OIC Journal - Issue 27

OUR MESSAGE Economy.. Backbone of a Strong State

Iyad Madani OIC Secretary General

Greater attention to the development of networks for the transportation of goods and products among Member States, would support the growth of intra-trade and deepen partnership with the private sector.

Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation possess huge economic capabilities, from natural and human resources, tourism–attracting locations to heavy, conventional and handicraft industries. These significant resources should call for optimism and point to a bright future.

According to 2010 data, the OIC Member States had then a population of about 1 billion people, 53.5% of whom are youth; their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 was valued at around US$5.8 trillion, representing 8.9% of the global GDP. They also possess 65% of the world’s proven oil reserves, a strong agricultural base, and formidable financial assets. This means that the OIC Member States enjoy enormous capabilities to engage in rewarding social and economic partnerships. However, management and planning methods still need to be improved and external trade relations need to be enhanced. Weak infrastructure, hazy regulations to protect investors’ rights, and weakness in the exploration, development and usage of raw materials remain key obstacles and difficulties facing economic development in the Member States. That is why the OIC is striving through its relevant institutions to confront these challenges in order to achieve sustainable development as well as improve production standards and income in the Member States.

During the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Jeddah in June 2014, the Council urged Member States to expedite ratification of the various trade agreements, which would facilitate intra-trade among States, ultimately increase trade exchange, and increase national income. Similarly, the call by the Council on Member States and OIC institutions to pay greater attention to the development of networks for the transportation of goods and products among Member States, would support the growth of intra-trade and deepen partnership with the private sector, helping thus to reduce poverty, maximize resource usage and capacity building.

In this regard, the OIC’s trade and agriculture development agenda accords priority and importance to supporting trade financing, facilitating trade, and supporting small- scale agriculture and project creation. As a result, the value of trade and investment reached US$5 billion in 2013, up from US$2.5 billion in 2008, while the establishment of a specialized institution on food security in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, is set to boost efforts to address the impact of the global financial and food crises on the OIC Member States.

In a similar vein, the OIC focuses on tourism, making the best of tourist destinations in its Member States, be they religious, natural, historical, cultural, or therapeutic. By so doing, Muslim tourists are no longer confined to choosing non-Muslims destinations for their travel. This trend could be sustained if and when the necessary procedural and infrastructural facilities are set up, and banking and hotel services of various standards as well as transportation and communication means and tourism information are properly established.

In this context, the 8th OIC Ministerial Session of Tourism held last year in Gambia, adopted a mechanism for designating an Islamic tourism capital and identified a set of criteria for handcraft excellence. Also,the first session of the International Forum on Tourism was held in Indonesia in June 2014, which focused on the main elements of Islamic tourism, notably Islamic Sharia-compliant facilities, promotion of halal foods and drinks, and paying attention to Islamic cultural features.

Statistics reveal that Islamic tourism is steadily increasing; thus generating employment opportunities and encouraging small-scale projects.

The halal foods and drinks sector, for its part, seems to hold much promise. The global market for the halal food products, estimated at about US$2.3 trillion, witnessed rapid growth in the last decade. The OIC General Secretariat is striving to develop a clearer framework for halal food standards and accreditation. Halal certification will be based on the OIC halal foods rules and criteria as part of a clear regulatory environment that should govern this important and profitable sector.

Furthermore, the OIC accords special importance to micro-credit financing, being a useful tool of addressing poverty, unemployment, and women marginalization. The General Secretariat, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), seeks to work out a practical, transparent, and flexible model of small-scale project funding.

These are but a few of the programs and plans the General Secretariat and its institutions endeavor to implement for the economic development of its Member States, especially the least developed countries. We hope that our Member States would better cooperate towards realizing these programs for the benefit of the Muslim world and its peoples.

OIC Journal Issued by The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Chief Editor & General Supervisor Maha Mostafa Akeel Editors Dr. Abdelhamid Salhi Layout & Design Mohammed Abdelqader Qalaba Advisory Board Ali Abolhassani Shahreza Dr. Abubaker Bagader Jakhongir Khasanov Address: Madinah Road, P.O. Box 178, Jeddah-21411 Saudi Arabia Tel: 6515222 Fax: 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 - U.S.A. 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 OIC Journal do not necessarily represent the views of the OIC, but are the personal views of the authors themselves. However, 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 (CIDC) 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: September – December 2014 26 September: Annual Coordination Meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers – UN Headquarters, New York, USA October: Investment Forum on OIC Plan of Action for Cooperation with Central Asia – Dushanbe, Tajikistan 20-21 October: 5th OIC Conference on Women’s Role in the Development of OIC Member States – Baku, Azerbaijan 1-6 November: 6th Regular Session of OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) – OIC Headquarters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia November: Meeting on Pooling of Procurements – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 19-20 November: The Meeting of the Executive Council and General Assembly of the Islamic Broadcasting Union (IBU) – OIC Headquarters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 25-28 November: 30th Session of the COMCEC – Istanbul, Turkey 3-4 December: 10th Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM) – Tehran, Iran

CONTENTS World Affairs 16.

OIC Secretary General welcomes new Iraqi government, condemns ISIS threats and forced displacement of Christians

18 .

OIC supports Nigeria in confronting Boko Haram terrorist group

36 .

Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation pays an official visit to the OIC

39 .

OIC making contact with Muslims in Cambodia

4

OIC exerts diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in support of Muslims in Central Africa

Humanitarian Affairs 33 .

OIC Humanitarian Organizations Council sets up working mechanism

34 .

Madani visits Zaatari Camp and inspects Syrian refugees conditions

Human Rights 40.

9

The OIC Executive Committee Meeting on Grave Situation in Palestine

OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission Calls for referring Israeli detention of Palestinians to International Court of Justice

Culture 43. Sharja – Islamic Capital Culture 2014 Healt 46. Islamic Scholars Declare Polio Vaccination Parental Duty, Community Responsibility

20

41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers

47

OIC countries account for almost half of all Malaria cases worldwide

54

Member States Consider Ways of Boosting Islamic Tourism

Media 51. OIC Convenes a Training Session in Singapore for Officials in-charge of Information in Islamic Institutions in Asia

Economy

58 - 59. IDB celebrates 40th anniversary, Launches a US$2 billion fund for infrastructure

Opinion Articles 13.

19.

49.

Minimal Concept of Palestine Concept of International conflict : Issues and Crisis Story of Model OIC: A Step to revive the Ummah

IN FOCUS

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OIC exerts intense diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in support of Muslims in Central Africa

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation exerted intense efforts in support of Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR), which had witnesses since December 2013 tragic events and bloody conflict at the hands of anti-Balaka Christian militia. The OIC’s efforts at the diplomatic and humanitarian level were in implementation of the open-ended emergency meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level, which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Jeddah on February 20, 2014.

The targeting of Muslims by the militia anti-Balaka since the fifth of December, have caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Muslims, who represent between 15 to 20 percent of the population. The capital Bangui has been purged of Muslims where there are only now about two thousand Muslims remaining out of an estimated 250 thousand, holed up in the central mosque and hiding in some areas. Muslims were subjected to violence, mass killing, human rights abuses and looting of their property and the demolition of their homes, in addition to the demolition of around 400 mosques.

The atrocities and sectarian violence had devastating effects on both Christian and Muslim communities, where there are still

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around 550 thousand people displaced within Central Africa, as of July 2014. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are more than 350 thousand people, most of them Muslim, who have fled the violence in the Central African Republic to neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

OIC diplomatic efforts The OIC followed closely the crisis in the Central African Republic since it erupted. It held an open-ended emergency meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Jeddah on February 20, 2014. Following that, the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, appointed Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio as special envoy to the Central African Republic. Gadio is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal, an experienced mediator, academic and a prominent politician.

At the end of April 2014, a high level Ministerial delegation of the OIC made a solidarity and assessment visit to the conflict torn Central African Republic (CAR), an Observer Member in the OIC. The delegation led by the Chairman of the 40th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Foreign Minister of Guinea, Lounceny

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IN FOCUS Fall, included representatives from members of the OIC Executive Committee, the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani and the OIC Special Envoy for CAR, Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio.

