaijan, and significant work was done in the country to restore religious monuments, mosques and temples. If there were only 17 mosques in Azerbaijan during the Soviet period, their number reached 2166 at the beginning of 2017. 306 mosques are currently under state protection as historic monuments. Bibiheybat mosque and pilgrimage complex, Tazapir mosque, Icharishahar Juma and Holy Muhammad mosques, Ajdarbay mosque, Shamakhi Juma mosque, Ganja “Imamzade” complex and tens of other religious monuments and mosques were completely repaired and renovated by the state, and opened doors to believers.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has made great strides in all areas in the 25 years of its independence.

The implementation of transnational energy projects since the 1990s created wide opportunities for us to develop our national economy and make the non-oil sector one of the leading segments of economy.

Over the past 10 years all the infrastructure in the country has been modernized, energy security has been fully provided, food security has been largely ensured, the level of poverty and unemployment has decreased 10 times to reach five per cent. With its modern transport and transit infrastructure, Azerbaijan is playing an active role in the establishment of the East-West and North-South international transport corridors, and is already becoming a global transportation hub. The Southern Gas Corridor, which is called the project of the 21st century and which is being successfully implemented, will allow Azerbaijan to transport its gas to the world market in large volumes.

Building and developing relations with the Islamic world have been among the key priorities of Azerbaijan`s foreign policy in the years of independence. Azerbaijan opened its first diplomatic missions in Muslim countries, and in a short period of time our state became an active member of the organizations, which unite the Muslim world, such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and ISESCO. Azerbaijan initiated the establishment of new organizations that contribute to the strengthening of Islamic solidarity, including OIC Youth Forum, OIC Labor Center and the Journalist Association of OIC Member States. Our country also created bilateral and multilateral cooperation formats, which serve the expansion of relations with the Muslim world, and numerous projects implemented within the framework of these platforms contribute to the strengthening of mutual ties.

Elevation of the economic cooperation to the level of our political relations is one of our primary goals.

We attach special importance to the development of mutually fruitful cooperation with the Islamic world in these and all other areas.

Mutual support within the framework of international organizations, particularly the United Nations, reinforces our standing. I have to note that Islamic countries played a vital role in Azerbaijan`s election as a member of the UN Security Council in 2012. We consider this as a manifestation of the high level of our political relations, mutual support and solidarity with Islamic countries. During its membership of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan put forward and implemented a number of proposals serving the

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SPECIAL interests of the Islamic world. For example, along with an initiative to organize a highlevel international conference on the fight against terrorism, Azerbaijan also ensured the organization of a high-level meeting on the expansion of cooperation between the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

We have to admit that today the Islamic world is facing serious challenges and numerous problems, which await solution.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Palestine and Kashmir problems, conflicts in the Middle East states, refugee crisis, etc. can be singled out among these problems. It is a well-known fact over the past 200 years the Armenians have committed bloody crimes in order to occupy Azerbaijan`s historic lands and build their own state in those territories. Today`s Armenia was established in the ancient Azerbaijani lands. Continuing its policy of aggression, Armenia occupied 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territories at the beginning of the 1990s, and as a result more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, our fellow countrymen were subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In 1993, the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its territories, and recognizing the country`s territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of its internationally-recognized borders. Similar documents were adopted by the OSCE, Council of Europe, European Union, Non-Alignment Movement, and other influential international organizations. OIC adopted numerous resolutions supporting Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity and just position, and urging recognition of the Khojaly genocide and practical measures against Armenia`s policy of occupation. The issue has repeatedly been discussed at the OIC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and a Contact Group on the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan was established within OIC and held its first meeting in September, 2016. The UN and OIC resolutions, which clearly recognize Armenia as an aggressor, must be the main message to all Muslim countries that want to develop relations with the invader because Armenia`s policy of occupation is an attack not only on Azerbaijan`s religious and cultural assets, but on historic and cultural legacy of Islam in general. Hundreds of Islamic culture monuments, mosques, temples, cemeteries, etc.

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were destroyed in the territories occupied by Armenia, and all this was confirmed by the OSCE fact-finding missions. I also have to note that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia refused to officially recognize Armenia because of its occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, while Turkey has not established any relations with this country. Currently five Muslim states have officially recognized Khojaly genocide. We consider all this as an example of brotherly relationship and real support.

Azerbaijan spares no efforts to contribute to resolution of the ongoing conflicts in the Islamic world, unambiguously stands for international law during discussions on fair resolution of problems and always remains committed to its principled position. In 2013, Azerbaijan hosted “The donor’s conference to finance the strategic plan for the development of the city of Al-Quds”, and “The establishment of an Islamic Financial Safety Net in Support of the State of Palestine” conference, and made significant donations to this cause.

Azerbaijan, which is strongly committed to religious and cultural values of Islam, is also renowned as one of the world`s centers of multiculturalism. We consider the provision of cultural diversity, an atmosphere of ethnic and religious tolerance in Azerbaijan as a great achievement. There has never been religious and ethnic discrimination in our country, and representatives of all religions have lived here in peace and mutual understanding. This is our lifestyle and the best way to confidently move forward.

We’re openly speaking against Islamophobia and working consistently to promote Islamic values around the world. Azerbaijan actively contributed to the organization of the Department of Islamic Arts in famous Louvre museum in France, and was the first Muslim country to demonstrate its exhibition in the Vatican. In 2009, Baku was declared the capital of Islamic culture with the support of ISESCO. In 2018, Nakhchivan, another ancient Azerbaijani city, was awarded this honorary title.

Azerbaijan is taking practical steps to strengthen intercultural dialogue. Baku, which annually hosts the Intercultural Dialogue Forum, International Humanitarian

Azerbaijan spares no efforts to contribute to resolution of the ongoing conflicts in the Islamic world

Forum and other major international events, is already called a “humanitarian Davos”. In 2016, we witnessed how aggressively the migrants from the Middle East and African countries seeking refuge in Europe were met, and also saw a clear manifestation of Islamophobic trends. In such a situation, by declaring 2016 “The Year of Multiculturalism”, Azerbaijan once again showed the world that representatives of different religions, nationalities, ethnic groups can live together comfortably and with dignity in the same country, under the same sky. We not only perfectly regulate inter-ethnic, interfaith relations within the country, but offer the world a progressive model of tolerance and multiculturalism.

As one of the few countries, which are members of both the Council of Europe and OIC, Azerbaijan is making a practical contribution to the strengthening of dialogue among civilizations. As we know Baku hosted a meeting of culture ministers of the member states of the Council of Europe in 2008, and OIC representatives were also invited to that event. Then ministers of the Council of Europe member states were invited to a gathering of ministers of the OIC member states, which was held in Baku in 2009. I think that this was a very important event on a global scale, and worthily went down in history as “Baku process” of dialogue of civilizations.

In 2015, Azerbaijan hosted the First European Games, and this important sporting event was held at the level of Summer Olympic Games. This year Baku will host the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games. It is symbolic that in a short space of time the European Games are followed by the Islamic Solidarity Games, and this shows that Azerbaijan has become the center of dialogue of civilizations and religions, and an economic and cultural bridge. We use this unique position to establish peace, multiculturalism and tolerance all around the world.

Today the Islamic world needs unity and solidarity like never before. Therefore, declaration of 2017 as “The Year of Islamic Solidarity” in Azerbaijan is a goodwill message to the Muslim community and to the whole world. Major goals of “The Year of Islamic Solidarity” are to strengthen unity in the Muslim world and to show the whole world that Islam is a religion of peace and culture. I think that apart from being a sporting event, the Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Baku this May will be the days of unity and solidarity of the Islamic world.

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WORLD AFFAIRS President of Turkmenistan Re-elected for Third Term The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has congratulated H. E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, on his re-election as the President of the Republic of Turkmenistan during the Presidential election held on 12 February 2017. Dr. Othaimeen also commended the people of Turkmenistan for their impressive turnout, political maturity and interest to exercise their right for developing democratic institutions of their country. The Secretary General pointed out that the landslide victory of H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reflects the confidence the people of Turkmenistan reposed in his leadership.

A team of OIC election observers was sent, upon an invitation by the Turkmen Central Election Commission (CEC), to monitor the

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (AA)

presidential elections. The OIC delegation was able to monitor every stage of the voting process, right from the opening of poll-

ing stations to the collation and announcement of the preliminary results by the CEC. The OIC observer mission noted with satisfaction that the voting process was well organized, peaceful, free and transparent.

The delegation did not observe any irregularities or problems in the visited polling stations during the election day.

President Berdimuhamedov received 97.69 percent of all votes in the presidential election, the Central Election Commission announced on 13 February. This secures Berdymukhamedov a third term in office, which will last for seven years. He was first elected president in 2006.

The commission said 97 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote.

The president competed against eight other candidates.

OIC Participates in the Meeting of the Implementation and Follow-up Commission of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur

Signing ceremony of a framework peace agreement in Doha, Qatar on January 23, 2017 (AA)

As a member of the Implementation and Follow-up Commission (IFC) of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) participated in the 12th meeting of the IFC held on 6 March 2017 in Khartoum.

The meeting was presided by the chair of the IFC, the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Qatar and Minister for Council Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Bin Abdallah Al-Mahmoud, and hosted by Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, the Acting AU-UN Joint Special Representative (AJSR) and Joint Chief Mediator (JCM). All members of the IFC and key partners of the Sudan attended the meeting. The IFC reviewed the progress made and the outstanding challenges in the implementation of the DDPD since its 9 May 2016 meeting also held in Khartoum.

In his statement at the occasion delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Yahya Lawal, the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A.

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Al-Othaimeen, commended the two Darfur movements which recently joined the peace process and emphasized that the DDPD remained the only viable roadmap for reaching comprehensive, peaceful and just settlement that will restore durable peace, security and sustainable development in Darfur. He therefore appealed to the remaining armed groups still outside the process to accede to the DDPD. The OIC Secretary General welcomed the outcome of 2016 National Dialogue Conference and the partial lifting of the US imposed sanctions on the Sudan, and hoped that these positive developments would further advance the implementation of DDPD and the peace process. As part of the OIC’s commitment to the long-term development of the region, Al-Othaimeen informed of the plan by the General Secretariat, as mandated by the CFM, to convene in Jeddah as soon as the paper work is completed, a

conference of the contributing parties to the Darfur Development Bank in order to accelerate the establishment of the Bank.

Darfur peace process and development, voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and reintegration of ex- combatants, among other issues, were discussed at the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Al Mahmoud renewed his country’s pledge to continue its unwavering support for the DDPD and urged other international stakeholders and IFC members to demonstrate their continuing support through fulfilling their commitments and pledges in order to facilitate full implementation of the remaining provisions of the DDPD with a view to further enhance peace and stability in the region.

Presenting the IFC Secretariat’s report to the meeting, AJSR Mamabolo reiterated UNAMID’s commitment to continue to support and cooperate with DDPD parties and IFC members in implementing mandated tasks, as stipulated in the DDPD. Furthermore, Mr. Mamabolo spoke of the progress made in the implementation of the Final Security Arrangements and the ongoing reintegration of 3,000 demobilized excombatants funded by the State of Qatar.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region

The participants at the Humanitarian Conference for Nigeria and Lake Chad region hosted by Norway, Germany, Nigeria and UN in Oslo, Norway, 24 February 2017 (epa)

Oslo – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) participated in the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region, which was co-organised by the United Nations and the Governments of Norway, Germany and Nigeria.

The conference was held on 24 February 2017 with the attendance of around 170 participants representing governments, regional and international organizations including the United Nations, and civil society.

The conference aimed at increasing awareness of the scale and severity of the humanitarian situation prevailing in the north-east of Nigeria and in areas of countries around the Lake Chad Basin, namely Niger, Chad and Cameroon, due to the raids by Boko Haram in local communities that caused many deaths, injuries and large scale displacement of populations.

The UN 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan aims to assist 10.7 million people affected by violent conflict caused by Boko Haram, with an overall financial requirement of US$1.5 billion.

Around 14 donors who participated in the conference in Oslo pledged an amount of US$458 million for 2017 and US$214 million for 2018 and beyond. This amount would help to address the situation of 2.3 million internally displaced, returnees and refugees, the serious food insecurity- including 515.000 children suffering from acute malnutrition- and the high risk of famine, which people are facing in the region.

Pledges were announced by the European Commission, Norway, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Italy, Ireland,

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Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Republic of Korea.

Humanitarian partners agreed to further scale up their response to reach the most vulnerable groups threatened by famine, including children with severe acute malnutrition. Special attention was given to the protection needs of women, children and youth, as well as the need for longer-term support and durable solutions for the displaced populations.

The OIC, among other international and regional organizations reiterated its support to assist the populations that are in dire and urgent need of humanitarian assistance in these four countries and that it will continue its efforts to help alleviate the precarious living conditions of the affected populations.

Ambassador Aissata Kane, Acting Permanent Observer of the OIC in Geneva delivered a speech on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen, the Secretary General of the OIC. The Conference included thematic sessions and side events, each of which provided input to the deliberations.

The thematic session on food security identified the timely provision of food assistance to affected people as an urgent priority. Participants called upon humanitarian partners to scale up their response to reach the most vulnerable groups threatened by famine, including children with severe acute malnutrition. The session also underlined the importance of supporting the resumption of agriculture ahead of the forthcoming planting season. Special attention must be given to the needs of

women, children and youth. They are especially vulnerable groups, but also important actors in the response and recovery phase.

The thematic session on protection and access underlined the need for upholding International Humanitarian Law and as such stressed the centrality of protection in the humanitarian response, in particular with regard to ensuring the voluntariness of return in safety and dignity.

The thematic session on education in emergencies underlined the essential role of education in promoting peace and development. It emphasized the critical role schools play in providing safe environments and psychosocial support in the midst of crisis. Participants agreed that accelerated education, safe schools and expanded services must be prioritised to ensure that all girls and boys can realize their right to quality education.

The side event on health response in emergencies highlighted the potential for joint action and interventions. It is vital to step up efforts to address the needs of women and children.

The side event on response and recovery pointed out the need to move from providing assistance to reducing needs, risks and vulnerabilities, including a reduction in long-term displacement, in safety and dignity.

The conference stressed that there is need to act now to address the crisis in a concerted manner. The participants all agreed that the protracted situation of human suffering and extreme poverty in North-East Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad and Niger will have far-reaching consequences, in and beyond the region.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Doha Conference on Humanitarian Action between East and West OIC: Humanitarian workers are in urgent need for dialogue

A panel session at the forum

Doha – The Qatari capital, Doha, hosted the Humanitarian Action Conference between East and West on March 26, 2017, with the participation of local, regional and international humanitarian organizations. The Conference aims to enhance cooperation, establish fieldwork partnerships, fund humanitarian projects and build peace among charitable organizations with different backgrounds and orientations.

In his opening speech of the Conference, Ali bin Abdullah al-Suwaidi, Director General of Eid Charity and chairman of the Conference, said that that humanitarian action faces nowadays serious challenges amid complicated issues and growing problems and humanitarian workers are no longer immune to increasingly complex challenges. He added that the conference is aimed at enhancing cooperation with international partners and bringing together efforts to overcome obstacles to aid to the poor.

For his part, Dr. Kerem Kinik, the General President of the Turkish Red Crescent Society, pointed out to the humanitarian crises in the region including Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, southern Sudan and Somalia as well as the natural disasters that hit many areas in the Islamic world. He reviewed figures and statistics on the size of the humanitarian crises among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states along with dangers that threaten millions of people such as famines, wars, conflicts and other disasters and crises.

OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Yousef, said the conference is important, as it is the first conference to discuss issues that had never been raised since the Istanbul Summit of May 2016 and the Refugee Summit in New York in September 2016.

Ambassador Yousef stressed the urgent need of humanitarian workers to such dialogues to discuss many of the key issues facing the humanitarian community. He pointed to a number of issues that require priority discussion and dialogue such as how to deal with the challenges of commitment to the principles of humanitarian action on the ground in light of challenges imposed by terrorist organizations and ways of protecting civilians and respect for international humanitarian law, including protecting humanitarian workers.

“The world is witnessing unprecedented crises and requires great efforts to provide aid and relief to millions of refugees,” said Rashid Khalikov, UN Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Partnerships with the Middle East and Central Asia, referring to the de-

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teriorating humanitarian situation in a number of countries in the region, including Yemen.

He stressed on the importance of cooperation and field coordination between the United Nations humanitarian organizations and other humanitarian organizations to ensure that aid and assistance reach those in need effectively and alleviate the suffering of millions of people.

The challenges related to cooperation in charitable work and how to overcome these challenges were discussed during the seven sessions of the conference, as well as presenting experiences, studying cases of cooperation in charitable organizations with different backgrounds, and discussing the possibility of launching joint initiatives.

The conference, which brought together 200 participants, including representatives of more than 70 humanitarian agencies and charitable organizations, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States and many diplomats and academics, conclude with many recommendations.

One of the most important recommendations of the final communique of the Conference was the need of cooperation on formulating guidelines and standards for humanitarian organizations with a view to enhancing the exchange of information, and considering international humanitarian frameworks as centers for cooperation and integration.

The final Communique urged joint fieldwork to overcome stereotypes, build trust, take practical steps, and conduct independent research about the gap caused by classifying charitable organizations as supporters of terrorism.

It also called for adopting an approach for rationalizing dispute to build practical partnerships for effective cooperation in the field, and stressed respect for diversity among actors of religious and non-religious groups to serve charitable action, stressing the consolidation of joint action within the framework of international laws.

The Conference concluded that its recommendations and suggestions would be among the most important goals of the establishment of Global Philanthropy Forum in Geneva. Participants also recommended organizing this conference periodically.

The Secretary General of the Union of Islamic Organizations in the Islamic World, Dr. Ali Kot, praised the conference as he considered it an attempt to bring together various charitable organizations, coordinate efforts and share experiences, and lay the foundations for solving problems facing charitable action.

For his part, the President of the International Humanitarian Forum in Britain, Dr. Hani al-Banna, said that Doha Humanitarian Conference discussed major issues concerning humanitarian workers, most notably the laws for fighting terrorism, which prevented the provision of assistance to tens of thousands of people affected by crises in their countries.

There was also a discussion on building partnerships between charity organizations, starting at the level of one country and building a bridge with the government and then with the United Nations, and then moving to cooperation and understanding between charitable institutions at the regional level and later on at the global level.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SESRIC: Muslim Countries Struggle with High Burden of Humanitarian Crises

While global figures on the number of people suffering from natural disasters and conflicts are constantly rising, Muslim countries are affected more so than any other parts of the world by large-scale humanitarian crises and disasters, and this trend is unfortunately on the rise, says a recent report published by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).

In 2015, 30 of 50-armed conflicts recorded worldwide occurred in OIC countries, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and displacement across the Muslim world. As a direct outcome, today OIC countries account for 61.5% of all displaced population in the world with more than 25 million displaced people.

More alarmingly, around 80% of all new internal displacement in the world during 2014-15 took place in OIC countries. Moreover, 71% (around 89 million) of people who globally require humanitarian assistance reside in OIC countries.

Yet again, as of 2015 more than 10 million refugees (or 67% of all refugees) had originated from OIC countries. It is also important to note that the top three countries are OIC member countries and they are collectively a source for 53.7% of all refugees in the world.

Similarly, natural disasters are also a major source of human deprivation in OIC countries, which experience increasingly more number of disasters due to natural hazards.

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In this context, the current drought in Somalia poses a major challenge for all humanitarian actors as millions of people face starvation.

Widespread extremism and instability across the OIC region is also reflected in the number of terror incidents. In 2015, 75% of all terrorist attacks and more than 90% of fatalities were recorded in OIC countries.

The current level of vulnerability of OIC countries to conflicts is also extremely high.

This clearly shows that OIC countries need greater emphasis on building resilience to shocks and reducing vulnerability, through more effective and inclusive governance systems, which will help prevent and mitigate the impact of violent conflict.

According to the SESRIC report, natural disasters and conflicts usually have adverse impacts on the welfare of communities by increasing their vulnerabilities and worsening poverty, inequality and access to basic services. This also intensifies the risk of humanitarian crises, which in turn requires Muslim countries to develop their own mechanisms to reduce their vulnerability and strengthen their resilience to various crises, including utilization of Islamic social finance.

Although the current humanitarian crises in OIC countries requires urgent action, the report prefers to focus on addressing the root causes of the crises from a broader and longer-term perspective and accordingly identifies five dimensions of interventions

for reducing vulnerability and building resilience.