During the historic field visit, the delegation held series of meetings in Bangui, the capital with the Transitional Authorities in CAR including the President, Catherine Samba-Panza, the Prime Minister, Andre Nzapayeke with several Ministers in attendance, the President of the Transitional Parliament in the presence of many members of the Assembly, representatives of faith leaders and the civil society. It also had fruitful exchanges with key international partners who briefed it on the security, political and humanitarian situation in the country.

The delegation also paid a visit to the Central Mosque where it examined the pathetic condition of the hundreds of Muslims who have been trapped inside the premises and interacted with them on the way forward. The delegation underscored the sanctity of the unity and territorial integrity of CAR to all its interlocutors, but called for an immediate end to all forms of violence against Muslims, highlighted their right to safety and insisted on the protection of their fundamental rights as citizens of CAR. As part of its mission, the delegation paid visits to the Republic of Congo where it reviewed the crisis with President Denis Sassou Ngesso in his capacity as regional mediator in the conflict in CAR. It similarly visited the Republic of Chad where it listened to the perspective of and received guidance from the leader of the regional body of Central African States, President Idriss Deby, on the crisis in CAR. During his meeting with the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Ngesso, the OIC Secretary General proposed a regional paradigm of concerned neighboring countries to find a radical solution to the bloody conflict in the Central African Republic. The Secretary General expressed the will of the OIC to find a political solution out of the crisis in the Central African Republic. He also stressed on the need for a national dialogue that satisfies all parties, as the success of the national dialogue will undoubtedly contribute to the return of peace and security of the country.

Humanitarian missions Based on the recommendations of the emergency meeting of the Executive Committee on the situation in Central Africa, the Secretary General gave instructions to send a humanitarian mission jointly with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). During the period 14 to May 21, 2014, the OIC delegation embarked on its humanitarian mission to the Central African Republic, Chad, and Cameroon. The mission held consultations with officials in the countries concerned by the crisis to discuss ways to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the affected displaced persons and refugees, as well as to obtain preliminary information on the ground by visiting the camps for displaced people in the Central African Republic and the refugee camps in both Cameroon and Chad.

The OIC and IDB mission was able to form a humanitarian alliance to work under the banner of the organization. The Alliance includes several agencies and humanitarian organizations in the Member States and in other countries such as the International Islamic Relief Organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Red Cross, the Turkish IHH organization, Turkey’s Doctors Around the World, Qatar’s Charity Foundation, Britain’s Islamic Relief, and Britain’s Islamic Aid. The OIC Humanitarian Alliance mission proceeded with its first emergency projects for the benefit of refugees in the Republic of Chad who fled the grinding conflict in the CAR. The IDB pledged to provide a million dollars in special aid for the implementation of several educational and service projects. The Bank will establish

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integrated schools to accommodate 750 male and female students from the refugee children in camps in the south of Chad, in addition to providing educational materials and furniture for those schools. The project also includes three water wells serving 12 thousand people, 650 fully equipped shelter tents and 91 toilets.

Earlier, the OIC and the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) provided humanitarian assistance to Chad, which includes 250 tents, 6 boreholes, and a power generator of 101-KVA capacity, to the returnees and refugees at the Zafala Camp, located at the Gaoui site in the capital Ndjamena. Six thousand returnees from the Central African Republic have been transferred to the Camp by the Chadian authorities following their efforts to evacuate the over-crowded social centers in the capital city. Medical supplies were also distributed to returnees and refugees, including food and non-food items, to centers in Sahr, Sido, Doba and Mbitoye, where thousands of affected people have sought refuge after fleeing from the CAR. There are more than 100 thousand refugees in Chad since the outbreak of the crisis in the Central African Republic in December 2103 who have been sheltered by various international humanitarian organizations in around 12 camps set up in each of N’Djamena, Sarh, Sido, Doba, Baibokoum, and Gore. The OIC and the Islamic Solidarity Fund has contributed during the period of January to February 2014 to the setting up hundreds of tents, several water wells and electricity generators, in addition to providing large quantities of food and medicine.

In the PK5 district where the remaining Muslims are sheltered in the capital, Bangui, and who do not exceed a few thousand in number, the OIC Humanitarian Alliance mission met with the religious leaders. Because of the siege, the Muslims holed up in PK5 district suffer from lack of food and medicine, and cannot find burying ground or cemeteries for their dead so they bury them within their living areas.

The mission held meetings with officials in the capital, Bangui, including the Prime Minister, Mr. Andre Nzapayeke, where it was agreed that there was a need to open an OIC office in Bangui to coordinate the work of humanitarian organizations operating under the umbrella of the OIC. The mission conducted a field tour of the camps for displaced people in the district of Kilo12 near the airport of the capital, Bangui, during which it was briefed on the conditions of the displaced and determined their immediate needs.

The mission also observed the conditions of displaced people in the Nasraddine School and Mosque. The mission also met with civil society organizations and international organizations working in the capital, Bangui, to explain the objectives and program of the humanitarian mission of the OIC. The OIC humanitarian mission then stood at the situation on the ground of the Muslim refugees who are in the northern regions of Cameroon and adjacent to the southern border of the Central African Republic. The members of the mission visited some refugee camps in northern Cameroon, and discussed with officials at the camps and the refugees on the urgent needs, marked by the lack of adequate food, drinking water, and shelter tents.

The Muslim refugees in Cameroon who fled the violence complain of the large number of snakes and mosquitoes, and the diseases that kill their children. There are in Cameroon alone, some 150 thousand refugees sheltered in a dozen main camps and other camps scattered along the border with the Central African Republic. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), many of the refugees arriving from the Central African Republic to the east of Cameroon, most of them women and children, are malnourished and diseased after weeks of walking and hiding in the bush.

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PALESTINE FILE UN International Meeting on the Question of Jerusalem in Ankara:

Welcomes OIC Secretary General’s Call to Search for Innovative Ways in Confronting Israel

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he participants in the UN International Meeting on the Ques- dom of worship and to preserve their sacred sites and support the tion of Jerusalem welcomed the call made by the Secretary people of Jerusalem and help them to develop their community.

General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to The Meeting called on the international community, academic and the Secretary General of the United Nations to search for media institutions, schools and universities to be aware that the Juinnovative and effective ways of confronting Israel’s flagrant viola- daization narrative of the city of Jerusalem and Palestine is infiltrattions of international law and ending the racist system of govern- ing their curriculums and media, and to hold fast to the Muslim and ment, which is similar to the racist system (apartheid) of govern- Christian narrative concerning Jerusalem. Doing so is particularly important at this stage, when the city and its people are facing the ment that existed in South Africa before liberation.

As part of observing the International Year of Solidarity with the challenges of Israelization and Judaization, in particular the suspect Palestinian People, the OIC and the UN in partnership with the gov- narrative that purports to Judaize the history and authenticity of the ernment of Turkey organized a joint International Meeting on the blessed AlAqsa Mosque.

Question of Jerusalem in Ankara on 12-13 May 2014. The meeting, The Meeting also called on the UN to shoulder without delay its which aimed to discuss the strengthening of international support responsibility to put an end to the threat posed by the accelerating for a just and lasting solution of the question of Jerusalem, was pace of Judaization measures, in particular those that threaten such inaugurated by Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of civil rights as citizenship, housing, education and freedom to worTurkey, and Iyad Ameen Madani, OIC Secretary General, and Robert ship at Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Iyad Madani, Secretary General of the OIC, said in his opening Serry, Representative of the UN Secretary General.

In the final recommendations adopted by the Meeting, the partici- statement that the OIC has been following Israel’s violations in the pants endorsed the consensus arrived at by the scholars and jurists occupied city of Al-Quds with deep concern, which represent not who participated in the Road to Jerusalem Conference, which was only aggression against the Palestinian people and their land and held in Amman in late April 2014, to call on all Palestinians, regard- sanctuaries, but also blatant defiance of the international commuless of their nationalities, and Muslims around the world to affirm nity. These violations also pose a threat to the security and stability their right to defend their sacred Islamic and Christian sites and to of the whole region, emphasizing that it is an international duty do so by paying a religious visit to the blessed AlAqsa Mosque and to face up to Israel’s “apartheid” actions. He also emphasized that praying there and by maintaining contact and support of the stead- the situation is now at a “critical political juncture”, concretized in the impasse reached in the peace negotiafastness of the Palestinian people. tions after Israel, the occupying power, “shut The participants welcomed the call of the down all the doors” to any possible progTurkish Minister for Foreign Affairs to the The situation is concretized ress towards a just and comprehensive poTurkish people that they should hold fast in the impasse reached in the litical settlement that would ensure security to their historical and religious ties to the and stability in the region. The immensity of blessed AlAqsa Mosque and that they should peace negotiations after Israel, Israeli violations of international law “comsupport their Palestinian brothers and other mands a different brand of international inMuslims in defending the blessed AlAqsa the occupying power, “shut tervention”.