In this connection, it suggests Muslim countries to promote inclusive societies and inclusive development; strengthen social capital, mediation and partnership; invest in human capital and facilitate social mobility; intensify disaster risk reduction and management practices; and mobilize innovative financing mechanisms for humanitarian assistance and development.

In order to succeed, the report suggests that a resilience framework, plan and roadmap should be developed for concerned countries, regions as well as whole OIC family based on a new win-win paradigm of interdependent and accompaniment relationships with robust and predictable resourcing mechanisms and exit strategies to prevent protraction of humanitarian aid dependency.

On the other hand, the report also calls for an immediate action to alleviate human deprivation. It states that there are already a number of humanitarian crises in OIC countries with severe humanitarian impact, which require more serious involvement with affected people to prevent further aggravation and escalation of current situations in these countries. Some OIC countries are currently lacking capacity to tackle the developmental and humanitarian challenges and they need urgent support to reduce their vulnerabilities.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OIC Presents Donations to the Saudi Center for Rehabilitation and Training of Blind Girls and the King Hussein Cancer Foundation in Amman As part of his work visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen has on Saturday, February 11, 2017, visited The Saudi Center for the Rehabilitation and Training of Blind Girls and The King Hussein Cancer Foundation in Amman. During the visit, the Secretary General handed over cheques to these institutions as part of financial donations granted by the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), a subsidiary organ of the OIC. Dr. Othaimeen then undertook a guided tour of the Centers and took stock of their activities, encouraging their staff and management to continue with the laudable services being rendered to the needy and vulnerable people in the society and promised them the full support of the OIC and its relevant institutions. The Secretary General was accompanied by Mr. Ibrahim Al-Khuzayem, the Executive Director of the ISF, who reiterated the Fund’s continuous support to both the Center and the Foundation noting their great achievements in alleviating the suffering of the poor in society.

The Secretary General presents a donation to The Saudi Center for the Rehabilitation and Tarining of Blind Girls in Jordan

OIC, UNHCR Sign a Plan of Action for Cooperation for 2017-2018 In the framework of cooperation between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the two sides signed on 16 February 2017 a Plan of Action (PoA) for 2017-2018, at OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The objective of the Plan of Action is to enhance cooperation and advance the strategic humanitarian partnership between UNHCR and the OIC,” said Ambassador Hesham Youssef, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, who signed on behalf of the Secretary General.

“The Plan of Action between the two parties for 2017-2018 will include reinforcing the partnership to respond to common challenges in terms of the protection and assistance to refugees particularly from OIC Member States,” he added.

The areas of cooperation also include improving international burden sharing as opposed to burden shifting for countries hosting large numbers of refugees by meeting the needs of host governments and local populations as well as those of refugees.

The two sides would also focus on promoting the asylum and protection system deeply ingrained in the Islamic principles and its cohesion with the international protection mechanism for refugees and asylum seekers.

On the issue of mixed migration flows, the Plan of Action stipulates that the OIC and UNHCR would work together to provide protection for the migrants at the sea and combat trafficking, kidnapping and smuggling.

The two parties would also collaborate in finding durable solutions for the main protracted situations in the OIC area.

“This Plan of Action is a significant milestone in the process of the strategic partnership be-

UNHCR Regional Representative Mr. Khalifa and OIC ASG Amb. Yousef exchange signed agreement

tween the OIC and UNHCR,” commented Mr. Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR Regional Representative for the GCC who signed on behalf of UNHCR High Commissioner.

“We are hopeful it will contribute towards building a structured approach to addressing the refugee problem in the OIC Member States and mitigating the humanitarian suffering of the displaced people and the heavy burden shouldered by hosting countries and communities,” Mr. Khalifa added.

The two organizations would work together on the Plan of Action in line with the Agreement signed between the two sides on 5 July 1988 and in light of the Ashgabat Declaration of the Ministerial Conference of the OIC on Refugees in the Muslim World that was in Ashgabat in May 2012.

The objective of the Plan of Action is to enhance cooperation and advance the strategic humanitarian partnership between UNHCR and the OIC

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OIC NEWS President of Azerbaijan Invites the OIC Secretary General to the Opening of

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, received in his office on Tuesday, 7 February 2017, the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan for Political, Social and Information Affairs.

During the meeting, the two parties re-

viewed the outstanding bilateral relations between the OIC and the Republic of Azerbaijan and exchanged views on issues of common interest.

Mr. Hasanov extended an official invitation to the Secretary General from His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of

Azerbaijan, to participate in the opening ceremony of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Games, which will take place in Baku on 12-24 May 2017. The Secretary General welcomed the invitation.

OIC Secretary General and ECOWAS Commission President Discuss Bilateral Cooperation The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen met on Monday, 6 February 2017, at the General Secretariat, Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza, the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and his accompanying delegation. The meeting was the first by the heads of two inter-governmental organizations.

During the meeting, Mr. de Souza emphasized the importance for ECOWAS to establish cooperation with the OIC because of their shared common membership, and stated the readiness of his organization to formalize this cooperation in areas of shared interest and concern which include good governance and democracy building. He commended the Secretary General for his peace initiative during the recent political crisis in The Gambia and urged the OIC

to support the country in the rebuilding process ahead. He briefed his host on the endeavors of the sub-region to achieve economic integration and called on the OIC Member States to take advantage of the opportunities in ECOWAS area to boost trade and investments as a means of contributing to peace and stability in West Africa.

Dr. Othaimeen on his part, paid tribute to ECOWAS for its overall peace and economic integration efforts in the sub-region and commended its leadership role in saving the Gambia from instability and violence. He expressed the commitment of the OIC to support regional endeavors to stabilize the new government in the country.

He welcomed the preparedness to develop partnership with the OIC and proposed the holding of a joint annual business forum to sensitize and attract investors to the sub-region.

Iraqi Delegation Consults with OIC on Preparation for Makkah 2 Conference An Iraqi delegation comprising officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Iraqi Council of Ministers held consultations with officials of the OIC General Secretariat at the headquarters in Jeddah on Monday, 13 February 2017.

The OIC side was headed by Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, Director General of Political Affairs, while the Iraqi delegation was

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headed by Mr. Qais Al-Amiri, Advisor to the Iraqi Foreign Minister.

Both sides reviewed areas of bilateral cooperation and how to strengthen it in various areas. They discussed OIC’s support for the unity of Iraq and its people, including support for the country’s security, stability and territorial integrity and the need to stand with the country in its battle against

all forms of terrorism. They also agreed to commence practical procedures in preparation to hold the Makkah 2 conference this year in order to support Iraq’s efforts to achieve comprehensive national reconciliations among all the components of the Iraqi society for the benefit and prosperity of Iraq.

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OIC NEWS President of the Republic of Tatarstan Visits OIC

Secretary General Al-Othaimeen receives President Minnikhanov

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen received on Wednesday, 8 February 2017, at the General Secretariat, H. E. Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the

Republic of Tatarstan, the Russian Federation, and members of his delegation.

During the meeting, Minnikhanov expressed his appreciation to the Secretary General for the support being provided to Tatarstan as well as for the important role of the OIC in fostering a robust engagement between Tatarstan and the Muslim world.

Mr. Minnikhanov also referred to the invitations sent for two conferences in May 2017: the 9th International Economic Summit in Kazan and the Strategic Vision Group Conference ‘Russian and Islamic World’ in Grozny. While personally inviting the Secretary General, he also emphasized the importance of active participation of the OIC Member States in the two conferences, which he indicated would provide an opportunity for a better cooperation in many

areas with the Member States.

Secretary General Othaimeen confirmed the interest of the OIC and assured the President that Member States would be highly encouraged to be present in the Conferences.

Furthermore, the Secretary General commended the leadership of the Russian Federation and Tatarstan for ensuring that the people of different faiths and beliefs live with one another in harmony in the country, which is also an important Observer Member State of the OIC. The Secretary General and the President also discussed the scourge of terrorism, and reaffirmed their commitments to fight it in all its forms and manifestations. The Russian Permanent Observer accompanied the President to the OIC among others.

OIC and UN Secretaries General Exchanges Views on Regional and International Issues Secretary General of the OIC, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen had a phone conversation with the UN Secretary General Mr. António Guterres on 7 February 2017. Mr. Guterres praised the OIC as an important partner and lauded the important work of the organization in addressing the common challenges faced by the world. He also emphasized on stronger OIC-UN coordination on political, humanitarian, peace and security, sustainable development and cultural issues.

On his part, Dr. Al-Othaimeen took the opportunity to congratulate Mr. Guterres on his assumption of office of the UN Secretary General and discussed regional and interna-

tional issues and OIC-UN bilateral cooperation. He commended the existing cooperation and bilateral relations with the United Nations and emphasized on enhancing OICUN joint actions on mutual issues especially in the areas of conflict prevention, peace building, dialogue among civilizations and cultures, human rights etc.

During their conversation, both sides discussed the developments in the region with particular focus on the situation in Palestine, the Middle East and Africa, combating terrorism, extremism, and Islamophobia and agreed to remain focused to handle these issues.

UN Secretary General Guterres

OIC Secretary General Meets the Foreign Ministers of Jordan and Qatar The OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen met with the Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, in Amman on Sunday, 12 February 2017, during his visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They discussed regional issues of mutual concern in particular the political crisis in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq and the latest developments in Al-Quds Al-Sharif and ways of addressing these issues.

The Secretary General during the meeting praised the role of King Abdallah II for his recent statement in Washington, DC regarding the rising tides of Islamophobia,

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hate speech and attempts of associating terrorism with Islam.

The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister also explored various ways and means of further enhancing the strong cooperation between the OIC and Jordan.

The Secretary General also met with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdurrahman Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, in Doha on 2 April 2017. The meeting discussed various aspects of existing cooperation between the State of Qatar and the OIC, particularly in the area of promoting humani-

tarian action. The two sides also discussed developments in the region, particularly in Syria and Palestine.

The Secretary General commended the ongoing support being provided by the State of Qatar for the OIC projects, and reviewed the arrangements by the General Secretariat to hold the next session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Cote d’Ivoire next July as well as the activities being conducted by the OIC to combat terrorism, extremism and efforts being made to combat Islamophobia.

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OIC NEWS Legal Experts Discusses the Convention on Combating International Terrorism The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted a second meeting of OIC Member States at the level of legal experts on Monday, 13 February 2017 to revisit the OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism of 1999 and considered pre-draft “Additional Protocol” to the OIC Convention, and exchanged general views on various legal aspects therein. The views submitted by the Member States were thoroughly discussed as well.

Amb. Askar Musinov, Director of the Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution Unit in the Political Affairs Department, delivered a statement on behalf of the Secretary General of the OIC, in which he emphasized the pressing need for strengthening cooperation among Member States at various levels. He emphasized that com-

bating international terrorism and preventing violent extremism was an area where “we would succeed only through enhancing cooperation among all the stakeholders.”

The Member States reiterated their commitment and resolve to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and agreed on the urgent need to adopt the Additional Protocol to the OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism of 1999.

The second meeting of the legal experts on additional pre-draft protocol to the OIC Convention on Combatting International Terrorism, is in pursuance of resolutions on combatting terrorism and extremism as adopted by the 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait in 2015.

EU Officials Stress on Key Role of OIC in Promoting Tolerance

Al-Othaimeen with Belgium Deputy Prime Minister Reynders

Al-Othaimeen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Dr. Yousef A Al Othaimeen has concluded a two-day visit to Brussels on 15 February 2017. During the visit Secretary General Othaimeen and his delegation had several important engagements both at bilateral and multilateral level.

Dr. Othaimeen held meetings with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Ms. Federica Mogherini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Belgium Mr. Didier Reynders, and Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and the Pacific Group (ACP) Mr. Patrick I Gomes. He also attended and made intervention during the ‘International High Level Conference on Mediation: Possibilities and Limits- Recent experience in the pursuit of peace’ organized by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The OIC-EU bilateral cooperation, possible role of OIC in promoting tolerance, peaceful coexistence, respect for minorities and diversity, engaging Muslim Communities in Europe in dealing with the threat of radicalism and extremism were among the main

issues discussed with the EU High Representative.

Ms. Mogherini emphasized the importance of collaboration between the EU and the OIC. She noted that Islam is essentially part of Europe with a significant Muslim population residing in the EU. She asserted the OIC had a key role to play in developing the EU’s relationships with the Muslim world and also with Muslim communities in Europe.

The Secretary General explained that the OIC is concerned about the situation of Muslims in Europe. He emphasized that the Organization wished to work with European governments in an open and transparent manner to assist in any way possible to improve their relations with the Muslim community. He further noted that the issue of Muslims in Europe was raised during the 13th Islamic Summit Meeting in Istanbul last year where the Heads of State of the 57 OIC member countries decided to establish a Contact Group on European Muslims.

This indicated the strong interest of the OIC to contribute to positive relations between Europe and its Muslim citizens.

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The Secretary General also emphasized the importance of mobilizing the “silent majority” of Muslims to portray the true image of Islam. On the other hand, he noted that European governments can address the problems Muslims are facing of unemployment, education or social exclusion locally.

However, the influence of radical ideologies is a foreign factor that has been introduced from the outside and this is where the OIC and EU can work together to ensure that moderate Muslims’ voices are amplified.

His discussion with Minister Reynders also touched upon similar issues. In addition, Secretary General Othaimeen and Minister Reynders agreed to work on developing more structured cooperation framework between the OIC and Belgium. His discussion with the ACP Secretary General focused on economic cooperation with particular emphasis on trade and investment promotion, food security and enhanced interaction towards formalizing OIC-ACP relations.

The OIC delegation also held bilateral consultation with their EU counterparts, which was the first step towards operationalizing the OIC-EU MoU signed in 2015. The delegation members exchanged views and identified possibilities to cooperate on several political files including the Middle East Peace Process, the Rohingya minorities in Myanmar, and also on some particular cultural, socio-economic and humanitarian areas.

The OIC Secretary General then headed to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Germany on 17 February 2017.

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OIC NEWS OIC Assistant Secretary General Receives the Deputy Grand Mufti of Russia and the Adviser to Afghanistan’s President The Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ambassador Abdullah Abdurrahman Alim, on 20 February 2017 at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, received Russian Federation’s First Deputy Grand Mufti Sheikh Roshan Abbasov, and the accompanying delegation.

The two parties reviewed the outstanding OIC-Russian Federation relations and exchanged views on issues of common interest.

Sheikh Abbasov expressed his great appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the OIC to address the challenges with which the Muslim world is confronted, pointing

out that Russian Muslims feel proud to be part of the OIC family.

For his part, Ambassador Alim affirmed the OIC’s continued support for Russian Muslims, hailing their peaceful coexistence with fellow-citizens from other religions.

Further, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs commended the valuable role played by the Central Religious Administration of Russian Muslims in fostering and enriching the Muslim culture in Russia.

The Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Alim also received, on 22 February, the Adviser to H.E. the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on Religious Af-

fairs, Mr. Mohammad Qasim Halimi, and his accompanying delegation.

Afghanistan’s Presidential Adviser on Religious Affairs expressed his high appreciation of OIC’s efforts in addressing the challenges facing the Muslim world and its support for his country’s cause.

For his part, Ambassador Alim affirmed the OIC’s continued support to Afghanistan’s unity, security, and stability and the preservation of its territorial integrity.

He also pointed to the importance of the International Ulema Conference that is to be held on peace and security in Afghanistan in contributing to the country’s national reconciliation.

OIC Hosts the First Rounds of its Bilateral Consultations with Germany and Italy

The German delegation meeting the Secretary General

The Italian delegation at the bilateral consultation meeting

The first round of OIC-Germany bilateral political consultations was held at the OIC Headquarters on Monday, 27 February 2017. Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser, Director General for Africa, Asia, Latin America, Near and Middle East and Special Representative of the Federal Government for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Ambassador Hesham Youssef, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs led the German and OIC delegations respectively. Prior to the bilateral consultation, the German delegation had a courtesy meeting with Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, the Secretary General of OIC. Dr. Al-Othaimeen welcomed the delegation and reiterated OIC’s strong interest to engage with Germany to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Both sides discussed and exchanged views on a wide range of regional and international issues including the developments in the Middle East. The global refugee crisis, humanitarian assistance, terrorism and other issues of mutual interest also figured out during the intense and candid discussions.

The two sides pledged their intent to continue to work jointly in a number of areas, particularly in preventing radicalization, violent extremism and terrorism and promoting science and technology, education and capacity building.

The first round of Germany-OIC bilateral consultation laid the foundation of further collaboration between Germany and OIC in the

coming days and will be held annually, alternating between Berlin and Jeddah.

The OIC also hosted the first round of bilateral consultations with Italy on Thursday, 9 March 2017. Mr. Venosnos Amendola, Deputy Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation led the Italian high-level delegation, while Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, Ambassador Mohammed Naeem Khan, led the OIC delegation.

During the meeting, the two parties exchanged views on various regional and international issues of common interest. The meeting discussed developments in Palestine and the armed conflicts in the region, in addition to the conditions of Muslim communities in Europe and the issue of combating terrorism and extremism. On another front, the two parties reviewed together the scopes of bilateral cooperation between Italy and the OIC and ways to advance them at all levels, particularly in the economic field and in the area of science and technology and the extension of educational grants and trainings.

These consultations are aimed at consolidating relations between Italy and the OIC. The two parties agreed to consider the possibility of having these bilateral consultations on an annual basis alternatively in Rome and in Jeddah.

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OIC NEWS In Cote d’Ivoire: The Secretary General meets the President and Foreign Minister

H.E. President of Cote d’Ivoire receives the Secretary General in Abidjan

H.E President Alassane Ouattara, of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, received on 10 March 2017 at his presidential palace in Abidjan, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, within the framework of the working visit he was undertaking to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, an OIC Member State.

The meeting was an opportune occasion for an exchange of views between President Ouattara and the OIC Secretary General on a number of issues and challenges facing the Islamic world, foremost of which the issue Palestine and Al-Quds and the phenomena of terrorism and extremism. Both parties underlined the importance of enhancing cooperative bonds between the Member States in favour of evolving a joint Islamic approach that would guarantee effective management of the existing and emerging challenges.

The two parties touched upon the ongoing preparations for the organization of the 44th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Minister due to be held in the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire in July 2017.

Within the same framework, the OIC Secretary General held a working session with Mr. Marcel Amon Tanoh, Foreign Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, who paid tribute to the sustained and close cooperation with the OIC General Secretariat within the scope of the coming ministerial-level conference. On his part, Al-Othaimeen expressed admiration for the firm resolve he witnessed among Abidjan’s authorities to fully and effectively engage in the OIC’s various activities and programs and to put in every possible effort to ensure the success of the upcoming ministerial conference.

OIC Signs MOU with International Islamic Centre for Reconciliation and Arbitration The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Islamic Centre for Reconciliation and Arbitration (IICRA), headquartered in Dubai, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at establishing partnership between the two parties on investment and trade conflicts, exchange of expertise, consultations and information and organisation of symposia, conferences and

specialized training programmes.

The signing ceremony took place on Monday, 20 March 2017, at the Headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen signed on behalf of the OIC while Mr. Majid ibn Bashir Al-Mahairi, chairman, Board of Trustees, signed on behalf of the Centre.

Under the MOU, the two sides will organize

joint educational activities to create awareness about reconciliation and arbitration and encourage recourse to them as some of the tools for encouraging and protecting investments among Member States. The center will also provide specialized training programmes on the legal and religious aspects of arbitration and Islamic financial transactions.

OIC Secretary General Receives Delegation from Republic of Ingushetia of the Russian Federation The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen received in his office in Jeddah on Tuesday, 4 April 2017, Mr. Belan Khamchiev, Member of Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Upper House of the Russian Parliament) and Mr. Umalat Torshkhoev, Minister

of Economic Development of Ingushetia of the Russian Federation, and their accompanied delegation.

The two sides reviewed the current level of cooperation between OIC and Russian Federation in all spheres, including trade expansion and collaboration with the Republic of Ingushetia on the popularization

of Islamic financial products, among other socio-economic and cultural programmes.

Both sides expressed the desire to deepen their bilateral cooperation through exchange of visits at highest levels and agreed to establish regular contacts through their officials to determine ways of developing and consolidating these relations.