Mosque and its Islamic identity by visiting the down all the doors” to any posThe OIC Secretary General met with the BuMosque and praying there, just as they visit reau of the UN Committee on the Exercise the sacred Kaaba and the blessed Mosque of sible progress towards a just of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian the Prophet Muhammad. and comprehensive political People, and expressed OIC readiness for furThe participants also welcomed the call ther cooperation with the UN in support of made by the OIC Secretary General to all settlement that would ensure the just cause of the Palestinian People. It is Muslims and Christians that they should expected that more joint events will be held reach blessed Jerusalem by any means pos- security and stability in the in this regard. sible in order to express their right to free- region.

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PALESTINE FILE Abbas and Madani Discuss Practical Measures to Support Al-Quds and the Palestinian Cause Madani lays wreath on late President Yasser Arafat’s grave in Ramallah

general.

Madani and his accompanying delegation also met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, to discuss the issues to be reviewed at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC in Jeddah on 18 and 19 June 2014. Al-Maliki raised the issue of the strike by the Palestinian prisoners and briefed the meeting on the challenges experienced by the Palestinian people, including the procedures of the occupation, which affect land and people, and the serious violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, and the city of Al-Quds as a whole.

The two sides agreed on a number of steps to be implemented in the coming period, taking into account the development of a follow-up coordination mechanism.

Later, Madani held a meeting with a group of university students and representatives of Palestinian civil society organizations who informed him of the most important needs in the city of Al-Quds and Palestine overall.

OIC supports Palestinian decision of accession to international organizations and treaties

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yad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) discussed in Ramallah a plan of action to translate the results of the intensive meetings conducted by the OIC General Secretariat over the past months for the benefit of the Palestinian Cause.

This took place when H.E. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, received the OIC Secretary General in his first visit to Ramallah on 22 May 2014, in confirmation of the top priority of the Palestinian Cause on the OIC agenda. The meeting took place at the president’s office where the two sides discussed the need to activate practical mechanisms to encourage Muslims to visit Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the proposal of establishing a waqf in the capitals of OIC Member States for the benefit of the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the formation of a ministerial delegation of OIC Member States to move in influential capitals of the world to convey the OIC message on the Israeli violations against the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

In an earlier meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, the OIC Secretary General reiterated the importance of coordination and integration between the funds allocated to support Al-Quds in particular and the Palestinians in general in order to mobilize more support for the city of Al-Quds and enable the Palestinian Government to meet its obligations towards the completion of projects for the development of vital sectors in Palestine. The two sides agreed to allocate a special day on Al-Quds in Member States to raise awareness of the city and the Palestinian culture in

Israel’s Election as Vice-Chair of Fourth Committee Against Colonization Contradicts Committee’s Credibility and Role www.oic-oci.org

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The OIC Secretary General welcomed the Palestinian leadership’s decision to sign letters of accession to 15 international organizations, treaties and conventions, and considered this decision a remarkable step that has the support of the OIC. He drew the attention of the OIC Member States’ representatives in New York and Geneva on the need to mobilize support for this decision.

Madani calls on the international community to support the efforts of the Palestinian national reconciliation

The OIC Secretary General welcomed the agreement signed between the delegations of the PLO and Hamas to implement national reconciliation, on the basis of agreements of Makkah and Cairo and the Doha Declaration. The agreement is a mainstay and an important step toward restoring the unity and cohesion of the Palestinian people and to enable them to cope with the serious challenges imposed by the Israeli occupation, the denial of Israel to the peace process through settlement policy and the blockade, and the systematic attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Secretary General stressed the need to expedite the translation of the agreement to reality in the political arena and the readiness of the OIC to continue to contribute to any steps that would strengthen the Palestinian national unity.

Madani called on the international community to support the efforts of the Palestinian national reconciliation and to provide the means to its success given its role in promoting peace and stability in the region.

he OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, condemned the decision to elect “Israel” as ViceChair of the General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). He described the election of Israel, an occupying power, as a negation of the credibility of the Committee, more so because Israel had

systematically continued its illegal practices and racist policies against the Palestinian people and rejected implementation of the Committee’s resolutions on Israeli occupation and violated relevant United Nations resolutions. Its election represents contempt for the entire international community.

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PALESTINE FILE A Palestinian consensus government is the salvation from domestic crises

Gaza, Palestine (dpa) – A fast food restaurant recently opened in Gaza under the name “Reconciliation” (Musalaha), tantalizing the aspirations to end the division with the West Bank.

The restaurant became popular with its innovative name, and arose in the people of Gaza the dreams out of the vortex of domestic crises they have been suffering from for years through impending steps to reform the Palestinian consensus government.

Activists on social media commented on the incident of the restaurant that it is not just an embodiment of trading on national slogans, but perhaps also the reconciliation has become over consumed to the extent of becoming suitable as a palatable meal to customers.

The recent agreement announcement to implement the reconciliation between the delegations of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, which controls Gaza, was welcomed with great interest by the people of Gaza.

However, Gaza residents are still worried of the repeated decelerations in achieving reconciliation since the beginning of the domestic division mid June 2007.

The latest reconciliation implementation agreements included seven items; most notable is the formation of a consensus government within five weeks, and conducting presidential, legislative as well as the Palestinian National Council elections synchronously in six months. Furthermore, the agreements included emphasis on the commitment to the Cairo reconciliation agreement of May 2011, and the Doha Declaration of February 2012 as a reference in implementation.

Gaza residents and those involved in economic activities hope that these efforts to form a Palestinian consensus government this time succeed in solving their domestic crisis, or at least reduce its unprecedented severity.

Maher Al-Tabbaa, a director in Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, said that the expectations in Gaza Strip to form a Palestinian consensus government are huge; it represents the hope to the salvation of the aggravated economic and living conditions in the Strip.

Al-Tabbaa pointed out that the consensus government is required to work hard to lift the blockade from Gaza, open all the commercial crossings, and provide entry of all kinds of goods without

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restrictions in quality and quantity to the Strip, in addition to marketing and exporting the industrial and agricultural products of the Strip.

Traders and businessmen in Gaza look forward to the new government to be able to address the duality in the decisions, laws, regulations and procedures related to collecting taxes and customs between the West Bank and Gaza; something they have suffered from throughout the years of division and contributed to the weakening of the private sector and lack of growth.

They emphasize that improving the economic and living conditions, and reducing unemployment and poverty, are the greatest challenges that will face the government in the next stage.

Israel has imposed a tight siege on Gaza Strip since Hamas seized control by force. It decided to ease the blockade a little due to international criticism following its attack on Gaza “Freedom Flotilla 1” in the summer of 2010, but it kept restrictions on dozens of goods, claiming they can be used in hostile acts against it.

Local officials say that Israel only allows 40 percent of the consumer needs to Gaza residents, and it bans raw materials and the necessary construction materials needed to stimulate the local economy.

Conditions deteriorated further in the Gaza Strip when the Egyptian army launched a large-scale campaign early last July to close smuggling tunnels between the coastal strip and Egypt.

The tunnels remained the lifeline for Gaza over the years of blockade, and closing them without an alternative led to a state of paralysis on the local economy, with high rates of poverty and unemployment.

Officials in Fatah movement, led by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, announced that forming the desired consensus government would ensure an immediate solution to the crisis of the Rafah border crossing and find an alternative to the smuggling tunnels.

In the face of these expectations, the obstacles that stand in the way of reconciliation raise the fears of Gaza residents, especially under Israel’s threats to impose economic sanctions and political isolation on any future Palestinian consensus government.