Ambassador Nassima Baghli Presented Her Credentials as New OIC Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Nassima Baghli, the new Permanent Observer of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to the United Nations Office at Geneva, presented on April 3, 2017 her credentials to Mr. Michael Møller, the DirectorGeneral of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Baghli and Mr. Møller underlined the excellent relations that exist between the two organizations and pledged to further diversify and strengthen them.

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OIC NEWS Polyvalent Action of ISF Confirms its Quest to Meet the Ummah’s Diverse Needs

Opening of 61 Session of Permanent Council of Islamic Solidarity Fund

Dr. Yousef Bin Ahmed Al Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) inaugurated the 61 Session of the Permanent Council of the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) held on 3-4 April 2017, at the OIC General Secretariat’s headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Secretary General stated in his introductory remarks that one of the key historical resolutions issued by the Second Islamic Summit, held in Lahore (Pakistan) in 1974, was the one concerning the establishment of the Islamic Solidarity Fund, a resolution which evolved the first practical steps that consecrated the concept of Islamic Solidarity among all Muslims, East and West of the planet.

The Secretary General noted that the ISF has demonstrated its efficacy through its funding of a wide spectrum of activities: educational, cultural, social and medical, all in favour of Muslims within the framework of the OIC, and that available experience, practice and statistics give evidence of the importance of the ISF services to the Islamic Ummah in so many fields.

Al Othaimeen considered the ISF’s rich diversity of fields of activity including education, scientific and technical research, as well as cultural, social and intellectual development, proves that it works within its full capacities to respond to the various needs of the Islamic Ummah, at a time when the latter is faced with so many challenges resulting from wars and natural disasters that call for active solidarity and unification of ranks.

The Secretary General urged the OIC Member States to find a solution to the declining resources of the ISF and to offer it every support so that it may be able to face up to the challenges, develop its action, expand its scope of activity and fulfill its role in achieving its lofty goals and objectives, particularly in its noble humanitarian mission, such as the construction of hospitals, schools and Islamic Centers and extending financial support to charitable societies. The Secretary General expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Turkey for their regular voluntary donations to the ISF. On his part, Amb. Naser Abdullah Al Zuaibi, Chairman of the ISF Permanent Council, delivered a statement in which he gave an overview of the ISF’s achievements in the poor Islamic countries, with as many as 2595 projects established across the world at an overall cost of 220 million US Dollars, spread across 138 states both among the OIC Member and non-Member States with Muslim communities.

Al Zuaibi also highlighted a number of major milestones in the ISF historical progress in terms of full or partial financing of projects across the Islamic world: cultural, social, religious, medical and educational. He also reviewed the ISF’s activities over the period between the last session and the present one with the number of projects benefiting of its support reaching 44 and ISF contributions amounting to 4.603 million US Dollars; in addition to its assistance to certain Islamic academic institutions, foremost of which the two Islamic Universities in Niger and Uganda; besides the extension of emergency relief to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan to cover part of their medical and healthcare needs.

Al Zuaibi also underlined that the extension of support to projects form the backbone of the ISF activities and one of its driving objectives. Therefore, the ISF accords particular interest to field visits that allow it to gain first-hand knowledge about the projects’ execution steps and a better insight as to the beneficiaries of those projects and their services in all relief, educational, medical and social spheres.

The meeting of the ISF Permanent Council discussed over two days the Fund’s activities, its financial position and its budget for the year 2018.

OIC Secretary General Conducts an Official Visit to Pakistan The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, undertook a visit to Islamabad on 9-11 April 2017. During his first official visit to Pakistan, the Secretary General met with the President of Pakistan, H.E. Mamnoon Hussein; the Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif; the Minister of Interior, Mr. Chaudhry Ali Khan; and the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sartaj Aziz.

During the meetings, Dr. Al-Othaimeen reiterated the principled position of the OIC fully supporting the legitimate rights

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of Kashmiri people according to the UN resolutions. The Secretary General and the Pakistani high dignitaries also discussed an array of major issues on the OIC agenda, including countering extremism and terrorism, regional conflicts, Islamophobia and the spread of hate messages against Islam and Muslims, as well as the ways of supporting Muslims in non-OIC countries. Both sides further reviewed the preparations for the upcoming OIC Summit on Science and Technology to be held in September 2017 in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan.

As part of his visit, the Secretary General

met with a number of Pakistani parliamentarians and discussed with them issues of mutual concern and interest.

The President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir during his meeting with the Secretary General briefed him about the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir.

While in Islamabad, the Secretary General visited the headquarters of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and was briefed on its activities and programs.

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HUMAN RIGHTS Al-Othaimeen at 34th Session of Human Rights Council:

Islamophobia is Gradually Becoming Institutionalized

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) addresses the High-Level Segment of 34th session of HRC

verse phenomenon of populism and extremism feeding off each other in a frenzy of growing racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of intolerance. Minorities, indigenous communities and others face discriminations and abuse across the world,” he said.

As UNSG, Guterres said he is “determined to raise the profile of human rights and to speak out whenever necessary. And I will do my utmost to defend the defenders. We will build a safer and more stable world for our children as we recognize the interconnections between peace, development and human rights. We will advance security by advancing dignity, justice, equality and the rule of law,” he stressed.

During his visit to Geneva, the OIC Secretary General held meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, Dr. Riad Al-Maliki; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Marcel Amon Tanoh, and Permanent Representative of Switzerland, Mr. Valentin Zellwege.

Al-Othaimeen also addressed the OIC Ambassadorial Group in Geneva.

Geneva – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has expressed his serious concern that Islamophobia, an affront to human rights and dignity of Muslims, is gradually becoming institutionalized.

Al-Othaimeen who sounded the warning in a remark at the High Level Segment of the 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, 1 March 2017, noted that the rise in re- 34th Session of HRC: ligious hatred and resultant religious extremism particularly Muslim The 34th Session of the Human Rights Council took place from discrimination has reached alarming levels.

27 February to 24 March 2017. Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, the UN The OIC Secretary General added that blanket restriction and dis- High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented his annual report criminatory policies have been imposed on Muslims based on their and briefed the Council on more than 30 countries and regional religion. situations. The representative of Pakistan delivered a statement on “Far-right politics is on the rise, strengthening the narrative of “us” behalf of the OIC Member States stressing that a strong message against “them”,” said Al-Othaimeen. needs to be sent out to demagogues and populists who are in“This is a scary scenario for an intolerant world that none of us stigating hatred and intolerance that their words and actions will would like our children to live in. We, therefore, need to play our have serious consequences. role. OIC is committed to play its part,” he added.

In his report, the High Commissioner for Human Rights also preThe OIC Secretary General also cited another worst form of Islamo- sented an overview of the thematic priorities of his office includphobia, which is witnessed in the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in ing, among others, activities aiming at strengthening international Myanmar, adding that the recent report by the Office of the United human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality and countering disNations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirms crimination; combatting impunity and strengthening accountability the OIC’s concerns and describes in graphic details the human and the rule of law; integrating human rights in development and rights violations being committed against Rohingya. the economic sphere; widening the democratic space and early He therefore restated his call on the Myanmar Government to en- warning and protection of human rights in situations of conflict, sure protection of the right to life and wellbeing of its Rohingya violence and insecurity. population.

The OIC delegation attended and participated in sevAl-Othaimeen additionally highlighted the worseneral panel discussions. The 34th Session of the HRC ing situation in Palestine and urged the International adopted all five OIC-sponsored resolutions. Three of Community including the Human Rights Council to them are on Palestine: “Israeli settlements in the Occustand united in denouncing the Israeli action to legalpied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and ize its settlements, its attack on the principle of Twoin the occupied Syrian Golan”, “Right of the PalestinStates solution and its apartheid policies. ian people to self-determination” and “Human rights He also urged the Human Rights Council to address situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, includthe plight of Kashmiri people, Muslims in Syria and ing East Jerusalem”; in addition to “Human rights in Central African Republic, adding that the UN remains the occupied Syrian Golan”. There was also the resoluthe best hope to address the myriad of challenges tion on “Combating intolerance, negative stereotypfaced by the humanity in the fields of peace, security, ing and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitehuman rights and development. ment to violence and violence against, persons based UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his remarks on religion or belief”.

Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein (epa) to the Council also warned about the increasing “per-

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HUMAN RIGHTS OIC Condemns Violence and Abuse of Rohingya as UN Report Details

“Devastating Cruelty” Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, at a press conference after she presented her report to the 34th session of the HRC (epa)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has repeatedly condemned the violence and abuse against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, which has been reaffirmed in the recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 3rd February 2017.

The report notes in graphic detail the vicious attacks perpetrated against Rohingya in Northern Rakhine State Myanmar, which not only involved violence against persons but also destruction of homes, food supplies and sources of food. This has created a hostile environment threatening the safety of civilians and is tantamount to forced displacement.

These accounts only serve to reinforce the concerns of the organization that there are long-standing patterns of violence and abuse as well as endemic discrimination and policies of exclusion against the Rohingya.

The report of the OHCHR further indicated that the victims of killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detention and torture were targeted by the government security forces based on their belonging to a particular ethnicity and religion.

The Organization reiterates the call made by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers during the Extraordinary Session on 19th January 2017 in Kuala Lumpur on the Government of Myanmar to: a) take effective measures to prevent the worsening of the crisis in Rakhine State; b) launch an independent and transparent investigation into the incidents of violence that have taken place; and c) allow unimpeded and unconditional access to all parties, including regional and international organisations, to deliver the much-

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needed humanitarian assistance to all those affected.

OHCHR Report

In the report issued by OHCHR on 3rd February 2017, the United Nations human rights arm said that the widespread human rights violations against the Rohingya population by Myanmar’s security forces in the country’s northern Rakhine state indicate the very likely commission of crimes against humanity.

The report was based on OHCHR’s interviews with people who fled Myanmar after attacks on a border post in early October, the ensuing counter military operations and a lockdown in north Maungdaw – documents mass gang-rape, killings, including of babies and young children, brutal beatings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations by the country’s security forces.

“The devastating cruelty to which these Rohingya children have been subjected is unbearable – what kind of hatred could make a man stab a baby crying out for his mother’s milk. And for the mother to witness this murder while she is being gang-raped by the very security forces who should be protecting her? What kind of ‘clearance operation’ is this? What national security goals could possibly be served by this?” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

“The gravity and scale of these allegations begs the robust reaction of the international community,” High Commissioner Zeid added.

Houses deliberately set on fire

The report also cites consistent testimony indicating that hundreds of Rohingya hous-

es, schools, markets, shops, madrasas and mosques were burned by the army, police and sometimes civilian mobs. Witnesses also described the destruction of food and food sources, including paddy fields, and the confiscation of livestock.

Calling on the international community for robust reaction given the gravity and scale of the allegations, the OHCR High Commissioner Zeid stressed that “the Government of Myanmar must immediately halt these grave human rights violations against its own people, instead of continuing to deny they have occurred, and accepts the responsibility to ensure that victims have access to justice, reparations and safety.”

“The killing of people as they prayed, fished to feed their families or slept in their homes, the brutal beating of children as young as two and an elderly woman aged 80 – the perpetrators of these violations, and those who ordered them, must be held accountable.”

Fact Finding Mission

As a result of the horrific details in the OHCHR report, the Human Rights Council on 24 March 2017 adopted a resolutions, in which it decided to dispatch an independent, international fact-finding mission to establish the facts about the recent human rights violations by military and security forces and abuses in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State.

The council called on the Government of Myanmar to continue efforts to eliminate statelessness and the systematic and institutionalized discrimination against members of ethnic, and religious minorities, including the root causes of discrimination, in particular relating to the Rohingya minority.

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HUMAN RIGHTS IPHRC Urges India to Grant Access for Fact-Finding Mission

in Occupied Kashmir

Kashmiri protesters run during clashes in Srinagar (AA)

Muzaffarabad – The delegation of Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the invitation of the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, undertook a three-day visit to Islamabad and the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 27-29 March 2017. The delegation was led by the Chairperson Mr. Med Kaggwa and comprised the Commission Members Dr. Rashid Al Balushi, Dr. Raihanah Binti Abdullah, Amb. Abdul Wahab, Dr. Ergin Ergul, Prof. Saleh AlKhathlan and Dr. Oumar Abbou Abba.

In compliance of the mandate given by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the Commission regularly monitors the human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and has specifically established a Standing Mechanism for the purpose. To report on the situation in an independent and objective manner the Commission has made a specific request to the Government of India to facilitate a fact-finding visit to observe the situation on ground to which no response has been received yet. While remaining hopeful for a positive Indian response to its longstanding request, the Commission undertook a visit to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. During its visit, the IPHRC delegation met with the political leadership, government officials, Kashmiri refugees from IoK, media and civil society with the objective to assess the human rights and humanitarian situation in IoK; investigate and report upon the allegations of

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IPHRC delegation in Kashmir

human rights abuses by the Indian security forces in IoK; and make recommendations to protect the fundamental human rights of the innocent Kashmiris.

Having met the refugees, representatives of political parties and civil society from IOK as well as victims of cross border shelling in AJK, the Commission took note of the serious and widespread complaints of the gross human rights violations by the Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris, which have also been regularly reported by various independent sources including international human rights organizations. IPHRC delegation also expressed deep concern on the reports of continuous violation of the right to life, right to freedom of expression and opinion, right to peaceful protest and assembly and other fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people including denial of their inalienable right to self-determination, guaranteed by International human rights law and promised by various UN Security Council Resolutions. In the same breath, it expressed serious concern over reports of increase in the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force against unarmed and innocent civilians and human rights activists by the Indian security forces with impunity, resulting in torture, extrajudicial killings, rape and mass blinding through use of pellets.

The Commission observed that the use of restrictive and discriminatory laws by Indian Security forces such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act is contrary to the international human rights standards. These laws

grant sweeping powers to the security forces to detain, torture and even kill suspects without any fear of investigation. Also, the Kashmiri people are denied basic rights of peaceful assembly and association, freedom of expression and religion. There are widespread curfews and curbs on religious congregations for fear of protests and people have legitimate security concerns regarding protection of their right to life and dignity.

In line with the principled position of the OIC, the Commission reaffirmed its principled support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. IPHRC stressed the importance of resolving the conflict in a peaceful manner through negotiations and in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

It also urged the OIC countries and the international community of their obligations to help ensure implementation of UN resolutions.

The Commission appreciated the unfettered access and full logistical support provided by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to undertake mandated task with objectivity and neutrality. The IPHRC will provide a detailed report of its findings with concrete recommendations to the next session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 33

Kampala is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The area where today’s Kampala is located was made of hills with grassy wetlands and was home to several species of antelope, particularly the impala. When the British arrived, they called it “Hills of the Impala” due to its abundance of such wild game. The language of the Buganda, Luganda, adopted many English words because of their interactions with the British.

Impala then turned into “Kampala” in the local language, and was accordingly adopted as a name for the city.

The city grew as the capital of the Buganda kingdom, and despite the Uganda–Tanzania War, which created severe damage to the city’s landmarks, several buildings have survived, including the Kasubi Tombs, the Lubiri Palace, the Buganda Parliament and the Buganda Court of Justice.

After the war, the city has been rebuilt, with the construction of new buildings, including hotels, banks, shopping malls, educational institutions, and hospitals and the improvement of war-torn buildings and infrastructure.

Kampala was originally built on seven hills, but as its size has increased, it has expanded to more hills. The earliest hills include: Kasubi Hill, this is home to Kasubi Tombs where the decade’s kings of Buganda are buried.

Mengo Hill, where the present Lubiri (Kabaka’s Palace) is and the Headquarters of the Buganda Court of Justice and of the Lukiiko, Bugand’s Parliament (Bulange).

Kibuli Hill, which is home to the Kibuli Mosque. Islam was brought to Uganda be-

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Kampala

month, with April typically seeing the heaviest.

Culture

Capital of Islamic Culture for African Region 2017 fore the Christian missionaries came.

Nsambya Hill, was the Headquarters of the Mill Hill Mission. It now houses Nsambya Hospital.

Kampala Hill, (also known as Old Kampala), the hill of the Impala is where the ruins of Lugard’s Fort are. It’s also the seat of one of Africa’s biggest mosque. The mosque was built with monetary assistance from Libya in 2003, with a capacity of 15,000 worshipers. The completed mosque was opened officially in June 2007.This hill is also where Kampala got its name.

The city has now spread to cover more hills including Nakasero Hill, Tank Hill, Mulago Hill, the site of Mulago Hospital, the largest hospital in Uganda.

Kampala also hosts the headquarters of the East African Development Bank on Nakasero Hill.

There are a variety of markets throughout Kampala, where you can buy things ranging from clothing and shoes, to fruits and vegetables.

Kampala has a tropical rainforest climate and features two annual wet seasons. There is a long rainy season from August to December and a short rainy season from February to June. However, the shorter rainy season sees substantially heavier rainfall per

Kampala can be considered the center of Uganda’s culture. The cuisine in Kampala has been influenced by cooking techniques from all over world. However, few Kampala restaurants do feature some dishes that are unique or characteristic of Uganda. Also famous is the Rolex, which is a mixture of fried eggs, tomatoes, cabbages and sometimes meet, all wrapped in fried dough commonly known as Chapati, this is sold on roadside stalls.

Attractions Kabaka’s Lake It is located in Ndeeba, between Ring Road and Nabunya Road. The Lake was dug out on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga in the 1880 as an ‘escape corridor’ to Lake Victoria. This is the largest excavated lake in Africa.

Uganda National Museum It is the biggest and the oldest Museum in Uganda which was founded in 1908. The Museum has different sections including Traditional music, Archeaology, Ethno history and Ethnography providing the visitors with the touch of cultures and peoples way of life.

Old Kampala National Mosque The mosque is the major feature on the oldest hill in the city offering unrivalled 360 degrees views of Kampala from the Minaret.

The Mosque is regarded as one the largest in Africa. There is mix of modern, traditional, African, European and Arabic influences on the mosque architecture. It is among Kampala’s top Attractions.

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CULTURE The Art of Calligraphy:

Exhibition, Lectures and Training Sessions at the American University of Beirut

IRCICA Director General and AUB Dean of School of Arts open the exhibition

Beirut – A series of activities on the arts of calligraphy and gilding were organized jointly by IRCICA and the Center for Arts and Humanities of the American University of Beirut (CAH/AUB) in Beirut, Lebanon, from 13-17 March 2017. The program included a large exhibition of calligraphy and gilding; three lectures on the arts of calligraphy and gilding; a demonstration session on gilding; and, four days of training sessions on calligraphy.

The opening of the exhibition on 13 March was addressed by Prof. Nadia Sheikh, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA, Prof. Abdulrahim Abuhusayn, Director of the Center for Arts and Humanities of AUB. After the speeches, Dr. Halit Eren briefed the visitors and the press on the characteristics of the works displayed at the exhibition. The exhibition featured works by living contemporary masters of calligraphy together with awardwinning works in IRCICA’s calligraphy competitions. 70 works in 10 styles of writing were displayed. A Calligraphy Demonstration by Master Calligrapher Dr. Jamal Naja (Lebanon) accompanied the exhibition.

This was the first exhibition, training and lectures program on the arts of calligraphy and gilding to be held in Lebanon. The activities aroused high interest and attracted greater

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numbers of participants than anticipated.

During the event, lectures were given by: - Master Calligrapher Mehmet Özçay (Turkey), titled “The Inscriptions of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) Fountain and Sebil”. In this lecture Mr. Özçay highlighted the main theme, the art of calligraphy, explaining its concept, spirit, significance, methods, rules, applications and development over history.

Mr. Özçay illustrated the main properties of this art on the basis of an outstanding example, the inscriptions on Yeni Cami Mosque in Istanbul written by Ottoman master calligrapher Sami Efendi (1838-1912). The lecturer explained the specific features of calligraphy such as positioning, symmetry, proportions of the letters and the numerous other aesthetical, geometrical and technical specificities of this art as represented in this Jaly Thuluth masterpiece.

- Master Gilder Necati Sancaktutan (Turkey), “The Art of Gilding. An overview of its history, development and methods”. In his lecture Mr. Sancaktutan underscored the concept, spirit and significance of this art. He gave an overview of the history of development of the art of gilding over the ages in different cultures; its interpretations and advancements in different periods - the Seljukid, the Mamluk, Rumi, Maghribi epochs; the evolu-

tion of motifs and patterns, aesthetical and technical trends, interactions and mutual influences across cultures.

- Master Gilder Necati Sancaktutan (Turkey), “The Art of Gilding and its uses in manuscripts”: demonstration session on the application of the art of gilding. In this session Mr. Sancaktutan introduced the different types of tools and supplies, the materials gold and paints and their methods of preparation; the terms and methods used in the practice of this art. Mr. Sancaktutan then made a demonstration of the application of gilding on paper.

Training Sessions on the Art of Calligraphy were conducted by Master Calligrapher Efdaluddin Kılıç (Turkey) daily from 14 to 17 March inclusive. In this course, Professor Kılıç gave a first-level training in the riq’a style of calligraphy. The curriculum included theoretical and practical learning of the tools and supplies (the reed pen, the paper, the ink, and others) their preparation; holding and handling the reed pen; rules and methods to respect; the letters, their positioning, and the myriad other aspects of artistic writing in the Arabic script. Finally the class practiced writing specific words and sentences.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 35

CULTURE Descendants of Moors Mourn Andalusian Heritage Lost in Tunisian Suleiman City mad 11th, last king of Granada, nicknamed Reicheko by King Ferdinand and Isabella meaning “the small king” in Spanish. Perhaps all historians of the Muslim world share the loss of a realm, which lasted for about eight centuries and witnessed the pinnacle of progress in the Middle Ages, at a time when Europe was slumbered in The Dark Ages. However, the experience of the Moors scattered around the world is harsher.

Neglected Architecture and Real Estate Problems

Suleiman City (dpa) – The descendants of the Andalusians who stayed in Spain are proud of their ancestors’ heritage of the Middle Ages, but the case is not the same with the descendants of the Moors who were compelled to immigrate from Andalusia to settle in the southern Mediterranean cities.

Ridwan Reicheko, like most Almoriksien who emigrated from Spain and landed in Tunisia after the liberation war and the fall of Granada, the last stronghold of the Muslims in 1492, feels double the sorrow. The reason for this anguish is that Moriscos, a title that refers to Muslims who were compelled to exile or to convert to Christianity after the liberation war, their loss did not stop at the loss of their property in Spain, but later suffered over many decades from an instability linked to their affiliation to the Andalusian homeland and the beginning of a slow death of their heritage in their new home countries.

However, Ridwan Reicheko, a middle-aged man specialized in old Andalusian history, is among the few Andalusian families remained in Suleiman, a Tunisian city, who still manifest their determination to protect their identity after almost five centuries since the arrival of their ancestors in the city.

Reicheko is the title of the Andalusian families relative to Abu Abdullah Muham-

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In the Suleiman beach town, about 30 kilometers from the capital, stands in the city center the Grand Mosque as one of the major landmarks of the history of the Andalusians, the founders of buildings and residential districts surrounding it.

A few years after the arrival of the first Andalusian families in the city, the Mosque was built in a unique way in 1616. Its minaret resembles the Andalusian minarets; while the prayer hall is characterized by having two roofs: the first one is constructed, and the second is wooden covered by brick, acting as a thermal insulation and airconditioner to the prayer house – a unique Andalusian way of building.

During the Second World War, the mosque lost its old wall by mortar attacks of the Axis forces while passing through the city of Suleiman.

However, the mosque is still generally intact until today, receiving worshipers, as the authorities work on its maintenance and rehabilitation regularly.

In contrast to the Grand Mosque, a number of Andalusian buildings in the residential districts close to it appear about to fall. Complaints by neighboring residents living in modern houses are made about these abandoned buildings becoming breeding grounds for rodents and reptiles. A neighboring resident said that the building was used in the past as storage space, but “its original owners neglected it for lack of proper documents and the authorities kept the situation pending. Rats come out from time to time at night to disturb us”.

Suleiman alleys keep in some crossroads an arched roof that the citizens call “Assibat” as it is common in ancient Islamic cities of Spain, but some of them appear to be cracking while others disappeared with the building of modern structures.

Fawzi Sassi, the undersecretary of the Suleiman municipality points out that “the entire downtown is considered an archaeological area. No one can build without prior authorization from the Heritage National Institute, however, some residents tend to build without permits.”

He adds: “the municipality cannot, by itself, carry out renovating operations without coordinating with the Heritage National Institute. We started during this period the restoration of an archaeological site after exchanging correspondences for a whole year.”

The main dilemma regarding the restoration of the Andalusian heritage in the city seems to rely, in a large part, on solving real estate problems and complex legal disputes between the descendants of the Andalusian families over inheritance which obstructed the State’s intervention to renovate.

Aziz Mohsen, an engineer specialized in heritage and a member of the Asso-

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CULTURE

ciation for Maintenance of Tunis City explains: “the main problem is related to real estate.

Most Andalusian houses are internally divided in the traditional way, but in the modern era members of the same family prefer a property division according to their numbers. He continues saying: “this will lead to the gradual extinction of the Andalusian old architectural character with the expansion of the European vertical architecture.”

What hurts Aziz and conservative Andalusians is the fact that a large segment of the new generations descendants from the Andalusian minority do not take into account the cultural specificity of their heritage; and due to economic reasons, they wasted their real state either by demolition or neglecting maintenance.

Nevertheless, those are not the only reasons that explain the rampant cases of negligence in the archaeological sites in the Suleiman city and most of the Andalusian architecture. Mohammad Ali, in his capacity of member of the maintenance association of the city, reveals that “in the midst of the chaos due to the events of the revolution in 2011, cases of organized looting, theft and digging in archaeological sites that were not guarded.”

He also adds, “In case of a required intervention to restore archeological sites, authorities must notify the Heritage National Institute. This step leads us to a maze of bureaucracy and loss of time, during which the damage to the archeological landmark has expanded.”

In all cases, the restoration operations suffer from several problems related not only to lack of financial resources and bureaucracy, but also the scarcity of original raw materials and the lack of specialists in the Andalusian architecture, in addition to the time consumed in periodical repairs.

According to municipal authorities, for the

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acquisition of specific Andalusian construction materials, there is only one provider in Tunisia, who is in the Testour city, north-west of Tunisia, a famous major strongholds of Andalusian immigrated population.

The fact that some Suleiman Andalusian buildings are the exact replica of their counterparts in Spain during the era the Umayyad rule makes the restoration more difficult and complex. Residents say the identical Andalusian mill in the city, for example, is found only in Seville.

In an effort to remove the logistical and material difficulties, the Maintenance Association of Suleiman City is looking today for partnerships with Spanish and global associations interested in Andalusian architecture in order to save the remaining houses and buildings from an imminent collapse.

The municipality is preparing already a project to renovate the shrine of a “holy man” on Suleiman beach threatened with destruction by drift factors through funding by the German Development Bank, as the municipality is planning to convert it later into a tourist attraction in the area.

Tribulations of the Moors in Suleiman In any case, the deteriorating state of the architecture did not completely eliminate the reality stories and Andalusian customs and dishes passed from generation to generation. Until today residents of the city tell legendary stories about the first ancestor of Al-Mazur Andalusian family, including that he was able to lead the morning prayer in the mosque without leaving his home.

Ridwan Reicheko explains: “legend says that Imam Muhammad Al-Mazur would place one foot in his house and the other in the mosque to make the Azaan (call for prayer). It was a trick so that he would not leave the house.” Ridwan continues, “The legend further says that when the son discovered the trick of his father Mohammed Al-Mazur, he disappeared from existence and returned after years loaded with iron chains and remained in the service of pirates till he was buried in Al-Mazur family cemetery.”

As with the famous Al-Mazur family with their poets and scientists, Suleiman inhabitants of Andalusian families who arrived nearly 500 years, share their own burial sites in the City’s Cemetery. Even the graves have kept the Andalusian architecture and calligraphy feature on its facades.

Historians mention that the arrival of the founding Andalusians in the seventeenth century turned Suleiman city into an economic and commercial centre and the area into an attraction for Tripolitans coming from Libya and Ottoman Turks in later periods. Ridwan Reicheko explains “after a period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries, the city deteriorated in the nineteenth century, which prompted many Moriscos to migrate again to the outside of Suleiman city towards the capital Tunis where the Authority has granted them protection.”

Among the 300 Andalusian founding families, only ten of them remain today, including Al-Persau, Al-Paschkwal, Juha, Al-Reicheko, and Al-Mazur.

They were forced to relegate their lands because of the waves of organized looting and theft over periods of history.

According to what the city residents say, Andalusian families were exposed to violence and theft with unfair tax politicies imposed on them and the influx of a number of tribes inside the country who raided their properties during a period that witnessed socio-political unrest and difficult economic situation before the French colonizers entered the country in the 19th century.

Reicheko explained, “Today, the Andalusians lost all ability to maintain their property. In addition, most of those left have lost their pride of belonging to the heritage of ancestors and have merged in Tunisian society.”

But Reicheko family and others of the Moriscans scattered around the world, are still demanding the royal family of Spain an apology for the forced displacement era and the inquisition tribunals against Muslims similar to the apology by King Juan Carlos years ago to the Jewish Moriscans for what happened to them during the same dark era.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 37

RELIGION

OIC Contributes to the Celebration of the

World Interfaith Harmony Week Geneva – On the occasion of World Interfaith Harmony Week the Permanent Delegation of the OIC to the United Nations in Geneva co-organized the Second Dialogue of Faith, Peacebuilding and Development on February 9, 2017 in the Emirates Room, Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the UNITAR. The other co-organisers are the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations in Geneva, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See, the Permanent Observer of Malta to the United Nations in Geneva and the United Nations Christian Association.

The celebration of the World interfaith Harmony Week is held the first week of February each year in accordance with the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly A/RES/65/5 adopted in 23 November 2010.

“The OIC has in several occasions and through various policy decisions and public declarations reiterated that open dialogue and respect for the diversity of beliefs, cultures and identities are essential to promote peaceful cohabitation and respect among individuals and communities,” said Ambassador Aissata Kane, Deputy Permanent Observer of OIC Permanent Delegation to the UN in Geneva, in her statement at the event. “Our Organization’s vision of an inclusive and enabling environment conducive to peace within and among nations and communities is characterised by the promotion of diversity, richness and tolerance given that difference does not mean conflict and competing visions should not lead to impasse,” she added.

Amb. Kane want on to talk about the ef-

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forts and actions that OIC has developed and continue developing to create conditions for stability and security for people in the Islamic word and beyond.

This is a way for OIC and organs working under its umbrella to develop more synergies to achieve together the SGDs, centred on people’s needs and prospects for a better future.

She focused on the three major issues that were discussed during this second dialogue, namely interfaith dialogue, peace building and development.

Concerning interfaith harmony, the OIC has always pledged for moderation, cultural and interfaith harmony among nations and civilizations. As underlined in its program of action, promoting interfaith remains at the heart of cultural diplomacy of the OIC, explained Kane.

This is exemplified in countless initiatives, events, symposiums that the OIC and its specialised organs, like ISESCO, have initiated or joined in to promote the culture of peace and dialogue as means of reaching peace and harmony among nations and civilizations. These include being part of the UN Alliance of Civilizations and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vienna-based institution specialized in interfaith and intercultural dialogues, the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International

in to promote the culture of peace and dialogue as means of reaching peace and harmony among nations and civilizations

Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), to implement programs and activities to promote interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilisation dialogues around the world.

In peace-building and preventive diplomacy, OIC has been at the forefront to contribute to finding peaceful solutions to the multiple crises occurring in the Islamic world and elsewhere. In this regard, the OIC has established a number of mechanisms to explore ways for bridging political gaps, and reconciling opposing views such as appointing high level Special Envoys, establishing a Peace and Security Unit and a new Unit for Elections Monitoring. In addition, the OIC initiated the Istanbul Process with EU and US to promote tolerance and understanding and peace among communities. This process was inspired by the Human Rights Council resolution 16/18 to combat intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, incitement to violence, and violence based on religion and belief.

In the development domain, amongst the various initiatives for supporting economic and social conditions for improving wellbeing of the populations in OIC Member States, Amb. Kane put an emphasis on three major issues that are tangible indicators of the stage of development in each country. These include access to health services and universal health coverage for all, particularly during man-made or natural disasters crisis; empowerment of women and youth as agents of development and poverty alleviation within the OIC member States, which all are drivers of conflict and instability.

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RELIGION Global Forum for Moderation Emphasizes the Importance of Islamic Religious and Sharia Education Renewal Amman – The 14th International Conference of the Global Forum for Moderation was held under the theme “Muslims and the World: from the Impasse to the Way out”, in the Jordanian capital Amman, on 11 -12 March 2017, with the participation of a large group of scholars and thinkers from around 20 Arab and Islamic countries.

It emphasized the importance of Islamic religious and Sharia education renewal so that it accommodate the current humanitarian reality as a key step on the way to activate its role in the renewal of Ummah civilization.

The Secretary of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Abdul Salam Abbadi, attended the conference and presented a paper titled “The role of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in the intellectual and practical construction of the Ummah.” While Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) presented a study on “Strategic awareness in building unity and strengthening relations between the Ummah’s components” The forum’s Secretary-General Marwan Al-Faouri affirmed in his speech during the opening of the conference, that the global space today is contaminated by a number of factors. Al-Faouri pointed out

that among these factors is Daesh, which adopted all the obscurantic elements that contradict the values and principles of Islam. It also adopted the sectarian fanaticism that led to a rupture between the Ummah’s components’, a distortion of diversity, and political despotism.

He added that the global space is also contaminated by foreign occupation, which became a stigma for those who caused it. The approach of hegemony and alienation, the stinginess of the rich, materialism and the decline of moral values have also infected the global space.

The conference discussed several issues, including the relations of state, religion and governance; nation civilization; and intellectual renewal and its importance in building a moderate nation.

The final communiqué issued by the conference highly recommended undertaking initiatives for political, social, cultural, educational, economic and media reform in the Islamic societies. In addition, it recommended adopting legitimate means, peaceful ways and sound methods based on dialogue and openness, and the intention of reconciliation on the basis of Islamic brotherhood to settle disputes between Muslims, and to resort to the principles of international laws to settle disputes between Mus-

lims and others.

The conference called for eliminating the scourges of extremism and intellectual deviation, and emphasizing the spaciousness of Islamic perception in all areas of existence and human life. It also stressed on the importance of the Arab political system to adopt a comprehensive renaissance project that meets the political needs of the peoples and following up on it in all its details, especially in education.

The participants also asked for a declaration on the real meaning of Jihad in Islam in terms of it referring to firmness and perseverance in facing challenges, defending religion and adhering to it, rising up its banner, and achieving its values in real life.

They stressed that the Islamic Ummah and other nations are neighbors on one planet, and that the origin of a relationship is peace and cooperation. However, this does not negate the nation’s right to defend itself if it is exposed to dangers from abroad. Furthermore, they affirmed that reform always comes with stability, and that reconciling with others and communicating with them allows Islam to be heard and to spread.

The Conference stressed the importance of benefiting from our cultural heritage in understanding the reality of Ummah, especially in its reconciliation with itself.

First International Conference on the Role of the Quranic Script in Promoting Islamic Cultural Unity The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) organized with the International University of Africa, the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) and the Sudanese Ministry of Culture, on 26-27 March 2016, in Khartoum, Republic of the Sudan, the international conference on “The role of the Quranic Script in promoting Islamic cultural unity”. The Director General of ISESCO, Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, participated in the opening ceremony.

The conference aimed to review the civilizational gains, achievements, progress and future prospects of the Quranic Script Project. The conference also sought to highlight the vital role of the Quranic Script in strengthening civilizational relations between the peoples of the Islamic world, underlining the common cultural aspects, reviving the scientific

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Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Twaijri

heritage written in Quranic Script, and encouraging its use by the Islamic peoples concerned. Other objectives of the conference included promoting partnership between the educational, scientific and cultural institutions, donors, and technical expertise bodies in order to develop the Quranic Script and integrate it in information systems and electronic platforms.

Participants in the conference discussed, in four sessions, the following themes: “the Arabic Script: status and prospect in Africa”, “the Arabic Script: status and prospect in Asia”, “the Arabic Script: status and prospect in Southeast Asia”, and “the Arabic Script: status and prospect in Turkey and Eastern Europe”. A fifth session was dedicated to examining the project of establishing an “International Council for the Arabic Script Project”.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 39

ISLAMOPHOBIA

is Undermining Islamic World Relations with the West

The emergence of the populist far-right movements has ushered in a new era of uncertainty over social cohesion between different faith and ethnic communities across the West – but especially in regard to relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Far-right parties have influenced political debates in a way that has made many of their core ideas increasingly part of mainstream discourse: suspicion toward Islam and Muslims; hostility toward migrants and asylum seekers; and hatred of foreigners.

The recurrence of terrorist attacks by groups inspired or directed by al-Qaeda and Daesh has worsened this predicament by fueling anti-Muslim hostility. Between these opposing forces – the resurgence of right-wing nationalism and the persistence of Islamist extremism – Western societies are facing the escalating push and pull toward widening divisions.

Within this picture, the challenges facing Muslim diaspora communities remain high.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)’s annual census of extremist groups finds that the number of anti-Muslim hate groups in the US tripled through 2016 to 101 nationwide. This has accompanied a spike in reported incidents of ‘hate’ incidents against Muslims, as well as women, black people and immigrants.

Similar trends are visible in Europe. In 2016, the Pew Research Centre found that unfavourable views of Muslims had surged across several European countries, including Hungary (72%), Italy (69%) and Poland (66%).

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A more recent Chatham House poll published in February 2017 corroborated this conclusion, finding that a majority of Europeans overall want a ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries. On average, 55 percent of people across the 10 European countries surveyed said they wanted to stop all future immigration from Muslimmajority countries. In no country did more than 32 percent disagree with a ban.

These facts and figures are, of course, alarming. They show unmistakeably that anti-Muslim hostility is rising steeply across the US and Europe. Although we are not seeing it right now, in coming years, if such anti-Muslim sentiment in the West continues to increase, it could lead to a very unfortunate political crisis that sees diplomatic, security and financial relationships between the Western and Muslim worlds suffer.

This, of course, would be to the great detriment of both.

However, these facts and figures also show that there are important areas of action where such unfortunate trends can be reversed.

The Chatham House poll, for instance, noted that opposition to Muslim immigration was especially intense and widespread among older citizens, and less so among people under 30. This is also reflected in voting patterns for Donald Trump and Brexit, which reveal that generally young people are more supporting of inclusive and open societies. This suggests that rising xenophobia is very much associated with the post-

war Baby Boomer generation, but could be ultimately a temporary phase.

The Chatham House survey also found that people were less likely to oppose Muslim immigration if they were more educated.

While 59 percent of those with secondary level qualifications supported a Muslim ban, less than half of people educated to degree level did so.

Ensuring that citizens have access to educational opportunities is therefore a critical solution to ensuring social cohesion.

According to American hate crime expert sociologist Amy Adamczyk, further new initiatives to counter these trends could include diversity training to increase the general population’s exposure to Muslims with a view to debunk widespread myths. She suggests that these should be led in some cases by Christian or other groups.

Another approach might be for Muslims diaspora communities to join forces with other ethnic groups to form community coalitions, as is happening in Brooklyn, to train one another to monitor and intervene in hate incidents. One of the projects the Brooklyn coalition is engaged in is inculcating local businesses to make commitments to diversity values by keeping their businesses a safe and welcoming space for people of diverse ethnic and faith backgrounds.

The resurgence of the politics of fear has, in this sense, brought with it new opportunities for Muslim communities to ally with other communities in building resilient and inclusive coalitions.

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ISLAMOPHOBIA Evaluating the First Decade of the OIC Islamophobia Observatory

Need to Address Problems of the European Muslims The expert meeting was conducted along three sequential panel discussions to review the OIC Islamophobia Observatory; the role of Islamophobia Diaspora in combating Islamophobia and countering intolerance and discrimination based on religion; and the role of Member States and OIC Institutions in combating Islamophobia and countering intolerance and discrimination based on religion.

Recommendations:

Director of Dialogue and Outreach Department Dr. Bashir Ansari speaking at the forum

Istanbul – The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an Expert Group Meeting on 4-5 April 2017 in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of establishing the OIC Islamophobia Observatory.

The meeting was co-hosted by Research Centre for Islamic History, Arts, Culture (IRCICA), Government of Turkey, and the OIC General Secretariat with the theme: “The Role of OIC Islamophobia Observatory in Bolstering the Muslim World’s Efforts to Address the Issue of Islamophobia around the World.”