“Minimizing the impact of the financial and economic Israeli threats is a priority to accomplish the formation of a consensus government,” said Ali Al-Hayek, head of the Businessmen Association in Gaza.

Al-Hayek expressed optimism about an expected breakthrough in the economic conditions when forming a consensus government, especially with the intensified efforts to compel Israel to re-open the crossings, lift the siege on Gaza, and to allow the flow of imports and exports in both directions.

In case of re-opening the Rafah crossing to the people and goods, as a result of the formation of the Palestinian consensus government, specialists and economists expect economic conditions to witness a breakthrough in the sector in the face of economic pressures expected by Israel.

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PALESTINE FILE From left: OIC Secretary General, Saudi Minister of State, and Egyptian Foreign Minister

The OIC Executive Committee Meeting on Grave Situation in Palestine:

Calls for convening of emergency sessions by the Security Council and Human Rights Council Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – During their expanded Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee, Foreign Ministers attending the meeting urged the OIC Member States to act in favor of the early convening of an emergency open session of the UN Security Council to examine the current Israeli violations and aggressions against the Palestinian people, their homeland and their sacred places, and to put an end to the Israeli aggression and provide the necessary protection for the Palestinian people.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on 10 July 2014 in light of the current Israeli military escalation on the Palestinians, their lands and sanctities, which resulted in the killing of hundreds of children, youth, elderly people and women in the Gaza strip, in addition to the human rights violations against Palestinians, the most atrocious is the burning alive of the boy Mohamed Abu Khdeir.

The Final Communique called on the OIC Ambassadorial Group in Geneva to act in favor of the convening of an emergency session of the Human Rights Council with a view to setting up a special international task force to investigate Israel’s crimes and violations against the Palestinian human rights. It also invited the OIC Secretary General, in coordination with the chairmanships of the Islamic Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers and with Palestine and the chairmanship of Al-Quds Committee, to set the established ministerial Contact Group in motion without delay, including initiating contacts with the influential international parties, acting for an immediate end to the Israeli aggressions and conveying the OIC’s message on the city of Al-Quds.

The meeting invited the State of Palestine to complete the process of its accession to all international organizations and Covenants and more particularly to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

The Communique also called for a prompt international intervention to end the Israeli abusive detention campaign which has affected, over the past few days, more than 800 Palestinians, including parliamentarians and recently liberated prisoners including Pre-Oslo prisoners.

In his speech at the meeting, Dr. Nezar Madani,

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the meeting called on the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council in Geneva to assume their responsibilities and implement the Fourth Geneva Convention against Israel, referring to Israel’s violation of all international and humanitarian laws. Undermining the Coalition Government and inciting violence attest to Israel’s determination to sabotage the peace process, he added.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister Samih Shukri, whose country chairs the current session of the Islamic Summit, stressed that Egypt continues its intensified contacts until the Palestinian people are relieved of the Israeli aggression and the peace process is resumed towards achieving the State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital.

The OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani is his speech called for the immediate action of the Ministerial Contact Group, including initiating contacts with the influential international parties, for an immediate end to the Israeli aggressions and conveying the OIC’s message on the rights of the Palestinians in the occupied city of Al-Quds/Jerusalem. He stressed the need for an effective action at the international level to exert pressure on the Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to convene a meeting that would adopt measures to guarantee the implementation of the Convention in occupied Palestine including East Jerusalem.

The Foreign Minister of Palestine Riyad Al-Maliki also addressed the meeting and briefed the participants on the latest developments in Palestine, including the horrible manner in which Mohamed Abu Khdeir was burned where they forced him to drink benzene and then lit fire in his mouth and internals before poring benzene on his body to burn and die screaming. Al-Maliki said that since the disappearance of the three Israeli settlers on 12 June and despite that Israel, the occupying power, knew within hours of their murder, a wide operation of raids was conducted and air strikes on Gaza and the Israeli forces invaded cities, villages, universities and more than 600 homes, noting that the barbaric Israeli military aggression on Palestinians comes as collective punishment measures by Israel.

UN Security Council is urged to examine Israeli violations and agressions against Palestinians.

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OIC Journal May - August 2014

9

PALESTINE FILE

Gaza massacre Gaza massacre did notdid exclude a

not exclude ANYONE

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May - August 2014

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PALESTINE FILE 2138 Killed in the Israeli Aggression on Gaza The Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip has resulted in at least 2138 martyrs and 11,100 injured, during the period from 8 July, when the aggression began, until 26 August, when the long-term ceasefire was declared.

The official statistics show that among the martyrs were at least 433 children, 79 elders, and 255 women, while the total number of 11,100 injured included 2877 children, 1972 women. Furthermore, the number of people who became homeless was 475 thousand Palestinian.

The statistics of the Palestinian Ministry of Information show that the estimated number of houses targeted by the Israeli bombardment reached 10,700, of which 1724 were demolished completely, while 8880 partially.

Furthermore, “12 ambulances were destroyed, 10 primary health care centers were damaged and 34 were shut down, while 13 hospitals were damaged as the result of the bombing of the Israeli occupation forces.”

As for schools and universities, the aggression had targeted 188 schools, with 152 thousand students affected, while the targeted Palestinian universities were 6, and the number of university students affected by the attack is 10 thousand. The number of mosques attacked is 132, in addition to one church. The attacks have also affected the Islamic cemeteries, destroying 10 of them, and one Christian cemetery.

Statistics estimate the economic losses at over 6 billion USD, with 19 of the electricity company facilities destroyed either completely or partially, in addition to 22 charitable organizations where 180 thousand citizens were affected by the destruction of these organizations.

The number of destroyed water and sanitation stations was 8, with about 700 thousand Palestinian citizens affected.

These damages have formed a solid platform of a crucial decision by the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, on 23 July 2014, that resulted from mobilize efforts of the OIC countries in the Council. The Council’s resolution condemned, in strong terms, the massive, systematic, and scandalous violations to the principles of international human rights, and basic freedoms, as a result of Israeli military operations. It also called on an immediate end to the Israeli attack on the occupied Palestine, and demanded Israel to end all forms of illegal blockade on Gaza strip, which in itself is a collective punishment to the civilian Palestinian population.

The Council’s resolution also called for an international investigation into the violations committed by Israel, which led to martyrdom of hundreds of Palestinian civilians, displacement of thousands, and destruction of infrastructure, farms, and houses. The UN Human Rights Council decided in to send an independent international commission of inquiry, urgently, to investigate the violations of international law, and international human rights law, in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and specifically Gaza Strip.

It is estimated that it would take around 20 years to rebuild Gaza, which could be stalled due to Israeli blockade.

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OIC Journal May - August 2014 11

PALESTINE FILE Second Executive Committee Meeting on Gaza

Calls for holding a donors’ conference Kuwait Foreign Minister

T

From left: OIC Secretary General, Saudi Foreign Minister, and Palestinian Prime Minister

he Expanded Extraordinary Executive Committee Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the Level of the Foreign Ministers on Gaza, called for convening a donors’ conference to rebuild what the Israeli aggression destroyed, expressing its deep concern over the continued brutal military aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation army by land, sea and air against the Palestinian People in the Gaza Strip.

The Meeting was held at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, on 12 August 2014, and chaired by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, with the attendance of the Prime Minister of Palestine, Dr. Rami Al-Hamadallah, OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, and a number of foreign ministers.

The Meeting, in its final communiqué, expressed its disappointment at the failure of the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security, to take the necessary measures to stop the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian People. It called for an urgent initiation of the Ministerial Contact Group formed to move and engage with active international parties, stop the Israeli aggressions, and convey the message and resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

In his speech at the Meeting, Prince Saud said that Saudi Arabia is committed to the continuous financial support for the Gaza Strip reconstruction programme, as well as US$500 million donation through the Saudi Development Fund. The Saudi Foreign Minister also pointed to the recent announcement made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, to donate 300 million Saudi riyals (around $80

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million) to meet the expenses of the necessary health services resulting from the unjust Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

For his part, Madani said this ongoing human tragedy experienced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip places on Member States, individually and collectively the responsibility to take all possible measures to meet this challenge. It is the General Secretariat’s view that the priorities to guide the OIC’s efforts at the present include are: ensuring an end to the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip; ending the illegal Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip; opening border crossings, and enable Palestinian citizens to live in a stable society; bolstering all efforts to revive the peace process and protect the Palestinian people from a repeat of Israeli attacks and carnage; and consolidating the national reconciliation government of the Palestinian factions.