The Meeting reviewed and evaluated the OIC Islamophobia Observatory after its 10 years of existence and came up with recommendations regarding further roles and actions to be undertaken by the Observatory in light of the recent rise in Islamophobia phenomenon.

OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, in his speech delivered by Mr. Bashir Ansari, OIC’s Director of Dialogue and Outreach Department, noted that the organization is gravely concerned at the mounting trend of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, resulting into a surge of Islamophobia, which is an affront to the human rights, and dignity of Muslims. The OIC Member States according to Al-Othaimeen, are among the countries most affected by terrorism and violent extremism. Yet Islam and the Muslims remain the primary target and victim of religious and faith-based intolerance and Islamophobic practices and discourse.

“The OIC believes that Islamophobia pos-

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es a serious threat to diversity which is an important element of democracy and the fundamental fabric of every multicultural society, said Al-Othaimeen.

“Islamophobia is part of racism that usurps the right to freedom of thought, belief and identity and targets its victims not for any particular action, but on the basis of their appearance and religious background,” he added.

The Secretary General also stressed that the causes of the rise of anti-Muslim discrimination and hatred in many parts of the world are manifold. They include the rise of xenophobic political discourse and movements, upsurge in the extremist ideologies and related terrorist attacks across the world, global migration crisis due to unresolved political issues, and promotion of negative stereotypes and misinformation about Islam by various forms of media.

Al-Othaimeen however observed that discrimination and hatred do not represent a threat to Muslims only. It constitute a threat to the very principles of justice, equality, freedom and harmony. This brings out the need to address all forms of discrimination and hatred, in particular on the basis of religion or belief, by applying universal standards to provide equal protection to all targeted groups and religions, in all parts of the world.

Other speakers at the event include Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA and Amb. Ahmet Yildiz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Turkey and dozens of experts, comprising scholars, journalist, and members of civil Society organisations.

After thorough deliberations, the meeting resolved that - among several recommendations - OIC General Secretariat and member states should pay special attention to the problems of the European Muslims, by taking necessary action to operationalise the Contact Group on Muslim Minorities in Europe with the objective of contributing to the spirit of dialogue and cooperation for supporting cohesive and harmonious societies.

The meeting also recommended that OIC member states need to increase their support to Muslim communities in non-Muslim societies to empower them to fight and stand against Islamophobia.

The experts also recommended that Muslim societies and states need to internally address issues and factors that contribute to the creation of negative images of Islam and Muslims, and to give priority to the implementation of “OIC Media Strategy in Countering Islamophobia and its Implementation Mechanism” which was adopted on 21 December 2016 by the 11th Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The OIC Islamophobia Observatory mandate was initiated by Member States during the third OIC Extraordinary Summit held in Mecca in 2005, and was operationalized during the 34thSession of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting held in Islamabad in May 2007.

The Observatory was tasked to monitor Islamophobia, to take necessary counter– measures, and to initiate a structured dialogue in order to project the true values of Islam and empower Muslim countries to meet the contemporary challenges related to the phenomenon.

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FAMILY

AFFAIRS

OIC Member States Resolved to Consolidate and

Preserve Marriage Institution and

Its Values Jeddah – The ministers in charge of family affairs in the OIC Member States as well as experts and representatives from international, regional and civil society organizations working in the field of family, have resolved to develop strategies and implement comprehensive family polices geared towards consolidating the marriage institution, empowering the family and preserving its values.

The resolution was part of the outcome of the first OIC Ministerial Conference on Marriage and Family Institution with the theme: “Towards an OIC Approach for Marriage and Family Institution’s Empowerment and Value Preservation in Member States” hosted by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on 8-9 February 2017.

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In his message to the participants at the conference, OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen noted that the First OIC Ministerial Conference on Marriage and Family Institution in the Muslim world was held based on the initiative presented by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to the 42nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (Kuwait, May 2015) and was approved by all Member States.

Al-Othaimeen explained that, the overarching goal of the Conference, is to devise strategic, long-term solutions to the challenges and problems faced by family, and contribute to redressing the stereotypical position given to women within the family and correcting misconceptions about mar-

riage and family, the ultimate purpose being to improve the status of the institution and preserve its core values.

The Secretary General added that it is necessary to establish such frameworks and mechanisms so as to boost the OIC’s role in enhancing joint Islamic action and stimulating exchange of expertise and information, in coordination with relevant international institutions and national commissions on family, women and children.

The Conference, Dr. Al-Othaimeen emphasized, is timely and a very good opportunity to learn about Member States’ policies and strategies in preserving marriage and family values, and an opportunity to identify the challenges facing the institution in the OIC Member States.

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FAMILY

AFFAirs

Sexual Orientation Speakers during the opening session of the conference include H.E. Ali Ben Nasser Ghfies, Minister of Labour and Social Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who touched on the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah in the field of empowering the family and preserving the values of the marriage and family institution.

During the conference, the ministers in charge of family affairs discussed several issues including sexual orientation, gender identity in the light of the joint Islamic action, human rights, combating all forms of violence against women and the family in the light of Islamic principles.

Member States also presented their respective efforts in the area of Marriage and Family Institutions while some of the OIC subsidiary organs and specialized institutions presented working papers on the theme of the session.

At the end of their deliberations, the ministers issued Jeddah Declaration, in which they re-affirmed that the family is one of the key levers of sustainable development and that focusing on the family provides a strategic approach to dealing with the challenges of durable development.

The ministers stressed the important responsibility of the OIC Member States and relevant subsidiary organs and affiliated specialized institutions, in building the capacities of the family institution and preserving its values in the Member States.

The meeting also underscored the importance of religious values in preserving the family, and the importance the Islamic Sharia attaches to human rights and to the protection of the family, as well as on the parents’ prime responsibility in the proper upbringing and protection of the child.

The ministers in charge of Family Affairs also expressed their deep concern over the threats posed by the ongoing wars, armed conflicts, occupation and terrorism, for peace and stability in many of the Member States, and their repercussions on the stability and security of the family and society.

Jeddah Declaration The Jeddah Declaration on Marriage and Family Institutions urged the Member States and the relevant OIC institutions to establish mechanisms for the consolidation of the OIC’s role in coordination with the international organizations active in the field and to exchange information and expertise in order

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to boost the capacities of the marriage and family institution and preserve its values.

The meeting called on the Member States and the relevant OIC institutions to take practical steps to eliminate poverty and its impact on the family and activate their role in the achievement of economic development, along with fostering family cohesion and prioritizing the family in developmental plans.

The meeting also invited the OIC Member States and relevant institutions to offer grants and micro-credits to enable beneficiary families to set up income-generating projects, to develop and implement policies slated to enhance the role and mechanisms of solidarity, strike balance between the responsibilities of work and the requisites of the family and bridge the generation gap.

The conference equally invited Member States and the relevant OIC institutions to take practical steps for the establishment of mechanisms to manage and confront the risks resulting from wars or natural disasters, to assist the affected families, and to set up institutions and centers specialized in family issues in time of crisis.

The ministers also categorically rejected the advocates of homosexuality and of the voices calling on the Member States to recognize in their legislations the rights of those groups as minorities, as well as any other political or economic pressures faced by certain Member States.

The conference therefore invited the General Secretariat and OIC Institutions to reinforce their positive role at the international level regarding the promotion of the marriage and family institution and preserving its values.

The meeting also invited the General Secretariat to develop a general framework for cooperation and coordination among the

The ministers also categorically rejected the advocates of homosexuality and of the voices calling on the Member States to recognize in their legislations the rights of those groups as minorities, as well as any other political or economic pressures faced by certain Member States.

OIC organs active in the field of women empowerment and endeavoring to create special structures and departments within those organs that would be dedicated to family issues.

The ministers emphasized the need for Member States to urge the family to assume its responsibilities toward children and youth by enshrining the principles of moderation and protecting them from deviance and terrorists ideologies, and propagate the spirit of love, peace and fighting hatred, ensuring that they grow into useful people for themselves, their societies, and rest of the world.

Resolutions The meeting also passed a number of resolutions, which include a resolution on Developing the OIC Strategy for Empowerment of Marriage and Family Institution and Preservation of its Values in the Muslim World. The resolution requested the General Secretariat to convene an open-ended meeting of intergovernmental experts at the OIC General Secretariat before the end of 2017 to prepare the Draft OIC Strategy to Empower the Marriage and Family Institution and Maintain its Values in the Muslim World. The resolution added that the meeting should rely on the draft prepared by the General Secretariat in collaboration with the OIC organs and institutions and to send the draft to Member States well in advance of the meeting for them to study it.

Other resolutions passed by the meeting include a resolution on Reviewing Sustainable Development Goals to Include a Family-related Goal; a resolution to commend Resolution 4/43-C of the Conference of Foreign Ministers on Rejection of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Sexual Orientation.

The meeting equally passed a resolution on the Frequency of Holding the OIC Ministerial Conference on Family Empowerment which will be once every two years and the second ordinary session to be held in 2019, with the possibility of convening a special session of the Conference whenever the need arises.

The final resolution focuses on frameworks and mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the Conference recommendations and results.

The Conference welcomed the proposal of the Republic of Turkey to host the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on “Empowering the Marriage and Family Institution and Preserving its Values in Member States” due to be held in 2019.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 43

FAMILY

AFFAirs

OIC Focuses on Role of Religious Leaders and Young Female Leaders in New York – The sixty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017 under the priority theme, “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work”.

The Opening Session was attended by the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, Secretary-General of the UN, President of ECOSOC, President of the General Assembly, UN Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Director of UN Women, Ministers and representatives from Member States, NGOs and civil society institutions.

The Permanent Mission of the OIC to the UN in New York organized two events on the sidelines of the 61st session of the CSW this year. The event titled “Support of Religious Leaders and Scholars for Empowerment of Women in the OIC Member States”, held on16 March, focused on the role of religious thought and practices in promoting the cause of women and aimed at employing religion as a protective factor for women. Discussions concentrated on various aspects of this topic, aiming at raising awareness of the important role religious leaders and scholars can play in promoting women in the OIC Member States, as well as identifying challenges and suggesting ways and means to tackle them.

Dr. Fadila Grine, Director of Family and Social Affairs Department in the OIC General Secretariat moderated the event. The speakers and panelists included Minister of Female Empowerment and Child Protection of Indonesia, Yohana Yembise; Minister of Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development of Morocco, Bassima Hakkaoui; Director General of Arab Women Organization, Minister Mervat Tallawi; CEO of Islamic Relief, USA Mr. Anwar Khan; and Senior Advisor UN Women, Ms. Hind Al-Owais.

The second event was “Role of Young Female Leaders in Decision Making Process”, held on 17 March 2017. The overall objective of this side event was to analyze the current situation and role of young

Empowering Women

Director of Family Affairs Department Dr. Fadila Grine speaking at a side event of 61st session of CSW

women in decision-making processes at international, regional, national and local levels; identify challenges facing them and explore how to overcome these challenges.

Ms. Hind Al-Owais, Senior Advisor at UN Women, moderated this event. The speakers and panelists were Deputy Minister for Women’s Rights Protection in the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection of Indonesia, Prof. Vannetia Ryckerens Danes; President of Women and Democracy Association, Prof. Emine Sare Aydın Yılmaz; President of Family Watch International, Ms. Sharon Slator; Director of Family and Social Affairs Department in the OIC General Secretariat, Dr. Fadila Grine; and Director of Public Affairs, Islamic Relief, USA, Ms. Christina Tobias-Nahi.

Furthermore, the Islamic Development Bank, a specialized organ of OIC, also held two important side events: “Promoting Women’s Economic Participation through Addressing Unpaid Care and Domestic Work” and “The Invisible Lives of Syrian Women and Overcoming Challenges to Employment, Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment”, which was organized jointly with UNFPA and Islamic Relief Worldwide.

On International Women’s Day: OIC Calls for Women’s Effective Participation in Development The occasion of the International Women’s Day, on 8 March, is an opportunity to emphasize the importance OIC accords to women’s role in society, to highlight their contribution towards building Islamic societies, and to review women’s conditions in light of the challenges they face to achieve their rights. The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al Othaimeen, stressed this in a statement on the occasion.

The Secretary General felicitated with OIC Member States who have put in great efforts towards the empowerment and promotion of women, the implementation of the OIC’s Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) and the reso-

44 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

lutions of the ministerial conferences on women that called on all Member States to take all necessary measures and steps to ensure women’s effective participation in all aspects of social development.

Al Othaimeen added that it is incumbent upon us, on this day, to underline the need to support the women who are the breadwinners of their families, who may be living in the grip of abject poverty and enduring appalling situations in the armed conflict zones or under the yoke of occupation, as well as women with special-needs. He also stressed the need to leverage on partnerships and cooperation for the achievement of greater progress in the area of empowering women, improving their conditions,

achieving gender-equality and protecting them against the effects of armed conflicts.

The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), in observing ‘International Women’s Day’, highlighted the increasing challenges faced by migrant and refugee women across the world, especially in the conflict zones. In this regard, IPHRC called upon all stakeholders in the OIC Member States and the international community to expand efforts for the provision of gender sensitive legal and socioeconomic assistance in a way that it protects and promotes the rights of women in vulnerable situations particularly that of conflicts, refugees and forced migration.

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YOUTH AFFAIRS

Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games is an exciting multi-sport event uniting the Islamic world, which will take place from 12 – 22 May 2017.

Athletes from 57 countries of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be representing their nations over 10 days of competition across 20 different sports which include 23 disciplines (Athletics and Para Athletics, Aquatics – Diving, Aquatics – Swimming, Aquatics – Water Polo, Basketball 3x3, Football, Gymnastics – Artistic, Gymnastics – Rhythmic, Wushu, Table Tennis, Handball, Judo and Blind Judo, Wrestling – Greco, Wrestling – Freestyle, Shooting, Tennis, Volleyball, Boxing, Zurkhaneh, Karate, Taekwondo and Weightlifting) in 16 world-class sporting venues in Baku.

Azerbaijan’s capital city Baku was awarded the Games at the General Assembly of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) in Jeddah in July 2013.

The Azerbaijan Islamic Solidarity Games Operations Committee (AISGOC) will organize and run the Games in cooperation with the ISSF. The first Islamic Solidarity Games was held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia.

Baku Baku, the host city of the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games is one of the most alluring and cosmopolitan cities in the world and is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Its name means “city of winds” or “city on the hill”. The city is a large scientific, cultural

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A Competition Like no other

and industrial centre.

Authorities in Azerbaijan have promised to make the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games a successful, enjoyable, and high level fiesta.

The games enjoy tremendous patronage from Ilham Aliyev President of Azerbaijan who during the first meeting of the organizing committee noted that “this is major international event. It is a very important sporting event both for the planet and for the Islamic world. The fact that the Games are to be held in Azerbaijan once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is a country enjoying great respect in the world. … We regard this as a high assessment the Islamic world gives to Azerbaijan and its development, and we, on our part, will make every effort to conduct these Games at a high level.”

President Ilham added that “Azerbaijan is a part of the Muslim world. This is our family,

and we should try to conduct these games at the highest level. All athletes, guests and members of delegations should be provided with the best conditions, so that they could become acquainted with our country, see the ancient history of Azerbaijan and feel comfortable here.”

Azerbaijani president further stated that he is confident that Islamic Games will, in the first place, strengthen Islamic solidarity and show both the Muslim world and the whole planet once again that Islam is a religion of peace, mercy and brotherhood. The Games will also show the world that Azerbaijan is a country with great potential capable of conducting the most prestigious international competitions.

Azerbaijan and ISSF have been hosting high level event to raise profile and awareness about the planed Islamic Solidarity games.

This include the hosting of the Chefs de Missions from over 50 countries who met in Baku in December 2016 to receive update on the preparations for the Islamic Solidarity Games from the Baku 2017 Operations Committee (AISGOC).

Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games was also presented in Paris within the Extraordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport at UNESCO Headquarters. “Solidarity is our strength” is the slogan of the Islamic Solidarity Games representing 57 OIC countries.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 45

YOUTH AFFAirs

Capability and Endurance of Horses is a Difficult Race but Popular in Kuwait Kuwait (dpa) – Fahad and his friends share love for horses. Four years ago they founded Asayel team in Kuwait, in which they found their passion. They were motivated to continuously develop and upgrade this team, until it became the number one team in Kuwait in the capability and endurance horse races.

Fahad Al Mutairi, one of the well-known equestrians in capability and endurance races in Kuwait, said, “we grew up loving horses, our tribes have inherited the love of horses from our ancestors and we as an Arab community are strongly connected with horses. Now horseracing is very well developed, there are many kinds of horseracing, the most difficult of which is the capability and endurance race. “ Al Mutairi explained that endurance and capability race is crossing between 80 to 160 kilometers in one day, but divided into four or five phases depending on the race distance, and every rider has the right to water and wash the horse at the end of a certain phase. Organizers may also indicate in the competition table that horse assistance is only available at predetermined locations, and riders should be aware of their courses on the map so that the same water point would be available for all competitors. It is also permissible for one of the horse companions to assist the rider in managing his equipment, returning him on top of the horse, and providing him with anything he wants (such as water, food, and equipment); he is also entitled for one of the com-

46 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

panions to refit horseshoes if they become loose or fall during the race. The starting and finish lines of the race are marked with red and white flags or appropriate signals.

The horses should not cross the starting line before the start signal is given. If the horse violates these instructions, the organizing committee has the right to exclude it from the race.

Al Motairi added, “Usually the first stage of the race is the most difficult one because the horse enters a strong championship that requires great effort; the duration of the race may exceed six hours in which the rider is on horseback throughout this period. Therefore, the equestrian and his horse must have the ability to handle such an effort. Coaches and equestrians train horses before entering a strong championship such as capability and endurance race.”

The biggest problem for equestrians in Kuwait is that they do not have an official federation of all teams under its umbrella, speaking on their behalf and supporting them financially and technically, so that equestrians can participate internationally in the name of Kuwait like other games and sports.

«There are between 25 and 30 equestrian teams inside Kuwait, most of them are self-made. However, we suffer from lack of support from the government. In the past, there were not many equestrian clubs, but recently Kuwaiti Sports Authority, a government representative, has announced some equestrian clubs,” Said the coach of Asayel

Kuwaiti team Mohammed Aba Al-Khail.

Aba Al-Khail and his companions hope that the equestrian clubs will agree to establish a special equestrian federation to support them so that these teams and clubs can produce equestrians able to compete internationally, because there are many championships taking place inside Kuwait, which are held in conjunction with Kuwait National Holidays.

The season of capability and endurance race usually begins at a time when the weather is mild. The organizing committees of this type of race seek to avoid the high temperatures that dominate Kuwait›s climate for most of the year. Therefore, capability and endurance race starts from November till April with some races being held at night to keep horses and horsemen away from the hot weather at its beginning.

Aba Al-Khail explained also, “horses undergo medical examination after each phase is completed to ensure the horses’ safety and ability to complete the race. At the end of the race, the results are calculated according to the places. Horse also undergo veterinary examination at the end of the race, and a horse usually needs three months to prepare for the race.

Aba Al-Khail pointed out that the team consists of 10 horsemen, including 3 horsewomen, in addition to the crew of the team; and 35 companions for horses and two assistants alongside the administration.

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YOUTH AFFAirs Joint Committee of OIC Institutions Streamlines Activities on Youth Affairs The Permanent Joint Committee on Youth Affairs (PJCYA) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened on 7 February 2017 at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah to develop means and methods for better implementation of the outcome of the 3rd Session of the OIC Ministerial Conference of Youth and Sports.

The 3rd Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, held in Istanbul, the Republic of Turkey, in October 2016, had requested the OIC Secretary General to ensure that youth-related initiatives and programs of the OIC institutions are streamlined with the main goals and modality of implementation of the “OIC Youth Strategy 2015 – 2025 Vision”.

The OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Culture and Social Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Yousef, who chaired the meeting, noted that there is strong need for close collaboration between the OIC institutions active in the field of youth affairs to achieve more visibility and impact for their activities on the lives of the youth in the OIC member states.

He called on the institutions to pull their resources together in supporting key events during the year to make their impact felt among the youth in OIC member states.

Representatives of the key OIC institutions at the meeting also highlighted their key activities, programs and initiatives in the field of youth support and empowerment

and suggested concrete steps to be taken in streamlining their activities to achieve the desired result.