As for taking action, the Secretary General stressed on the need to meet a number of requirements in order to achieve the objectives set by the OIC through allocating the necessary budget for the legal action on the International Criminal Court and the Apartheid state cases, and approving a budget for preparing detailed economic and financial feasibility study for reconstruction and opening the Gaza Airport and for establishing a seaport in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Prime Minister said that one of Israel’s objectives in its last aggression is undermine the Palestinian unity government, detach Gaza from its Palestinian whole, and strike the representation of Palestinian Liberation Organization, pointing out that the Palestinian people, despite the death and pain and suffering, will stay united.

Turkey Foreign Minister

Qatar Foreign Minister

Pakistan and Yemen Foreign Ministers

Sudan Foreign Minister

Bahrain Foreign Minister

Jordan Foreign Minister

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OPINION

Minimal Concept of Palestine

P

alestine may be a much talked about issue to the point of depreciation. There may not be anything new to add to it except the daily details that look so much alike. The continued repetition of the daily details instills in the reader a feeling of boredom and tediousness.

Or perhaps as much as it has been written about, it has not received its due publicity because of the grave crime committed against its lands and people.

Between these two views, Palestine may be divided into three dimensions to give a pyramidal picture of what it is today.

Aiman Abboushi Department of Information OIC

There is the “living reality” Palestine, which only about 4.5 million Palestinians in the occupied lands of 1948 and 1967, who are aware of. It is the exceptional circumstances under which the Palestinians live through the daily news stories with all their momentum and complicated structures.

There is the “geopolitical” Palestine, which is embedded in the files of the Palestinian and Israeli negotiators and their sponsors, the Americans. This Palestine is also found in the repercussions of the regional issues, the special considerations and interests of other countries and their red lines.

In this context, it is a postponed, sectioned and divided Palestine, which often shrinks in accordance to the circumstances and frozen rights and the unfulfilled promises.

The third is the “phantom” Palestine, which has accumulated in the minds of the Palestinians in the diaspora and in the broader Arab and Islamic circles.

The Palestinian cause appears in all Arab crises, as more obvious in differentiating between a friend and an enemy. It is the only issue that can unite the Arabs and Muslims under one banner in the face of a clear enemy.

With time, this image has become a romantic picture with the liberation movements, the revolutionary circles and the peace activists.

For seven decades, Israel has targeted the three concepts of Palestinian cause.

It has started with chopping off the “living reality” Palestine through the consolidation of its occupation, usurping lands, constructing Jewish settlements, stealing the natural resources, dispersing the people and marginalizing them by turning them into a class of workers serving its expansionist projects.

Since 1991, Israel has started creating what is known as the “geopolitical” Palestine. It has turned it through its futile negotiations into a complex and a tool to buy time so as to retract its international commitments and the accusations of racism.

Israel has also exploited Palestine to find a foothold for itself in an area, which is alien to it with a different demographic set up.

Today, Israel finds itself confronting the “phantom” Palestine. Israel is at present banking on the regional polarization, sectarian repulsion and the state of chaos currently prevailing in the Arab region.

Israel is aware that it would not achieve its objective except through security concerns, survival instincts, and the feelings of injustice among the Arab people, especially that these people have been active on issues regarding sharing authority and fighting corruption.

It is not surprising that the “phantom” Palestine shrinks under the burden of the daily misery, the fear of the future and the growing trend of nationalism. The cause has thus dwindled to a low level in the priority of Arab media. It is now not more than any regional issue or crisis.

Israel has tested the vulnerability of the “phantom” Palestine in the Arab and Islamic minds by brutally foiling the peace process. It has gone on with its atrocities without any fear of repercussions.

Israel has continued building settlements and is continuously intruding in the Aqsa Mosque. It is also going on with its excavations and is proceeding with its occupation process of Al-Aqsa in the absence of the Arab and Islamic anger and protests, and launched a deadly war on Gaza among international silence.

The Palestinian cause appears in all Arab crises, as more obvious in differentiating between a friend and an enemy. It is the only issue that can unite the Arabs and Muslims under one banner in the face of a clear enemy. The cause has always been the instigator of the Arab streets and the unifying element of the Ummah. Its fall means the indirect forgoing of the collective moral obligations and common responsibility towards the Ummah project or unity in its different forms.

This delimma puts us in front of the debate of the Palestinian to remain as the desperate refugee, or to present him as a successful civilized project, at a time when most are still connecting between the first tent written by Ghasan Kanafani in “The Land of the sad orange” of the Palestinian wander, and its current status in 2014, especially that there is a huge difference dividing the two cases, which require a more mature look at the stage at which the cause has reached.

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OIC Journal May - August 2014 13

WORLD AFFAIRS Historical elections in Afghanistan

Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Turkey to monitor the Algerian Presidential election.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, congratulated the people of Afghanistan for their participa-

tion in the historical elections of 5 April 2014.

He commended all Afghans for their courageous decision and political maturity in deciding to resort to political means for advancing democracy in their country.

The Secretary General noted that the high turnout of Afghans during the election day despite attempts to prevent or discourage people from participating in the elections is by itself a laudable victory for the Afghan people. He further expressed the hope that the people of Afghanistan would soon embrace what they really deserve, a peaceful, stable country and a prosperous life.

The results were supposed to be announced at the end of July, but with controversy around the votes, estimated around 8 million votes, it has been agreed to recount them, which might take three weeks.

Observers have warned that more delay in the elections might lead the country to more instability.

Algerian President Bouteflika wins fourth term The incumbent Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was reelected with 81.53% of the votes for a fourth presidential term. Among the 22.8 million Algerians who were entitled to vote, the percentage of participants in Algeria was 51.7%. The Algerian president sworn in on the twenty-eighth of April, and thanked those attending his fourth inauguration ceremony.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, congratulated the people of Algeria on the successful conduct of transparent and democratic Presidential election, which was held on 17 April 2014.

OIC observers monitored the election process in Algiers and other Provinces and had noted with satisfaction that the electoral process was conducted in a free, fair, democratic and transparent manner, in conformity with the Algerian election rules and regulations as well as with the internationally accepted norms.

Upon an invitation by the Government of the People`s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Madani dispatched a team of observers composed of officials from the General Secretariat and experts from

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The OIC Secretary General calls upon all the Darfurian stakeholders to join the Doha Peace Process In his statement addressed to the 8th meeting of the Implementation and Follow-up Commission (IFC) of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) held on 28 April 2014 in El Fasher, Darfur, and delivered on his behalf by Amb. Habib Kaabachi, the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani reiterated the full support of the OIC to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur as being the only way to reach a peaceful, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Darfur conflict.

The OIC Secretary General commended the initiatives and contributions of the State of Qatar within the efforts of the international community to settle peacefully the conflict in Darfur in full respect to the unity, stability and security of the Sudan. He also urged all Darfurian parties and armed movements to respond positively to the call for national dialogue of President Bashir and to shun the path of violence and join hands together to implement the provisions of the DDPD as it provides for the development, security and stability as top priorities in Darfur.

The OIC stressed on the need for coordination and consultation between the UNAMID and the Sudanese authorities for the implementation of the key provisions of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The OIC also called upon all donors to contribute to the capital of the Darfur Development Bank in order to make it an efficient mechanism leading the process of reconstruction and material development in all Darfur provinces. Madani renewed OIC’s readiness to harness all its potentials to support peace and development in Darfur.

Attack on Muslims in Assam State, India The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, condemned the attacks on Muslims in which 32 were killed, including women and children, in Assam State, India. He also expressed concern at local media reports of hundreds of Muslim villagers fleeing their homes with belongings on pushcarts as a result of the violence. Madani expressed that these attacks are criminal acts of brutality against innocent civilians.

Madani urged authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and supported its efforts to bring rule of law to the areas affected by violence.

The Secretary General reiterated that the OIC is opposed to all forms of extremism that are incongruent with the values and principles of any religion, human rights and of international law.

The remote state of Assam has been suffering from sectarian violence for a long time, where the Bodo tribe clashes with the Muslims for being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Sectarian clashes in Assam in 2012 resulted in killing tens of Muslims and the emigration of 400 thousand people.

The attacks have escalated to coincide with the general elections held this April.

Terrorist Attack in China An attack by five suicide bombers in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, targeted a market in the area, led to the death of 31 people and 94

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WORLD AFFAIRS injured, mostly elders as witnesses claimed; local media reported.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, condemned the bombing attack in Urumqi, Capital City of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on 22 May 2014, which left 31 people dead and dozens of others wounded according to official Chinese sources.

The Secretary General expressed his condolences to the family members of the victims, and his well wishes for the recovery of the wounded.

The Secretary General also called for a thorough investigation of the motives, roots and frame of reference for such acts of violence and criminal acts.

The Chinese security forces imposed strict security procedures after the attack. “The government will prevent terrorism and extremism from spreading to other regions.” the New China News Agency confirmed.

The Secretary General attends El-Sisi inauguration ceremony Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was sworn in as Egypt’s president for the next four years at the headquarters of the Supreme Constitutional Court, after winning with 96% of the votes in the presidential elections on June 3rd 2014. The interim president Adly Mansour gave a speech, followed by the elected president’s speech. The two presidents then signed the handover of power documents.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by members of the Supreme Court, government and religious figures, diplomats, and heads of states and governments and parliaments. They were received by the President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi before signing the document and the handover of power, followed by lunch in honor of their presence.

Later, the Secretary General made an official visit to Cairo, on 25 August, 2014 during which he met with H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as well as with Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry and a number of other Egyptian senior officials.

During his visit and audiences with the Egyptian leadership, Madani discussed several important issues of mutual interest, given Egypt’s current chairmanship of the OIC Summit, foremost of which the ongoing developments in the Middle East and the OIC’s efforts and initiatives at the regional and international levels, along with Egypt’s pivotal role in advancing joint Islamic action in all spheres.

Madani welcomes Libyan parliament’s first meeting and exhorts all parties to shun violence Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, welcomed the first meeting in Tobruk of the Libyan parliament following the elections of 25 June 2014, which was attended by the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Hisham Yusuf on behalf of the Secretary General.

Madani stated that the formation of the new parliament was an important step and a reflection of the people’s will. He expressed the hope that this would be the beginning of a new era to finding a consensual working formula among the Libyan parties through

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a comprehensive national dialogue process that would help lay a democratic foundation for national peace, building of a state of law and institutions and respect for human rights.

The Secretary General renewed his call to all parties to embark on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, shun all attempts to resolve political differences through violence and avoid the dangers of descent to chaos and disintegration of the country.

Worth noting, the OIC General Secretariat participated in observing the elections for the Council of Representatives for the transition period that took place on 25 June 2014 in response to an invitation from the High National Elections Commission in Libya. The delegation of the OIC General Secretariat observed elections in a large number of electoral centers in the capital, Tripoli and the adjacent areas and managed to monitor all stages of balloting and witness vote count.

Turnout was low due to insecurity, especially in Benghazi.

The final results for the second parliamentary elections in Libya, after the fall of Gaddafi regime, were announced on July 21st. The High National Elections Commission noted that the electoral process have settled 188 seats out of 200, the total number of seats, for the House of Representatives, and distributed the vacant seats on the other sub-districts.

The results showed a loss for the Muslim Brotherhood and the political Islamic organizations, as they gained no more than 23 seats, while the remaining seats were divided between the civil liberals, federal, and independents.

OIC Group in New York calls on the international community to support the post-flood reconstruction efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zlatko Lagumdzija briefed the Permanent Representatives of the OIC Member States to the United Nations in New York on 9 June 2014 about the latest situation in his country caused by the floods and landslides.

The Foreign Minister stated that the enormity of the damage caused by the floods and consequent landslides, was unprecedented over the past more than 120 years of Bosnia Herzegovina.

Zlatko Lagumdzija stressed that 30 percent of the entire territory of his country has been flooded, and that according to preliminary estimates 10 percent of its GDP was lost as a result of the damage caused. In addition, Foreign Minister has drawn attention to the landslides with minefields. It was unknown where these mines were after the landslides.

The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two priorities, he underlined: housing and jobs. Particularly, the government prioritized to make a visible progress in the first 60 days after the floods in terms of housing the flood victims and recreating jobs in the field of agriculture.

The bright side of the disaster was, he noted, that the Bosnian and Her-

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WORLD AFFAIRS zegovinian society (all three main communities: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs), regardless of ethno religious difference, has united in solidarity in order to tackle the damage. He stressed that this natural disaster has blurred the fault lines between different identities in the country, and made it more united than ever happened since its independence.

In that sense Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia have joined their efforts to counter the damage caused by the massive floods that affected all three of them. During such a meeting of the three countries, where they pondered on the ways to fund the reconstructions efforts, he recalled, it had been apparent that Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have had different legal statuses vis-à-vis the European Union. The first is a member, the second is a candidate, and the third is neither member nor a candidate.

Therefore, while the first two were eligible to receive funds from the EU solidarity fund, Bosnia and Herzegovina was not.

Yet, the real issue at stake, he expressed, was not simply to finance the reconstruction efforts, but to sustain the spirit of solidarity this natural disaster created among the three countries, and fund the reconstruction efforts of all three of them in an impartial way, regardless of their legal status vis-à-vis the EU. He reported that it is planned to organize the donors’ conference by mid July.

Foreign Minister Lagumdzija noted that various international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank and European Commission were currently carrying out total damage and needed assessment together with BiH authorities. These assessment reports were due around 18th of this month, and then they would be available for the consideration of all countries willing to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In response, the Permanent Representatives of the OIC Member States have unanimously expressed their countries’ support and solidarity with the government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They stated that the emergency aid provided by their respective countries would be followed by further aid and support after the assessment reports indicating the specific needs. Furthermore, the OIC Group called on the international community to extend its support to the government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their collective efforts to rebuild their lives and communities in the spirit of solidarity transcending ethnic and religious diversity.

OIC Secretary General welcomes new Iraqi government, condemns ISIS threats and forced displacement of Christians The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, welcomed the positive develIraqi Prime Minister opments in Iraq Dr. Haider Al-Abbadi with the election of Dr. Saleem Al-Jbouri as Speaker of the Parliament, Dr. Mohamed Fuad Massoum as President of the Republic, and Dr. Haider Al-Abbadi, as Prime Ministerdesignate tasked to form a new government.

The Secretary General expressed the hope that these significant unfolding achievements, will help enhance the security and political stability of Iraq; and preserve the multi-ethnic and multi-belief

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diversity of its fabric, in an environment of peace, justice and equal opportunity for all.

These steps, Madani added are likely to help Iraq overcome the daunting challenges it faces.

Iraq could now be set to re-engage positively with the Arab, Islamic, and international communities to its own advantage and that of the region as a whole, he pointed out.

He called on all regional and international powers to support Iraq across the full spectrum of its national and ethnic components, with true commitment to Iraq’s national unity and cohesion; and to refrain from attempting to secure political gains out of the plight of any Iraqi community.

Madani reaffirmed the OIC’s unstinting commitment to Iraq’s independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. The OIC, he added, is as ready as ever to extend its full support to Iraq in order to preserve its social unity and its centuries-long character of peaceful co-existence.

Worth noting, a delegation from the OIC General Secretariat had participated in the observation of the Iraqi parliamentary elections held on 30 April 2014. The elections witnessed a high turnout by the Iraqis in a courageous and fearless way in spite of the security situation in the country. The turnout was 60%, a matter that demonstrates the high level of awareness and the wish of the Iraqis to deepen the democratic practice in their country.

Earlier, the OIC Secretary General had expressed deep concern on the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, especially the latest events in Mosul.

The city of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, has witnessed shocking events in June, as it fell under the control of the terrorist group “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham” (ISIS), after seizing the Mosul airport and the governor headquarter, and released about a thousand prisoners. The military forces and police were not able to defend the city.

One of the repercussions of the events was the fleeing of nearly half a million people, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in addition to cutting power and water in the western side of the city, as a result of destroying the main water station. The ISIS forces also imposed control over the governmental departments in Mosul.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General condemned what the terrorist group ISIS, is committing against innocent Christian Iraqi citizens in Mosul and Nineveh including forced deportation under the threat of execution; thus further tearing apart the social fabric of the Iraqi people.