The OIC institutions active in the field of youth affairs include the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); the International Union of Muslim Scouts (IUMS); Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF); the General Directorate of Humanitarian, Culture and Social Affairs in the OIC General Secretariat; and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) which was announced as a member of the (PJCYA).

5th International Model OIC (MOIC) to be Held in Morocco

ICYF-DC President Amb. Iskandarov speaking at MOIC

The Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) host-

ed a ten-week Model OIC (MOIC) academic training and diplomatic simulation program training program in March at its headquarters in Istanbul. More than 100 students from different countries of OIC attended the lecture by Assist. Prof. Ismail Yaylaci from the Istanbul Sehir University on the history and conceptualization of the OIC. MOIC was adopted by a relevant resolution at the 3rd Islamic Conference Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM) held in Istanbul in October 2016, with mandates for activities

that include opening 70 new MOIC Clubs in the reputable universities of the Member States and holding 7 national MOIC Conferences in Member States.

The grand final will be at the 5th International MOIC to be held in Morocco later in 2017, which will include simulation of Islamic Summit with the participation of more than 100 student delegates from all OIC Member States, as well as academic panels of leading academicians, diplomats and experts.

Start-up Platform for OIC Countries The official website of the Start-Up Platform for OIC Countries program (www.oicstartups.org) has been launched and it is available for submission of the start-up projects of the young citizens of the OIC Member States and beyond. It is an ICYF-DC youth

entrepreneurship program offering young entrepreneurs from OIC Member States the opportunity of online/offline trainings in business fields and to be matched with specifically chosen investors both in online platform and in an annual summit.

successful projects will be invited to an annual investment summit to present their projects to leading investors in OIC Member States, which will take place in Kazan (Tatarstan) in May 2017 and in (Malaysia) in October 2017.

Inauguration Ceremony of Putrajaya - OIC Youth Capital 2017 On 08 April 2017, the inauguration ceremony of ‘Putrajaya - OIC Youth Capital 2017’ kicked off with participation of Amb. Elshad Iskandarov, President of ICYF-DC, and Mr. Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia.

The statements of ICYF-DC President focused on the true unity and solidarity the Ummah needs to have so as to overcome the challenges it faces nowadays, citing the OIC Youth Capital Programme as serving exactly those goals. The host, Mr. Jamaluddin, said,

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“…we in Putrajaya will continue to be a force for good in achieving high targets of Islam and Islamic Civilization”.

The ceremony included flag raising, presentation of the special plaque of ‘Putrajaya OIC Youth Capital 2017’ to the Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia and Dato Seri Hashim Ismail, the President of Putrajaya Corporation, by Ambassador Iskandarov.

The youth from the OIC different regions received the symbolic keys of Putrajaya.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 47

Media IBRAF Meeting in Indonesia: Developing a Code of Conduct to Combat Terrorism and Islamophobia

Opening of 5th Annual Meeting of Islamic Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum in Indonesia on 21 February 2017

Bandung – The Bandung Declaration on the Role of Media in Promoting Tolerance and Combatting Terrorism and Islamophobia announced supporting broadcasters to develop and implement codes of conduct to combat terrorism and Islamophobia. The Bandung Declaration was adopted by the 5th Meeting of the OIC Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum held in Indonesia on 21-23 February 2017.

Indonesian Minister of Communication and Informatics, Rudiantara inaugurated the International Conference “Media for World Harmony” and the 5th Annual Meeting of the OIC Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum (IBRAF). In his address, Minister Rudiantara noted that the media industry has transformed itself into a digital media industry, and the broadcasting business has followed suit. He pointed out that the presence of digital media has influenced personal and social patterns. He also expressed hope that this event would offer the right platform for participating countries to share their scientific know-how, knowledge, and experiences in the broadcasting field to offer positive contributions to cater to the public’s needs.

Chief of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), Yuliandre Darwis noted that the global community is currently distressed by the onslaught of information that tends to disrupt peace and harmony. He remarked that the IBRAF is one of the forums that pays

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attention to the mass media in the world and attempts to study the global situation influenced by the fast and massive flow of information.

Assoc. Prof. Hamit Ersoy, Member of the Radio and Television Supreme Council of the Republic of Turkey and Secretary General of IBRAF, welcomed all participants and thanked KPI for the excellent organization of the event. He presented brief information on the activities of the IBRAF in order to ensure cooperation at regional and international levels. He underlined the importance of the broadcasting area and the adoption of common standards in order to facilitate cooperation and cordial relations between societies of Muslim world.

At the end of the meeting, representatives of broadcasting media from 40 countries strongly condemned in the Bandung Declaration all forms of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, and vowed to ensure broadcasters to take necessary measures for the adoption of nurturing and encouraging broadcasting policies on tolerance, dialogue and co-operation between different civilizations, cultures and individuals.

The participants also vowed to encourage broadcasters for the responsible use of freedom of speech by preserving the respect to Islam and other monotheist religions, their prophets, religious figures and holy sites and by underlying the importance of accurate and factual portrayal of Islam as a reli-

gion of peace, fraternity and tolerance.

The participants agreed to organize training programs for media professionals in cooperation with their professional associations and the educational institutions for the responsible media coverage on terrorist acts and threats. They also agreed to develop and implement media literacy programs in order to encourage a critical and informed consumption of media content and raise individual awareness.

Furthermore, the Declaration stated that the participants would ensure the provision of information on terrorist acts by public authorities to all media professionals on an equal basis. They would also share experience and exchange views and best practices in the fight against terrorism and Islamophobia and develop close co-operation and collaboration among the media professionals and institutions.

Meanwhile, the Declaration pointed out that the participants in the meeting would invite broadcasters and media professionals to be aware that terrorists might try to abuse media to reach a wide audience, fundraise and spread their propaganda, and to bear in mind the significant role which they can play in preventing “hate speech” and incitement to “violence” and fighting against “terrorism” and “Islamophobia”.

They would also call on them to refrain from associating “Islam” with terrorism or the use of Islamophobic rhetoric in the fight against terror such as labeling terrorists as “Islamic” extremists/fundamentalists or on the basis of religious sub-groups such as “Shia extremists” or “ Sunni terrorists”.

They would also seek to counter anti-Islam/ anti-Muslim propaganda by producing strong and appealing content that is professionally and objectively prepared, and to act responsibly in reporting events through investigative journalism as well as to refrain from disseminating the shocking pictures, sounds or images of terrorist acts. In addition, they would cooperate with the competent authorities, institutions and between themselves through their professional organizations on reporting about the terrorist acts.

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MEDIA OIC Coordinates Implementation of 16 Joint Media Projects

Participants in the coordination meeting of OIC media institutions and departments

Jeddah – The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has initiated coordination to implement more than 16 projects within the framework of joint Islamic media action projects, as well as other projects included in the OIC Media Strategy to address Islamophobia and the Ten-Year Program of Action until 2025.

The consultative meeting held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Monday, 20 March 2017, gathered the OIC organs concerned with media affairs and reviewed those projects and ways to coordinate the joint Islamic media action. It also touched upon the implementation of the resolutions

adopted by the Eleventh Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah, on 21 December 2016. It also reviewed the possibility of holding information seminars to raise awareness of the local and international public opinion on the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif and organizing workshops and forums on how to conduct research and studies on empowerment of women in media institutions and through the media.

The most important projects discussed included convening an annual conference and exhibition of information institutions in

Member States, holding of seminars on topics of special interest, such as Islamophobia, terrorism, development, women, tourism and others, and organization of regional conferences. The meeting also discussed the establishment of forums on promoting dialogue and cultural exchange and highlighting OIC Member States in this field, and preparing a study on training media personnel to deal with terrorist events.

In his speech at the opening session, Amb. Mohammad Al-Tayyeb, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the OIC, referred to the importance of the joint Islamic media action in promoting Islamic solidarity, deepening the bridges between the peoples of the Islamic Ummah, spreading the true image of Islam, showing values ​​of tolerance, moderation, and rejection of fanaticism, extremism and violence.

For her part, Ms. Maha Mustafa Akeel, Director of the OIC Public Information Department, referred to the OIC Media Strategy to address Islamophobia and the Ten-Year Program of Action until 2025. She also touched upon the cooperation with the OIC Women›s Media Observatory and the promotion of the media personnel and organizations of the OIC.

OIC Outlines Details of International Media Prize to Counter Intolerance Dakar – The Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) met on Monday, 10 April 2017, in Dakar, capital of Senegal to consider rules and modalities for the establishment of an International Prize, to recognize excellent media outlets and professionals who made outstanding contribution to promoting dialogue, tolerance and harmony among cultures.

The meeting was in implementation of the resolution passed by the 11th session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers held last December, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following concerns over growing intolerance against Islam and Muslims in the West and hostility fueled largely by stereotypes propagated by some media and social networking platforms.

Participants at the Dakar meeting, which was held under the umbrella of the COMIAC, comprised of experts from the OIC

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General Secretariat, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), the Islamic Broadcasting Union (IBU), and International Islamic News Agency (IINA), as well as ambassadors from OIC member states.

During the meeting, Director of the COMIAC Coordination Office Ambassador Cheikhou Oumar Seck said the prize will be awarded to those who contribute to promoting the Islamic values of tolerance, combating the odious stereotype of Islam, and reporting on the role of the OIC in the establishment of world peace and stability, as well as dialogue and tolerance among cultures and religions.

Ambassador Seck added that the launch of the prize, proposed by Senegalese President Macky Sall, chairman of COMIAC, is an addition to series of other OIC-sponsored initiatives to tackle Intolerance.

Speakers at COMIAC meeting on OIC Media Prize

Addressing the participants during the meeting, OIC’s Director of Public Information Department Maha Mustapha Akeel said the Organization hopes that “this Prize will help stimulate competition between media institutions and professionals to compete fairly to consolidate the principles of dialogue, tolerance and harmony among cultures and to establish peace and denounce racism, including Islamophobia, as well as to shun hyperbole and extremism.”

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 49

SCIENCE & technology

Preparation for

Science and Technology Summit

OIC ASG Amb. Muhammed Naeem Khan chairing the meeting

Jeddah - The OIC General Secretariat convened a meeting of OIC institutions at the OIC Headquarters on 14 March 2017 to review substantive preparations for the First OIC Summit on Science and Technology due to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan on 10-11 September 2017.

The Meeting was attended by the OIC relevant institutions including the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH); Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC); Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC); Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF); Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA); Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group; Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisations (ISESCO); and Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), IRCICA and COMCEC. The Meeting was also attended by the Representatives of the host country; Kazakhstan.

In his opening remarks, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology Amb. Muhammad Naeem Khan underscored the need for OIC institutions to develop synergies and enhance partnerships

50 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

so as to achieve the goals and targets which are outlined in the outcome document of the Summit.

The meeting examined, in detail, the proposed outcome document for the Summit compiled by COMSTECH with inputs of more than 120 scientists in various disciplines from several Member States and made valuable comments thereon, which would be incorporated and submitted, to the Member States for their consideration.

The proposed document stresses that Science and technology will play a critical role in addressing contemporary challenges of development across multiple dimensions including poverty alleviation, better health, preservation of the environment, and ensuring food, water, and energy security for OIC countries, today and in the years to come.

The proposed document also asserted that knowledge and critical thinking, of which science and technology are the most visible symbols, will be key drivers of change, not just in terms of economic growth and development, but in all human enterprise in this century, which includes creating change and managing the tools for change.

The working document was drawn up after

extensive consultations with 157 scientists and technologists from 20 OIC countries.

It stresses on the need to build a scientific culture among OIC member states and to enhance a better balance between higher education and research on one hand and development of skills on the other.

The document also reaffirms the recommendations of OIC Water Vision 2012-25 on managing water resources, maximizing the productive and efficient use of depleting water resources and increasing crop outputs for lesser water input.

The Science and Technology for the Ummah, 2025 document equally reaffirmed the key features of the OIC Health Vision OICSHPA (2014-2023) which indicates that there is no good science without healthy citizens, who have equitable access to health infrastructure, including clean water, medicine and vaccines.

It also made key recommendations on improving the quality of Higher Education in OIC member countries and how to bridge the gaps identified in the state of research in the countries.

Other recommendations are in the area of managing big data efficiently and securely, achieving energy sufficiency and managing the environment and the challenge of climate change.

The document also examined mechanisms for enhancing intra-OIC and international cooperation in different sectors of Science and Technology.

The meeting agreed that the updated document should be sent to member states for further inputs.

The first OIC summit on Science and Technology will be held in pursuance of the resolution of the Twelfth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Cairo on 6-7 February, 2013.

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HEALTH Mobilizing Resources for the OIC-IDB-IAEA Cancer Care in Member States

Participants in the meeting hosted by Federal Ministry of Health of Sudan in Khartoum on 20 March 2017

Khartoum - The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in coordination with the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened a meeting to review funding gaps and mobilize resources for the implementation of priority interventions in the National Cancer Control Programs among 18 OIC Member States.

The meeting was hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health of the Republic of Sudan in Khartoum, Sudan on 20-22 March 2017.

Representatives of 18 OIC Member States, Development Funds including Saudi Fund for Development (SDF), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA); African Development Bank (ASFD); and International Organisations including World Health Organisation (WHO) attended the meeting.

The Meeting was organized within the framework of the OIC-IDB-IAEA Practical Arrangements on Cooperation in the Area of Comprehensive Cancer Control in common Member States.

The program aims to help finance cancer control initiatives in countries struggling to cope with the disease’s growing burden.

The Khartoum meeting reviewed proposals for the provision of cancer services to refugees, and increased funding to fight cervical cancer - a major killer of women worldwide.

The event builds on an effort launched in 2012 by the OIC, IAEA, and IsDB to mobilize resources and support training as part of cancer control in states that are part of all three organizations.

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The three entities also signed a practical arrangement in 2016 to facilitate collaboration in this area.

Sudan’s Vice-President Hassabo Mohammed Abdalrahman opened the meeting, which brought together representatives from health and finance ministries from the OIC countries to present funding proposals to various development finance institutions.

The proposals aim to boost national nuclear medicine and radiotherapy infrastructure.

Afghanistan, Albania, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Jordan, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uganda were represented at the meeting.

Experts from Indonesia and Malaysia also participated to share their experience in financing national cancer control programs.

Other institutions present included the African Development Bank, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa and the World Health Organization.

Cancer is one of the world’s biggest killers.

Low - and middle - income countries are the most affected with over half of new cases, but only 5 per cent of total global cancer resources to cope with it, according to the International Agency for Cancer Research.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has already committed USD 100 million since 2013 to strengthen cancer diagnostic and treatment services in several common member states, including Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Niger, Sudan and Uzbekistan, announced Albashier Eltayeb Sallam, Lead Health Specialist at the Islamic Development Bank.

“With the help of the IAEA, OIC and others, and under the leadership of national governments and their partners, we are fully committed to further expand this investment initiative, including to further scale-up national nuclear medicine and radiotherapy infrastructure.”

On her part, Nelly Enwerem-Bromson, Director of the IAEA’s Program of Action for Cancer Therapy, said “The rising tide of cancer calls for additional human and financial resources, as well as infrastructure.”

Funding proposals discussed at the meeting include strategies to better detect and treat breast and cervical cancer, the most common types in women. Cervical cancer disproportionally affects women in developing countries, where 83 per cent of all new cases occur.

Early diagnosis and radiotherapy can treat cervical cancer effectively, but many countries lack awareness programs and basic screening services. One of the 16 funding proposals discussed aims to establish a permanent screening center in Cameroon - a country with 1,400 new cervical cancer cases annually, causing more than 700 deaths each year.

Other proposals include funds to train radiation oncologists and technicians, purchase and install diagnostic and radiotherapy machines and to establish national cancer registries.

The meeting also reviewed a proposal to expand cancer services for low-income people in Jordan, including refugees. The only public radiotherapy facility in the country’s capital Amman can treat around 50 patients per day, but the number of people requiring long-term cancer care is growing.

The First Lady of the Republic of Sudan, Mrs. Widad Babekir Omer, graced the closing session of the OIC-IDB-IAEA and commended the efforts being exerted by the three partners in tackling cancer among their common member states.

It is worth noting that the OIC adopted its Strategic Health Program of Action (OICSHPA) 2014-2023 at the 4th session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers held in Jakarta, Indonesia in October 2013. The Program presents six thematic areas of cooperation; and cancer prevention and control is an important component of thematic area 2 “Disease Prevention and Control”.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 51

OPINION One Way the Islamic World is Tackling its Problem with Childhood Vaccines

A Muhammad Naeem Khan Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology

The group, a network of major vaccine producers across OIC member states, enables producers to pool resources, knowhow and research.

Its long-term goal is ambitious: to jointly develop affordable vaccines across the Islamic world.

round the world, some 1.5 million children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.

The problem? Most vaccines are imported from developed nations, making them unaffordable for those who need them most in developing nations. And vaccine shortages that threaten polio eradication goals in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan - the three countries where the disease is still endemic - only compound the problem.

It’s a concern the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which represents 57 predominately developing Muslim nations, is trying to resolve by helping its member attain self-reliance in the production and supply of essential vaccines.

However, with the Islamic world’s limited-production capacity and medical research capabilities, addressing that deficit has required innovative collaborations between the public, private and nongovernment sectors.

This resulted in the 2014 creation by the OIC of the Vaccine Manufacturers Group, a unique collaboration of the public and private sectors.

The group, a network of major vaccine producers across OIC member states, enables producers to pool resources, know-how and research. Its long-term goal is ambitious: to jointly develop affordable vaccines across the Islamic world.

But this requires more than simply working with private companies. It also involves reaching out to civil society, especially religious leaders, to help overcome misconceptions about the religious and ethical legitimacy of vaccines in certain parts of the Islamic world — for instance, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As part of these efforts, the OIC has helped to establish the Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication. It is a collaborative effort that includes the Islamic Development Bank and Islamic religious institutions such as Azhar Academy and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, a body of international Islamic clerics who promote the application of Islamic jurisprudence to modern-day challenges.

The effort of the advisory group appears to be reaping dividends. Polio cases have decreased considerably in Pakistan, falling from 54 cases in 2015 to 13 in 2016. In Afghanistan, the number of polio cases dropped from 20 in 2015 to six as of September 2016.

This success has prompted the polio eradication group to respond to public demands to expand its activities to include other issues that are important to the health of mothers and their children.

The use of this approach to address the Islamic world’s vaccine deficit is proving to be a useful model for making progress in developing nations. It enables unparalleled coordination among governments, civil society and the private sector in solving problems that no one party could tackle alone. Given the typical shortages experienced by governments in the developing world, these types of partnerships are not just helpful, but necessary.

That view is supported by the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which such partnerships play an integral role. These also are a central feature of notable U.N. initiatives, such as Every Woman Every Child, a global movement to address the major health challenges facing women and children; the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, which is also an advisory partner of the Vaccine Manufacturers Group.

In that spirit of collaboration and innovation, and the pursuit of achieving self-sufficiency, the OIC has suggested other creative steps, such as incorporating a company with shared ownership across OIC member states to produce vaccines at affordable prices.

Such a motion represents an evolution in thinking about the roles that inter-governmental bodies, governments and the private sector can play in fostering the progress of developing nations. If acted upon, the proposal would stand as a milestone of cooperation within the Islamic world.

It is also why the OIC’s Vaccine Manufacturers Group could be a model for other future development approaches the organization might undertake in the Islamic world.

Let’s hope it is. After all, it is precisely that ability to unite governments, civil society and private enterprise behind one common purpose and program of action that is bringing the Islamic world closer to a vital goal: easy access to affordable, potentially lifesaving vaccines.

*This article was published in LA Times on 3 March 2017

52 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

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HEALTH Can the Nascent OIC Islamic Insurance Industry Meet Rising Healthcare Costs?

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) pointed out in its OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 20142023 that while making up 22.8 percent of global population in 2010, member countries accounted for only a significantly low 3.5 percent of total world health spending ($227 billion).

OIC governments’ expenditure on health as a percentage of overall state budgets was a woeful 8.9 percent in 2010 compared to 18.5 percent in developed countries and 16 percent in the world.

Low government health spending in OIC countries, said a report

by SalaamGateway, is not merely due to public financial constraints but is also an indicator of low priority given to health.

The lack of state-funded and private sector financed health plans and programmes is clearly evident; the report notes that the most widely-used method of health financing in OIC countries is still out-of-pocket spending, which accounted for 36 percent of total OIC health expenditure in 2010 compared to 17 percent at the global level.