The Secretary General added that this forced displacement is a crime that cannot be tolerated; and that the practices of ISIS have nothing to do with Islam and its principles that call for justice, kindness, fairness, freedom of faith and coexistence.

Such atrocities also contradict the principles of the OIC that call for the entrenchment of a culture of tolerance and affinity among all nations and peoples, he added.

The Secretary General stressed that the OIC stands ready to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance to the displaced until they are able to return to their homes.

Reports have shown that thousands of Christians fled to neigh-

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WORLD AFFAIRS boring Kurdish areas, where most of the refugees were housed in schools in the city of Erbil, while others slept on mattresses on the sidewalks waiting to be moved to camps or residential buildings.

OIC expresses concern over incidents of violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani expressed serious concern at the incidents of violence by extremist individuals in June against Muslims in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala and Draga Nagar in Sri Lanka. The reports of several fatalities and dozens injured as well as attacks on homes, businesses and mosques are deeply regrettable.

He noted that the Muslim community in Sri Lanka has a long-standing presence in the country and a tradition of living in peace and harmony with their compatriots. Muslims represents an important and active community that contributes to the cultural and economic life of Sri Lanka as a whole. The recent attacks appear to follow a rising trend of violence instigated by extremists, which is spreading fear and mistrust among the population.

While appealing for calm and peaceful relations between the communities, Madani urged the authorities to enforce the rule of law, investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Secretary General expressed the hope that the Sri Lankan authorities would exert every possible effort to prevent further escalation of violence.

The Muslim minority, which makes 10% of the population, is demanding the Sri Lankan government to provide protection against religious intolerance.

Mauritania holds successful Presidential Elections The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, congratulated the people of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania over the success of the presidential elections held on 21 June 2014. He also congratulated the Independent National Elections Commission and all those involved in the largely peaceful and orderly elections process.

An elections monitoring delegation from the OIC observed the presidential elections in Mauritania. The delegation undertook extensive field visits to many polling stations and observed large turnout of Mauritanian voters at the polling centers, exhibiting responsibility and interest in contributing to building democratic institutions in their country.

The OIC Secretary General hopes that these elections and its outcomes would bring about greater societal stability and economic well-being for the Mauritanian people.

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The election resulted in the winning of the incumbent president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, with a second presidential term, with 81.89 percent of the votes, after a two-week campaign in which 1.3 million registered voters participated.

The president-elect renewed his commitment to “continue promoting national unity, independence, justice, fighting mismanagement and social inequality, and reducing poverty with better distribution of national wealth.”

Dialogue between Malian Government and armed movements reaches an agreement The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) participated in the meeting, which was held in Algiers in late July and for a week, to support the Malian dialogue, which resulted in an agreement between the Malian Government and the 6 armed movements that participated in the dialogue on the cessation of hostilities fully between all factions, and develop a roadmap in order to reach a lasting peace in the northern Mali. The negotiations were to resume in August in order to reach a final peace agreement.

The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, participated in the opening session of the high-level meeting on July 16, 2014 with the participation of Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the presence of a High Representative of the Malian President in charge of the comprehensive Malian dialogue. International observers confirmed that this meeting, which brings together the Malian Government and the six armed movements active in north of the country, represents the first phase of the comprehensive Malian dialogue to reach a lasting peace and stability in Mali.

For his part, the OIC Secretary General, in his speech to the meeting said that “Algeria’s effort to launch a dialogue between the Malian parties, is a crossroads opportunity, especially to the representatives of the various factions of the Azawad and movements of northern Mali to reach what they aspire for.” He stressed the priority of Mali’s territorial integrity and the option of peace and negotiation, taking into account the cultural specificity, community and geography of the component of North Mali, as well as the need for the international community to support laying the foundations of sustainable development in the north of Mali.

Madani also confirmed the readiness of the OIC to help unify the visions between the parties to the crisis for the future of Mali. He also expressed the readiness of the Organization to assist Mali in the construction phase.

At the conclusion of the first phase of the dialogue between the parties concerned in the Malian crisis, the Government and the 6 movements that participated in the dialogue signed two documents, one on ending the armed conflict and fighting between the two sides, and the other to form a roadmap for the future path of negotiations. The agreement was signed from the Government side by the Foreign Minister, Abdullah Diop, and the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Azawad representing the 6 movements that participated in the dialogue. The documents also carried the signature of the facilitators to the dialogue, such as the OIC, the ECOWAS, the AU and Algeria, which played the role of mediator in these negotiations.

Algeria’s efforts are considered complementary to the efforts made

by Burkina Faso in the same context that resulted in the signing of the Ouagadougou Agreement in June 2012, which the OIC was one of its participants, and by which the constitutional legality in Mali was restored.

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WORLD AFFAIRS OIC supports Nigeria in confronting

Boko Haram terrorist group

T

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its institutions took action in support of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its efforts to confront the Boko Haram terrorist group. The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, announced the official position of OIC on this issue stressing in more than one occasion that the solution lies first in denying the Islamic identity of Boko Haram and its terrorist acts of killing and abduction, which have nothing to do with Islam.

The OIC Secretary General traveled to Nigeria on June 1, 2014 in a solidarity visit in the name of OIC Member States that lasted three days where he met with the President and senior officials and also went to the North East region where the government forces are fighting the Boko Haram terrorist group.

H. E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, received the Secretary General at the State House in Abuja on June 2nd. The Secretary General conveyed the solidarity of all Member States of OIC with Nigeria and its people in the face of the serious challenges posed to the country by the violent criminal activities of Boko Haram terrorist group. He dissociated the noble Islam from the criminal activities of the group, which he also described as outlaws. He expressed the readiness of the OIC to assist Nigeria in every way possible in order to bring to an end the insurgency in the North East part of the country and to contribute to the long-term sustainable development of Nigeria.

The President welcomed the solidarity visit at this critical time when Nigeria was confronted with the menace of terrorism and highlighted the role OIC could play in contributing to the durable stability in the country and the region. He appealed to

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the OIC to further enhance its engagement with Nigeria in all domains.

The Secretary General had earlier met with the Foreign Minister, Aminu Wali at the Foreign Ministry, and reviewed with him, the overall scope of the Nigeria-OIC bilateral relations.

The following day, the Secretary General in continuation of his solidarity visit travelled to Maiduguri, Borno States, the hotspot of the insurgency, where he met with the Executive Governor of the state, Alhaji Shettima Kashim and members of his cabinet at the government house. He informed the Borno State officials that he was in Maiduguri in solidarity with the people of the state and to convey to them the OIC›s commitment to stand by the people of Borno State and Nigeria in general at the time the country is facing an unprecedented rate of violent acts of terrorism. He offered his condolences to the people and government of Borno State over the terrible loss of lives and properties as a result of the terrorist acts.

The governor thanked the Secretary General for the courageous act of visiting them at a period that is so difficult that even the citizens of the country could not undertake similar venture. He said so many lives and properties have been lost due to the insurgency and he appealed for support to defeat the terrorists.

While in Maiduguri, the Secretary General also called on the Shehu (community elder) of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi to convey similar solidarity message. He assured the Shehu and his people of OIC›s support to stem the violence.

In thanking the Secretary General over his visit the Shehu said the people of Borno State have suffered a lot from the acts of the terrorists by putting a demarcation between the people and peace and develop-

OIC Secretary General with President of Nigeria

ment.

Within the context of international Islamic reaction to the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, a subsidiary organ of OIC, issued a statement expressing utmost indignation and strong condemnation and demanded the release of these innocent students immediately and to release them without causing them any harm.

It emphasized that this crime and other crimes committed by the likes of these extremist organizations contradicts all humanitarian principles and moral values and violates the provisions of the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings).

The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) also issued a statement expressing outrage at the abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, and the admission by Boko Haram that it carried out the abduction. The Commission is extremely saddened by the misguided claim of Boko Haram that the abduction of the girls and the threat to sell them off as “slaves” is in conformity with the injunctions of Islam. IPHRC stressed that the abduction of the girls is not only a violation of international law and human rights law, but also a gross misrepresentation of Islam.