This is a major concern given rising medical and healthcare costs.

Nascent

Unfortunately, Islamic insurance is currently neither easily nor widely available in all countries; by regions, the GCC was home to the highest number of operators – 102 in 2015 - followed by Southeast Asia (87), Other MENA (72), and South Asia (35).

Globally, the sector’s assets reached $37.745 billion in 2015, up 11 percent from 2014. That’s around 1 percent of the world’s total insurance assets.

Around 80 percent of the Islamic sector’s assets in 2015 were concentrated in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Malaysia.

Medical and healthcare financing

The OIC 2014-2023 programme of action identifies health financing as a “critical component” of healthcare systems, including riskpooling, which describes takaful.

Risk pooling entails grouping a large number of individuals or companies to spread risk and reduce the cost impact of highest-risk individuals.

Challenges and opportunities

Islamic insurance market operators in OIC countries have for years

been speaking about the key challenges facing the sector. They include: 1. Weak regulatory environment in most OIC countries 2. The need to harmonise takaful regulatory frameworks especially across regional blocs such as the GCC and ASEAN in order to facilitate mobility of insurance/takaful policies 3. Lack of a skilled and knowledgeable insurance workforce for takaful 4. The need for improved distribution channels 5. Lack of product development (mostly due to regulatory restrictions) 6. Bigger markets, such as Saudi Arabia, are distorted by a small number of large players; the top four companies (out of 35)— Tawuniya, Bupa Arabia, Medgulf, and Malath—hold around 58 percent market share.

However, away from these largely infra-structural issues, the core challenges to the growth of healthcare insurance/takaful penetration for OIC countries are a lot more rudimentary: 1. Low levels of financial literacy among the wider OIC population result in a lack of understanding of insurance and the need for it.

2. Lack of regulatory support and initiative.

As OIC Islamic insurance leaders, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have tackled these challenges differently.

Malaysia has a higher take-up rate for insurance overall and it operates a dual conventional-Islamic system (conventional insurance penetration rate is 4.2 percent of GNI, which is seven times higher than takaful).

The Malaysian government continues to focus on financial literacy programmes across the board, and in recent years released new guidelines to strengthen the takaful industry, including: 1. Takaful Operational Framework in 2012; 2. Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 that is re-structuring the industry with its imposition of a segregation of family and general businesses by June 30, 2018, and liberalisation of the commissions’ structures; 3. Life Insurance and Family Takaful for Everyone (LIFE) framework, that seeks to “promote innovation and a more competitive market supported by higher levels of professionalism and transparency in the provision of insurance and takaful”, according to the central bank.

The big challenge for the takaful industry in Malaysia is changing the perception of citizens towards Islamic insurance.

Malaysians are reticent to shift from conventional insurance products in spite of their relative higher awareness of insurance.

Worryingly, from 2013 to 2015, contributions growth lagged premiums growth: the year-on-year contributions growth was 5.44 percent, 1.98 percent and 7.57 percent (4.99 percent average growth over the three years), versus 6 percent, 8 percent and 3 percent for conventional insurance (5.67 percent average growth over the three years).

The re-structuring of the Malaysian insurance and takaful markets is expected to drive sector growth, as new regulations push consolidation. Operators are also analysing the viability of new niches, such as micro–health takaful for rural communities. * source: Salaam Gateway

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OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 53

EDUCATION Rabat Declaration on Strategic Development of University Education in the Muslim World

University shields offered to ISESCO Director General and Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Rector

Rabat – At the close of its proceedings, the 7th Session of the General Conference of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World on 14 February 2017, held at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Rabat, called for encouraging a well-thought comprehensive strategic transformation of the Muslim world’s universities and higher education institutions into entities with a world-class quality standard, high competitiveness, good governance and a direct impact on Muslim societies development. This can be achieved by endeavoring to establish integrated systems and mechanisms for the management of the necessary changes and reforms towards boosting quality, performance and impact, and harnessing the human, tangible, information and cultural capital.

In the Declaration, the rectors and representatives of the Member Universities, invited universities to turn themselves from mere conveyors of information and inculcators of knowledge into hubs for scientific research, industrial innovation and scholarly creativity and a major source of efficient solutions to societal issues and to development challenges.

They also stressed the need for universities to serve as a breeding ground of leadership and highly qualified and multi-skilled senior staff capable of delivering the qualitative and strategic transformation of Muslim societies, while paying more attention to communication, creativity and innovation skills, capacity self-investment and research pro-

54 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

motion.

In the same vein, they called for enhancing the training of faculty and preparing them for the new roles pertaining to creativity, innovation, use of technology, management of innovative research, and the training of multi-skilled graduates capable of efficiently managing the educational process through modern technological media and promoting integrated and interdisciplinary action. To this end, they emphasized the importance of strengthening the effective institutional autonomy of universities, granting them wider powers in the management of their affairs and promotion of quality, and implementing innovative and creative qualitative programmers for continuous development and improvement.

The participants also called for involving all stakeholders of the university system such as students, families and government agencies in upgrading universities, boosting their performance and supporting them with ideas and expertise, in line with international standards. By the same token, they called for furthering communication between universities and graduates, while endeavoring to create an added value of brilliant graduates, establishing partnerships with them to provide moral and material support for the university, activating the mechanisms of soft diplomacy and graduate ambassadors, developing positive networking with alumni, and benefiting from their expertise and connections in developing universities.

In addition, they recommended strengthening capacities of universities to manage

and finance a larger number of their priority projects and activities through waqf investments, innovation commercialization, counsel provision, development of community, scientific and cultural programmers, and marketing of the studies and research offering practical solutions to societal problems and issues.

The deceleration also called for strengthening universities’ capacities in strategic planning, effective management and measurement of performance, rational and efficient use of performance indicators and mechanisms to enhance the overall quality of universities, upgrading universities to international quality standards, promoting local and international ranking of universities and active participation in international rankings, and working towards developing measurement mechanisms, and performance indicators in line with the Muslim world’s values, culture, civilization, specificities and aspirations to sustainable comprehensive development.

Enhancing communication, harmony, and integration between the various stages of education in Muslim countries was also recommend as a means to ensure integration of methodology and practice in human development and training of leaderships, starting from pre-school, to the stages of public, university and post-graduate education, lifelong education, and technical and vocational education, within a multidisciplinary and integrated educational system and through efficient curricula that are mindful of Islamic values and heritage.

In his address at the closing session of the Conference held under the patronage of H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the Director General of ISESCO and Secretary General of the FUIW, Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, described the outcome of the Conference as being responsive to the demands of development as planned by the Conference members to thoroughly advance university education in the Muslim world, and improve the Federation’s action and performance, while allowing it to benefit from contemporary trends and modern methods of university action development at various levels, and ensure quality and accreditation.

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ECONOMY

A technical report on the gold or gold-related financial products that can be traded among OIC member States presented at the 10th Forum Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States’ Stock Exchanges Forum, held in Istanbul in October 2016, indicate that OIC countries are generally at medium and lower ranks in terms of trade on bullion and derivatives of gold in the world.

The report compiled by the Task Force on Precious Metals of the Forum after a deep research on some exchanges established in the OIC Member States also noted that in terms of supply and demand, when data of scrap supply amounts of gold from the OIC countries for the purpose of fabrication from 2005 to 2015 are taken into account, the greatest scrap gold supply seems to be coming from Turkey with around 100 tons/ year. The report added that, the average scrap gold supply of all countries during the last decade amount to 509 tons/year. This amount accounts for 32.8% of the world scrap supply.

This implies that gold has a very sound basis and is in demand in the OIC countries. OIC countries are obtaining required raw material of gold through recycling scrap. Given

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the fact that jewelry sector constitutes the largest share within the world gold demand, the OIC countries account for around onefourth of the world’s jewelry fabrication.

The report also concluded that Borsa Istanbul; Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange and Bursa Malaysia, which are operating in Turkey, UAE, and Malaysia respectively have a distinguished position, in terms of trade on physical gold and gold-related financial products.

Many leading exchanges of the OIC Member States were included in the Task Force that conducted the research. Primarily countries having regulated and organized markets were taken into account and studied thoroughly. They include Turkey, UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

The report concluded that among the OIC Member States, UAE-Dubai and Turkey appear to be the most prominent countries where physical gold trade take place and have the most advantageous position. Apart from these two countries, gold futures are carried out at Indonesia - Jakarta Futures Exchange and Bursa Malaysia of Malaysia.

The report noted that when data pertaining to 2013, 2014 and 2015 are taken into account, it is seen that there are only four

OIC countries included in the top 20 countries producing the highest amount of gold across the world in terms of gold production from mines. The countries are Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Mali and Kazakhstan.

According to the report, out of the lists of 71 refineries accredited by the London Bullion Market LBMA, only 6 refineries of the OIC countries are included in the list.

Data pertaining to the largest exporters for year 2015 amongst OIC countries shows the dominant position of UAE, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Burkina Faso in the export of Gold. Some of the prominent exporters have taken the respective position owing to large size of their domestic market or being one of the most important gold trading partner for the region e.g. UAE for India, Pakistan and GCC. Data pertaining to those OIC countries of which central banks hold gold reserves of 10 tons and more as of 2015 shows that total central bank reserves of the countries have seen a growth trend in recent years and exceeded 2,000 tons as from 2013. However, when evaluated according to the world’s total gold reserves, share of the OIC countries has a very low value with 5.3% on average in the last decade.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 55

ECONOMY The OIC’s Current and Potential Role

in the Global Halal Food Trade

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprising 57 Muslim-majority countries, represented 1.38 billion Muslims in 2015 (80 percent of the world’s Muslim population). The OIC is a significant source of demand for halal food, importing $190 billion in food and beverage products in 2015, and accounting for 46 percent of the $415 billion halal-certified food and beverage industry.

The OIC incurred a substantial trade deficit of $69.3 billion in the food and beverage sector, with a heavy reliance on non-OIC exporters. Intra-OIC trade accounted for only 22% of total 2015 imports.

A recent report by Thomson Reuters and DinarStandard looked at the leading food exporters to OIC countries and identifies the top three categories as: vegetable and seed-derived products ($108 billion), confectionery inputs ($21.6 billion), and dairy and animal by-products (14.4 billion). Top exporters to the OIC are Brazil ($16 billion), India ($13 billion) and Argentina ($8.9 billion) While intra-OIC trade is relatively low in food and beverage, there are substantial opportunities for OIC countries to play a bigger role in the global halal food trade, each playing to their strengths.

The report has categorized OIC countries into four key segments, based on agriculture sector strengths and contribution to global halal food exports. Accordingly, halal trade hubs such as the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia can be distinguished from leading agricultural exporters such as Indonesia and Turkey.

The report reflected on food trade data to determine a strategic roadmap for OIC countries to partake in global halal food trade each country needs to determine its own strengths - considering whether their strengths are in trade, agriculture or food processing.

Further steps include partaking in regional trade events, marketing domestic companies and establishing a global supply chain.

The OIC has trade deficits for eight out of ten key categories of food, implying that, overall, its production does not sufficiently meet its domestic needs.

The key observations for 2015 trade were: * There remains a robust core opportunity for halal meat export to the OIC: The OIC was heavily dependent on the import of meat,

56 OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017

with an aggregate trade deficit of $11 billion. * Besides meat, vegetables, seeds, and dairy represent top export opportunities to the OIC. * The OIC does have some trade surpluses in individual food categories (fruits, nuts, and fish). * Intra-OIC trade represents a small portion of overall OIC food imports, with only 22 percent of OIC trade in 2015 sourced from OIC countries.

However, imports account for 15.9 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage across all OIC countries, which implies that 84.1 percent of food and beverage is domestically produced.

At the global, regional context, the OIC’s trade deficit in food is the second largest at $69.3 billion, after Asia, which has a substantial trade deficit in food of $173.4 billion.

Key countries involved in the OIC’s food trade Eighteen countries play a major role in the OIC’s food trade. The top 10 outbound markets represent 46 percent of the OIC’s imports, and the top ten inbound markets represent 62.5 percent of imports.

Key exporters Eight of the ten largest exporters to the OIC markets are non-OIC countries, with Brazil having a clear lead in the OIC food trade and representing 8.4 percent, or $15.9 billion, of total OIC imports: * Brazil: meat and live animals. * India: vegetable and seed-derived products. * Argentina: vegetable and seed-derived products. * Notable OIC export leaders: Indonesia and Turkey exporting vegetable and seed-derived products. * Meat and live animals (including fish): represents 12.1 percent of total OIC imports, with the largest ten exporters to the OIC accounting for 7.4 percent of OIC imports, led by Brazil at $5.2 billion, followed by Australia.

Key importers * Saudi Arabia: $21.5 billion (43.6 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed ($9 billion), meat and live animals ($4.3 billion) and dairy and animal byproducts ($2.1 billion). * Malaysia: $15 billion (50.4 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed ($5.3 billion), confectionery inputs ($1.9 billion), meat and live animals ($1.7 billion). * The United Arab Emirates: $14.8 billion (58 percent consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed ($5.3 billion) other processing inputs ($2.8 billion), dairy and animal byproducts ($1.4 billion). * Indonesia: $14.3 billion (7.4 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed-derived products ($6.1 billion), other processing inputs ($3.7 billion). * Egypt: $14.2 billion (17.4 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed-derived products ($7.1 billion), meat and live animals ($2.7 billion). * Turkey: $10.7 billion (9.1 percent of total consumer spend on food and beverage) - vegetable and seed-derived products ($6.4 billion), other processing inputs ($2.2 billion).

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ECONOMY

New Report Outlines Actions to Leverage Islamic Finance for Development The World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank published the first Global Report on Islamic Finance, which details the prospects for the global Islamic finance industry and its potential to help reduce worldwide income inequality, enhance sharing prosperity, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Subtitled “A Catalyst for Shared Prosperity?”, the report provides an overview of trends in Islamic finance, identifies major challenges hindering the industry’s growth, and recommends policy interventions to leverage Islamic finance for promoting shared prosperity.

The report outlines a theoretical framework to analyze Islamic economics and finance based on four fundamental pillars: • Institutional framework and public policy Prudent governance and accountable leadership Promotion of an economy based on risk sharing and entrepreneurship • Financial and social inclusion The report notes, however, areas where policy interventions are needed to develop Islamic finance’s effectiveness and fulfill its potential in helping to reduce inequality.

These interventions include: • Enhance harmonization, implementation and enforcement of regulations • Create institutions that provide credit and other information to support equity-based

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finance, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) • Develop capital markets and sukuk products to help finance large infrastructure projects • Provide regulatory recognition of products from other jurisdictions to expand the markets through cross-border transactions What’s needed to overcome these challenges?

The Islamic finance industry needs to expand beyond banking, which is currently a dominant component of Islamic finance, accounting for more than three-quarters of the industry’s assets.

However, for the banking sector, the report recommends creating an enabling regulatory and supervisory environment that addresses systemic risk across jurisdictions; introducing innovative risk-sharing products and services, rather than replicating conventional risk-transfer products; unifying crosscountry shariah rulings on Islamic finance; enhancing access to Islamic finance; and bolstering Islamic finance human capital and literacy.

Another area of development is Islamic capital markets. While still relatively young, they can provide opportunities to build assets but through equity- and asset-based finance. Particularly, the sukuk markets (Islamic bond) are suitable for financing infrastructure and encouraging entrepreneur-

ship. The use of sovereign sukuk to mobilize financing is essential to develop the market, as well as to promote transparency and efficiency of the asset pricing, according to the report.

The report also notes that policy makers should prioritize the development of nonbank financial institutions, which are currently underdeveloped and underutilized.

For example, Islamic insurance, takgGful, could provide important benefits to households and firms, improving their access to financial services.

Lastly, the report notes that using Islamic social finance can alleviate poverty and create a social safety net for the extremely poor, considering that these institutions and instruments (qard hasan, zakat, sadaqat, waqf) are rooted in redistribution and philanthropy. The report recommends creating governance systems to support orderly function of the Islamic social finance sector.

By tapping into the potential of the institutions like zakat and waqf, the report estimates that resource needs for the most deprived in most countries in South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa could be met.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 57

ECONOMY Al-Othaimeen: Series of Actions to Tackle Challenges of Unemployment in OIC Member States

Casablanca – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has stressed that the General Secretariat is implementing some series of actions to tackle the challenges of increasing youth unemployment and low industrial capacity utilization in OIC Member States.

This was contained in a speech he delivered at the 34th Ordinary Session of the Board of Directors of Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT), a subsidiary organ of the OIC, held at Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco, on 7-8 March 2017.

Al-Othaimeen explained that the session comes at a challenging time economically for the Islamic World, due to many reason which include inadequate investment in the critical sectors of the economies of OIC Member States, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the global collapse of commodity prices, and the resultant effect of this has been declining economic growth in many OIC Member States.

The Secretary General however observed that, “despite the difficult business climate in our countries, intra-OIC trade has continued to increase on a steady basis since 2004 due to the various interventions of our various trade institutions.”

“The convening of the 15th OIC Trade Fair in Riyadh and the sideline meetings held by our trade and investment promotion agen-

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cies have respectively catalyzed action in the domain of trade promotion and exchange of best practices among our specialiased agencies,” he added.

Al-Othaimeen also commended the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation ITFC’s interventions on trade financing, which stood at US$ 6.047 billion in 2015.

He stressed that the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) have also made interventions in the area of export credit and insurance as well as Islamic financing for the private sector respectively. All these actions according to AlOthaimeen are geared towards attaining the target of 25% of intra-OIC trade by the year 2025, as approved by the 13th OIC Summit held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, on 1415 April 2016.

The Secretary General noted that the General Secretariat has received inputs from Member States on their areas of need on trade related matters. He stressed that such measures would foster stronger intra-OIC cooperation in the domains of trade, tourism and investment mobilization, “much as they would also boost intra-OIC solidarity necessary for the realization of the objectives of our multilateral institution.”

Al-Othaimeen added that it is important to take into account the relevant OIC resolutions on the additional measures needed

for the operationalization of the Trade Preferential System among the Member States (TPS-OIC) stressing that “the Single Window Modality, the development of tradable commodities such as cassava, wheat, rice and cotton, as well as the implementation of the OIC Framework for Tourism Development are all projects and initiatives of paramount importance to our Member States.”

OIC Secretary General also commended the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) for establishing a partnership with the authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation and the organisers of the annual Kazan Summit. The participation of OIC Member States in the annual event has been helpful in expanding Halal Food Development and Islamic financial products in the Russian Federation.

For his part, Secretary General of the Ministry in Charge of Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Benayad underlined the need to coordinate efforts between Member States to face the challenges of the international economic climate by accelerating the activation of the Trade Preferential System among the OIC Member States and the implementation of the requirements of the new OIC Ten Year Plan of Action (2016-2025) in the economic and commercial fields.

In his contribution, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol noted that the constructive cooperation between his organization, the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade and all the OIC Institutions operating in the economic and commercial sector has resulted in numerous projects in the areas of trade promotion and facilitation, institutional and human capacity building, strategic product development, and support for SMEs production capacity and competitiveness. All these projects contributed to the increase in intra-OIC trade from 15.5% in 2005 to 20.33% in 2015.

The 34th Ordinary Session of the Board of Directors of Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT) discussed the draft work program, budget for the year 2018, Promotion of Trade and Investment, and Trade Negotiations within the framework of the TPS/ OIC among others.

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ECONOMY The OIC Steering Committee on Labour Examines Common Legal Frameworks

The steering committee meeting

Jakarta – The Second Meeting of the Steering Committee of Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers was officially opened in Jakarta, on 10 April 2017, by Mr. Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri, Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia. In his speech at the opening of the meeting, the Minister underscored the importance of the meeting’s agenda aimed at addressing in a collective manner the increasing complexity of employment challenges in OIC Member States. He, therefore, emphasized the need to prioritize youth employment, vocational training and the creation of a vibrant OIC labour market.

Addressing the meeting on behalf of Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, the OIC Secretary General, Amb. Hameed A. Opeloyeru, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, highlighted the progress made on the implementation of OIC resolutions on labour, employment and social protection since the 3rd Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2015.

OIC ASG Amb. Hameed Opeloyeru (L) at the meeting

The participating Steering Committee members, which featured delegates from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and host country, Indonesia, reviewed the various capacity building programmes executed in many OIC countries, including occupational safety and health activities, and commended Indonesia for convening a Workshop on Research and Studies on Islamic Concepts and Practices relating to employment on 12 April 2017.

The Meeting also reviewed three legal frameworks to harmonize standards and practices on labour matters among OIC Member States. These include: Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Skills; Bilateral Agreement on Exchange of Skilled Workforce; and OIC Labour Market Strategy.

The agenda of the meeting also included preparations for the Fourth OIC Conference of Labour Ministers (Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers) scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 29-30 November 2017.

Islamic Chamber Board of Directors and General Assembly Meetings held in Muscat The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the joint meetings of the 25th Board of Directors and 33rd General Assembly of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) under the patronage of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Sultanate of Oman, in Muscat on 12 April 2017.

Mr. Said Saleh Said Al-Kayoumi, Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the delegates and emphasized on the significance, of the role of the private sector in the development of the economies of the Islamic countries. Then, Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, President of Islamic Chamber, addressed the meeting. He also underlined the importance of the role of the private sector in development and combating poverty by way of exploring the potential investment opportunities with the objective of providing jobs to the youth. He called for exerting extra efforts for enhancing the current level of cooperation by providing information and creating awareness about the prospects available in their respective countries and to benefit from the information.

Dr. Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Sultanate of Oman delivered his speech, in which he highlighted the five major sectors that are targeted in the development plan of the Sultanate, namely the manufacturing, logistics, mining, fisheries, and tourism. In addition to other sectors that include finance, energy and SMEs, which contribute by providing indirect employ-

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ment opportunities for the youth.

The message of Dr. Yousuf bin Ahmed Al-Othaimain, Secretary General of OIC, was read out by Mr. Naghi Jabbarov, Head of Trade and Investment, Department of Economic Affairs in OIC. In his message, the Secretary General emphasized the vital role of the private sector in accelerating the process of socio economic sustainable development of the member states. In this context, he noted that the Islamic financial institutions of the OIC has allocated US$ 4.8 billion to support the medium small and micro enterprises.

The meeting approved to include the Commodity Exchange and Services within the scope of the major activities of the ICCIA. The Assembly also unanimously elected Shaikh Saleh Kamel as President of the Islamic Chamber for the next term.

The ICCIA presented to the meeting reports and studies on: • Field Study on the Experiences of Konya, Republic of Turkey • Report about Textile Industry in the Islamic World • General Secretariat Report on ICCIA activities and future program The following presentations were also made: • Turkey: on “OIC Arbitration Centre” • Pakistan: on “Trade in Services among OIC member countries” • Indonesia: on “Potentials and Development Abilities in the Oil & Gas Sector” • Northern Cyprus: Investment Opportunities in the Northern Cyprus

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ECONOMY IDB Agriculture Week Identifies Implementation Shortcomings of Agricultural Projects

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs speaking at the event

The Islamic Development Bank Group held an Agriculture and Rural Development Week under the theme “Inclusive Economic Growth through Productive and Resilient Agriculture” during the period from 19-23 March 2017 at its Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The event explored means and discussed successful models to promote inclusive rural economic growth with emphasis on enhancing smallholder productivity and resilience.

A number of local, regional, and international experts representing multilateral development banks and financial Institutions, UN agencies, private sector, civil society, research and academic institutions attended the event. Among them Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, the Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and a professor of health policy and management at Columbia’s School of Public Health and Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The first two days witnessed a number of capacity building and training activities on project procurement, financial management and IDB project implementation guidelines and procedures. An Agriculture Forum was held on 22-23 March during which topical issues like enhancing food security in an era of climate change, building strategic partnerships, governance and strengthening institutions for impact, financing for development, and sustainable Development Goals: focus on the billion poor.

The event highlighted progress and impacts of IDB Group’s investments in agriculture

and rural development, captured lessons on what is working well or not, and provided opportunities for building partnerships internally within the IDB Group and with stakeholders.

The President of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB) Dr. Bandar Hajjar stressed that, the problems of climate change, fluctuating rainfall, as well as conflicts and economic fragility are the most important challenges facing the agriculture sector in the member countries, and need a clear vision and joint efforts to overcome them.

The IDB Group president underlined the importance of speeding up the completion of agricultural projects financed by the Bank during the predetermined timeframe. He said that the “Agriculture Week” organized by the bank provides an opportunity for the representatives of participating member countries and the Bank’s competent authorities to identify implementation shortcomings and weaknesses and to consider the best ways to implement agricultural projects efficiently and in accordance with fixed timetables by focusing on project management practices.”

IDB PPP Forum: Participants Call for Public-Private Partnership Model The Islamic Development Bank’s First PublicPrivate Partnership Forum called for adopting its namesake model to handle the challenges of socioeconomic development in the bank’s member countries.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, said that the group is putting every resource available at the disposal of its 57 member countries so that they could gain experience in building successful partnerships between the public and private sectors in every field, especially with the gigantic chasm between the two in the funding they provide for these partnerships.

“We all know that laws and regulations alone are no guarantee for a successful partnership,” said Hajjar. “Both parties must work hard to create successful ties that actually work. Each one of the two sectors have multifaceted administrative, economic, judicial, legal, and social aspects that need to intertwine and hook up at just the right points, and all stakeholders must share a

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common understanding of the principles of transparency, disclosure, accountability, and equal rights, as well as a clear determination of responsibilities for the efficient use of resources, boosting competitiveness, finding new sources of funding, expanding projects, creating new job opportunities, and solidifying economic stability in our member countries.”

Hajjar said the PPP forum, held under the theme “Challenges, Opportunities, Achievements,” aimed to address the most significant issues and topics related to the partnership between the public and private sectors.

He added that IDB seeks to transform the challenges facing member countries into promising successful opportunities through PPP. He also stressed that financial, manpower and knowledge resources available are limited compared to the major development needs of the member states that require diverse resources.

Of the forum’s four sessions, the first saw a discussion of examples of successful pub-

lic-private partnerships in various member countries.

Participants in the second session discussed the public-private partnership model that Saudi Arabia adopted to support the Kingdom Vision 2030 in terms of developing national infrastructures.

Session three discussed motives that drive the implementation of the public-private partnership model, as well as the challenges that thwart it, such as inadequate revenues that prompt governments to seek alternative sources of funding. They also discussed successful projects that resulted from this model of partnership, new regulations and bylaws that facilitate it, and the growing awareness of regulatory frameworks that govern public-private partnerships.

The fourth and final session covered the developmental needs of member states, how public-private partnerships can help fulfill those needs, and the current challenges they face in bringing about such partnerships.

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State of Energy Sector in D-8 Countries A recent report on the State of Energy Sector in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Development Cooperation (D-8) published by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) indicated that Fossil fuel energy sources make up 95 percent of the total primary energy production of D-8 countries.

In contrast, while renewable energy sources make 13 percent of the world total primary energy production, it only makes 3 percent in D-8 countries.

Energy is both a cause and a condition to economic growth of the economy. Given the finite nature of carbon-based energy and the eventuality of the post-oil era, effective strategies and policies are needed to deal with the future of the energy sector at both the national and regional levels.

As global populations around the world witness increasing growth, the demand for less volatile and more clean and diverse energy portfolios is now becoming more critical than ever before.

SESRIC, a subsidiary organ of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), noted that “The State of Energy Sector in D-8 Countries� report will be a useful contribution to expanding the knowledge related to the energy sector in the D-8 Countries.

All the D8 Member States - Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey - are also Members of

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the OIC.

Energy Resources and Supply The report observed that, with a slight decrease over the last five years, oil production of D-8 countries has been kept steady.

In fact, more than 80 percent of total oil production of D-8 countries originates from Iran and Nigeria.

Regarding coal production, the total production of D-8 countries has increased more than 50 percent in the last five years. This rate was higher than what is obtainable in the remaining OIC countries and other developing countries. The production levels of coal in D-8 countries, however, is lower compared to the production levels in other developing countries and developed countries. It should also be noted that around 85 percent of the total coal production in D-8 countries is from Indonesia.

As for natural gas production, the total production level of D-8 countries is below that of the rest of the developing countries and developed countries. This is the opposite of what it would have been expected comparing differences in reserves. In fact, total production of dry natural gas in developed countries is more than the double of the total production level of D-8 countries even though total reserves was less than the half of the reserves in D-8 countries.

Regarding nuclear energy production, it seems that this is not the most preferred source for energy production in D-8 coun-

tries even though it has its advantages over fossil fuels. Among the D-8 countries, Pakistan and Iran are the only two countries with nuclear energy production. Although Iran has the most capacity for nuclear energy production, Pakistan is leading in total production.

On the other hand, the total production of renewable energy in the D-8 countries has been increasing in the recent years. Although the rest of the developing countries are improving a lot faster in this type of energy production, D-8 countries are showing a promising future.

As a secondary energy production, the installed electricity capacity of the D-8 countries has been growing steady over the past five years. As is the case in other country groups, fossil sources are the most preferred sources for generating electricity in D-8 countries. Overall, the use of renewables and nuclear energy in D-8 countries seem to be at a very low level (15 percent, compared to 29 percent in the rest of the developing countries).

According to the United Nations Population Fund, the world population has reached 7.3 billion as of June, 2015. This has become a challenge due to limited supply of traditional energy resources. Thus, the state of energy sector has been the topic of much discussion in the recent years.

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OCCASIONS Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of Khojaly Massacre at the OIC headquarters

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) headquarters in Jeddah on Monday, March 13, 2017, commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly massacre carried out by the Armenian armed forces on the night of February 26, 1992 in the province of Nagorno Karabakh of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an OIC Member State.

The Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the OIC Ambassador, Rasim Rzayev,

described Khojaly massacre as carrying out all the characteristics of genocide and ethnic cleansing in terms of its size and heinousness. Pointing out that the issue of Karabakh (meaning in the Azerbaijani language: the Black Garden) does not concern Azerbaijan only, “it concerns the entire Muslim Ummah and it can only be solved if it becomes an urgent issue for all Islamic capitals.”

As result of the Khojaly massacre and accord-

ing to Ambassador Rzayev, 613 people were killed brutally after being tortured, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly, in addition, eight families were completely eliminated, 25 children lost their parents and 130 children lost one of their parents, and 1,275 people were taken prisoners, including 150 people whose fate is still unknown.

The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, said that facts confirm that the Khojaly massacre is one of the consequences of the illegal Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, pointing out that the issue of Armenian attacks against the Republic of Azerbaijan has received the OIC’s attention since 1992.

The Secretary General reiterated the OIC’s demand for the Armenian forces to respect the internationally recognized borders and to withdraw from all Azerbaijani territories immediately and unconditionally.

OIC Secretary General Conducts Soft Opening of IPHCR Headquarters in Jeddah OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen has stressed that the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) stands as proof of OIC’s commitment to promoting and protecting all human rights in accordance with international human rights law with full independence, impartiality and objectivity.

Al-Othaimeen made the statement during the soft opening of the IPHCR Headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 22 March 2017, where he was greeted by the executive director of IPHRC, Mr. Marghoob Salim Butt.

The Secretary General thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its continuous support to the OIC and the IPHRC. The headquarters agreement for the IPHRC was signed with

the government of Saudi Arabia on 2 February 2017.

The OIC Secretary General congratulated the entire team of IPHRC Secretariat and Commissioners for reaching the important milestone of starting their work from their own premises. “It marks a new chapter in their history, as it contributes to the process of full administrative independence,” said Al-Othaimeen.

IPHRC was established as one of the principle organs of the OIC in 2011. Its secretariat was previously housed within OIC General Secretariat.

Video Production Training for OIC Staff at Thomson Foundation in London The Public Information and Communication Department of the Organization of Islamic Department has organized a training workshop on video production for its staff and staff from the International Islamic News Agency and the Islamic Development Bank at the Thomson Foundation in London on 13-17 February 2017.

The training workshop covered topics such as the basics of shooting videos including audio and sound, telling stories with test, the differences between working with mobile and bigger cameras, conducting interviews, introduction to editing, planning a shoot and storeyboarding.

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“We are focusing more now on producing more visual content for our website and social media platforms,” said Maha Akeel, Director of Public Information Department.

“That is why we were keen on this partnerx-

ship with Thomson Foundation on training our staff on viedo production, which went very well and the staff were happy with it,” she added.

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COUNTRY PROFILE Tajikistan

Area: 143,100 km2 Population: 8.5 million (2015) Capital: Dushanbe Official language: Tajik Currency: Somoni (TJS) Independence Day: 9 September

Tajikistan is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. With an area of 142,500 km2, the country is the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. It is located between Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan to the north and west, Afghanistan to the south, and China to the east.

History Tajik nation adopted the state system for the first time at the end of the 9-10th centuries. The independent state of Samanids was created and there was rapid development of economy, culture. Prominent scientists and thinkers such as Abuali ibn Sino (Avicenna), poet and philosopher Omar Khayam, the founder of Tajik poetry Rudaki, the great poet Firdavsi and others were living and working in Central Asia during the period. The Samanid’s state fell at the end of 10th century under the attacks of nomadic tribes and at the beginning of 13th century it was conquered by Mongols. During the 14th and 15th centuries the territory of the modern day Tajikistan became a part of the Timur state and his descendants. In the 16th century, Tajikistan became part of Khanate of Bukhara. In the second half of the 19th century, the Central Asian Khanates were added to Russia. September 9, 1991 – is very important in the recent history of Tajikistan. It was the day Tajikistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. For ma-

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jority of population of Tajikistan (over 98%) Islam is not just a religion but a way of life.

Geography Tajikistan is home to some of the highest mountains in the world including parts of the Kunlun, Himalayan, Tien-shan and Pamir Ranges. Mountains cover 93% of Tajikistan’s surface area. More than half of the country lies above an elevation of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft).

Animals are also abundant. Tajikistan boasts some 80 species of mammals, more than 365 kinds of birds, 49 kinds of reptiles, 40 kinds of fish, 10 thousands of various insects. One can observe such predators as snow leopards, lynx, bears, hyenas, otters, wolves, foxes and martens, as well as deer and rock-goats.

Tajikistan has the largest coal reserves in Central Asia. The estimated total geological coal reserves amount to some four billion tons. Eighty percent is coking coal. Deposits have been discovered for many rare and precious metals such as zinc, lead, bismuth, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, silver, antimony, mercury and fluorite, as well as gas and petroleum, among others.

Tajikistan is rich in various natural resources, including such precious and semiprecious stones, as marble, precious spinel, clinohumite, lazurite, ruby, corundum, sapphire, garnet, rubellite, topaz, morion, poly-

chrome, tourmalin, hambergite, scaploite, turquoise, etc. Many of them are classified as jewelry or collection items.

Tourism Location of the Republic of Tajikistan on the crossroad of Great Silk Road, rich historical and cultural heritage, unique natural resources give an opportunity for tourism revival in the country. Main direction of tourism development in Tajikistan includes mountain climbing, mountaineering, ecological tourism, historical and archeological tourism, rafting and hunting, medical and health resorts with the use of vast radon springs, mud baths, mineral and thermal resources.

Recently, due to the Government efforts and stable political situation the flow of foreign tourist to the country has increased. There are other tourist attractions in Tajikistan such as the man-made unique monument of nature in the Pamirs is the Pamir Botanical Garden, located at an altitude of 2320m above the sea level near the city of Khorog.

Against a background of barren slopes, this garden is a real green miracle, where more than 20,000 plants from all the continents are collected. The rare and unusual specimens of plants, as Amur velvet, cork tree, black Austrian pine and a unique collection of roses with the purest colors and incomparable smell are among them.

OIC Journal Feb - Apr 2017 63

VIEWPOINT Meeting Humanitarian Needs‌ An Uphill Battle

T Maha Mostafa Akeel Chief Editor

The decisions we make now, the preventive measures, the solutions applied could heal the wounds and reverse the downhill course from conflicts to reconciliation, from destruction to prosperity, and from divisions to compassion

he recent report by SESRIC, a subsidiary organ of OIC, on the humanitarian situation in the member states paints a gloomy picture. The numbers are scary, depressing and utterly frustrating: 61.5% of all displaced population in the world are in OIC countries; around 80% of all new internal displacement in the world during 2014-2015 took place in OIC countries; 71% of people who globally require humanitarian assistance reside in OIC countries; 67% of all refugees had originated from OIC countries; and the top three countries who collectively a source of 53.7% of all refugees in the world are OIC member states.

The concern in Somalia of an imminent famine due to severe drought resulting from shortage of rain is ringing the latest warning bells of another looming humanitarian disaster, unless addressed immediately.

Yet, the world is suffering from donor fatigue, in addition to economic difficulties. Not enough money is being raised for any of the current humanitarian disasters in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, the Rohingya in Myanmar, and of course not forgetting Palestinians suffering under Israeli occupation and blockade of Gaza Strip. The security situation is also not helping; most of these places are devastated by wars and terrorism. Furthermore, media reports indicate that fear of prosecution under UK and US counter-terror laws hinders those trying to provide humanitarian assistance in areas held by militants.

Surely this dire situation and these numbers are a testimony that the Muslim world is living one of its worst periods of time in history. Civil wars, internal conflicts, foreign occupation, natural disasters and on top of that terrorist acts make a deadly combination for a large-scale humanitarian crisis that is sinking the whole society in collective despair.

However, despite all these calamities, the future does not have to be bleak. The decisions we make now, the preventive measures, the solutions applied could heal the wounds and reverse the downhill course from conflicts to reconciliation, from destruction to prosperity, and from divisions to compassion. A visionary strategy, wise planning, and a strong will to act and implement is needed to set this Ummah back on track towards achieving unity, peace, and development. All levels of society, from the individual to the group, from civil society to government, from private to public sectors, are responsible for the welfare of each member in society and the country.

We know the solutions, we know what needs to be done, and we know the way forward and how to proceed. So lets put those programs of action into action and work together to achieve our goals. In this regard, the OIC Journal highly appreciates the special article by the President of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, which highlights the need for Islamic solidarity to meet the challenges of our time.

In this issue of the OIC Journal we zoom in on the situation in Somalia and the urgent humanitarian appeal launched by OIC to save Somalia from imminent famine. The issue also looks at other humanitarian situations in Gaza, Nigeria and Lake Chad region, a review of the SESRIC report on the humanitarian situation in OIC member states and coverage of some recent forums addressing humanitarian issues.

On the political front, the reports on Afghanistan and Syria also touch on the humanitarian needs.

Issue 36 offers a rich pallet of features and reports covering human rights, Islamophobia, culture, health, media and economy. The issue provides a detailed report on the first OIC ministerial conference on marriage and family institution, which aimed at empowering the family and preserving its values by devising strategic, long-term solutions to the challenges and problems faced by family, and contribute to redressing the stereotypical position given to women within the family and correcting misconceptions about marriage and family.

The issue also gives a hint of the exciting 4th Islamic Solidarity Games scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 12-22 May 2017, promising to be a successful, world-class event.

The issue also gives a hint of another very important and significant event coming up in September 2017 in Kazakhstan, and that is the first OIC Islamic Summit on science and technology. Preparations are underway for this event, which is expected to adopt a document that stresses that science and technology will play a critical role in addressing contemporary challenges of development.

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About OIC

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Dr. Yousef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen is the 11th Secretary General who assumed the office in November 2016.

The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 40 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states. The Charter was amended to keep pace with the developments that have unraveled across the world. The present Charter of the OIC was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 to become the pillar of the OIC future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the 21st century.

The Organization has the singular honor to galvanize the Ummah into a unified body and have actively represented the Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations.

The Member States of the OIC face many challenges in the 21st century and to address those challenges, the third extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down the blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action. It has successfully concluded with the close of 2015. A successor programme for the next decade (2016-2025) has been adopted.

The new programme OIC-2025 is anchored in the provisions of the OIC Charter and focuses on 18 priority areas with 107 goals. The priority areas include issues of Peace and Security, Palestine and Al-Quds, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-terrorism, Investment and Finance, Food Security, Science and Technology, Climate Change and Sustainability, Moderation, Culture and Interfaith Harmony, Empowerment of Women, Joint Islamic Humanitarian Action, Human Rights and Good Governance, among others.

Among the OIC’s key bodies: the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee and three permanent committees concerned with science and technology, economy and trade, and information and culture. There are also specialized organs under the banner of the OIC including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as subsidiary and affiliate organs that play a vital role in boosting cooperation in various fields among the OIC member states.

For more details, visit the OIC website at www.oic-oci.org

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