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OPINION

Concept of International conflict : Issues and Crisis

C By: Talal A. Daous Advisor to the Secretary General

We have to understand that dispute or conflict does not unfold fully in blank surprise

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onflicts, from the point of view of international politics, has punctuated human history since antiquity, where they take different forms and names as the issue or problem or case and other legal or political titles, but what concerns us here is that international conflict may take two forms: The case (issue, problem ...etc.) and the crisis.

The first form is an ongoing cold conflict that the international community coexists with for long years such as the Kashmir issue and the question of Palestine. The second form, the crisis, is a hot conflict which may cause collision such as traditional war or may cause unrest and instability, as well as disrupts the balance of power and leads to a state of polarization and clash of international trends. Also, it may shake up international or regional security, which calls for the inevitable intervention by the Security Council and major powers in some instances.

The term ‘international conflict’ as the International Court of Justice defines as the «difference of views between two parties or more, on a particular issue, or a conflict of interest in any matter”, are characterized as a highly complex socio-political phenomenon that is caused by mobility, dynamics, multilateralism and diversity of inner and outer influences, which may involve a multiplicity of causes, manifestations and dimensions. It is also worth mentioning that it is so difficult to monitor conflict interactions when they take a turn for escalation.

The reason for international conflict could be defined by three basic driving concepts: Competition over resources, capturing geo-sites, and collective identity characterized by ethnic, national, or religious drivers or the sum of these together.

We have to understand that dispute or conflict does not unfold fully in blank surprise. The surprise is merely in time or method of application. But, it is necessary for the conduct of countries facing crisis to control their reactions, anger and emotions, in rational ways by using legitimate methods. So policy decision-makers and men of diplomacy have to govern their disposition as required to control the entire matter in scientific and practical steps. By ignoring this premise, they could end up in confusion, improvisation and unpredictable action and reaction policies. I will here list some of these manifold theories briefly: - Game Theory: each party involved in conflict lists all the possibilities and procedures which the other party is likely to think of as well as all possibilities and actions and moves that he thinks of, and then determine in light of that his steps with guesses of the reactions or actions the other might take.

- Theory of Containment: This theory changed from limiting the communist doctrine in Russia and within the Eastern bloc, into the present day concept of «containing» the conflict and limiting it to the narrowest possible circle as a necessary input to control it and then to give ample opportunity to find a solution.

- Theory of Massive Retaliation: This theory is based on military capacity and military thought to deal with international conflicts with total destruction or total disability.

- Theory of Flexible Response: requires non-deterministic dependence on military capability by itself.

- Confrontation Theory: confronting conflict by methods of force and decisiveness. It often means in the present day the use of military force in any form, so as to prevent the imposition of the status-quo policy imposed by one of the parties of the conflict.

- Economic Theory: this theory is applied in modern times in various forms as a method with the highest impact. The objectives for this theory are: To increase the suffering of the opponent country’s nationals by increasing the lack of living necessities, and to decrease the production capacity of the opponent State.

- Zero Theory: This theory seeks to achieve an acceptable degree of equilibrium between the opponents in order to push forward the principle of negotiation and agreement.

- Curtained Destruction Theory: how a State is able to make a second strike after receiving the first strike.

The success or failure for applying these theories is linked to the availability of other factors, that is to say if some of these factors are absent or neglected, the effectiveness of these theories could be in doubt. The most important of these factors to consider when moving to address international conflict are: Does not conflict with other State strategy; Taking into consideration the general international order; Arms must be used in accordance with an international resolution to legitimize the State›s move; Ability to mobilize media to gain domestic and international support; Assurance of appropriate general internal and external circumstances; And the move has to have clear and acceptable objectives.

However, most international disputes and conflicts are resolved at present in three ways, may be separately or complementarily, as follows: the legal process, the political process, and by using all components of the State’s capacities, including military force.

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SPECIAL REPORT 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers:

Positive Results to Achieve the Ummah’s Aspirations

T

he Council of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held its 41st session in Jeddah on 18-19 June 2014 under the theme: “Exploring Areas of Islamic Cooperation”.

During the session Saudi Arabia was handed over the council's chairmanship from Republic of Guinea.

The session came out with positive and fruitful results in the political, economic, cultural, social, scientific and humanitarian fields.

On the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting, the Contact Groups on Mali, Somalia, Myanmar and Jammu and Kashmir also met. A special brainstorming session was also held. It tackled the topic of “Peace Challenges in a changing Islamic World: OIC's Vision”.

At the end of its Session, the Council issued the Jeddah Declaration which welcomed the formation of the Ministerial Contact Group on Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

It expressed support to the OIC's efforts aimed at implementing its strategy on the development of the holy city and welcomed the Secretary General's call to establish Wakfs (endowments) in Member States in favor of Al-Quds.

The Ministers reiterated their full support of the Secretary General's endeavors to restructure the organization and promote its systems in all fields including the opening of new regional offices.

The Declaration also tackled the developments in Syria, Libya, Central Africa, Yemen, Mali, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Jammu and Kashmir Cote d'Ivoire, Union of the Comoros, Djibouti, Bosnia Herzegovina and Nigeria.

The Ministers stressed the need to confront extremism concealed behind the name of religion and also in religious sectarianism.

It strongly warned against considering the followers of all the Islamic sects as Kafirs (infidels).

The Ministers welcomed the choice of Saudi Arabia to be the headquarters of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission. They also welcomed Kuwait's invitation to host their 42 second Session in 2015.

The Ministers expressed thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and the Saudi government and people for their warm welcome, generous hospitality and the excellent arrangements made to make their 41st Session a success.

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SPECIAL REPORT Saudi Foreign Minister:

Israel’s tampering with the identity and heritage of Al-Quds is a stark challenge to the Islamic Ummah

T

he Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and the Chair of the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States, delivered a speech at the opening of the Session expressing his hope that the Session will reconsolidate joint Islamic action in all its forms.

Prince Saud said: “We meet today amidst events and developments that are sweeping through our Muslim World, and particularly the Arab countries, some of which are still suffering from political and security unrest, while others were able to take the path we hope will restore security and stability and achieve their development and growth.”

The Foreign Minister added that Saudi Arabia, proud to host the meeting at this critical time that is filled with changes and transformations, finds it appropriate to reiterate the necessity to unite ranks and strengthen efforts to produce results that help tackle the crises sweeping though the region, in a manner that restores stability and help advance the process of social and economic development.

He clarified that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz has exemplified the concept of solidarity and collaboration amongst the Arab and Muslim peoples through calling for holding the Friends of Egypt’s Donor Conference to help this country overcome the tremendous economic challenges it is faced with, especially after the Egyptian people have made their decision and chose their leader who will achieve a prosperous future for the country. He stressed that Saudi Arabia’s supporting position toward Egypt is based on its deep conviction that a stable Egypt is important for a stable Arab and Muslim World.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, the Saudi Foreign Ministers said that it continues to face the same obstacles of Israeli intransigence and the Israeli government’s persistence on pursuing the settlement policy, the Judaization procedures and the principle of the state’s Jewishness.

He said, “The Palestinian national reconciliation and the formation of a consensus government is an important and necessary step towards an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital. This government, which represents all Palestinians,

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deserves to be supported by all the international community and work together with it to achieve a final settlement on the basis of the two-state solution.”

As for the issue of al-Quds, which is associated with the establishment of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, he said it epitomizes the extent of Israeli blatant aggression against the Palestinian people, both Muslims and Christians. It also represents a stark challenge to the Islamic Ummah, as Israel continues to tamper with the identity and heritage of this holy city, seeking to alter its geographic and demographic nature, and subjecting worshippers at the holy mosque to all forms of provocation and harassment.

Prince Saud added that the current meeting is being held at a time when the Syrian crisis has made a turn for the worse after the failure of the second Geneva meeting to reach a solution on the basis of the terms of the first Geneva meeting. This failure resulted in an upsurge of violence and genocide, perpetrated by the Syrian regime against its defenceless population, and the dwindling prospects of a political solution to this crisis, due to the overwhelming power of the regime on the ground thanks to the continuous line of material and human support it receives from outside parties that amount to foreign occupation. This was compounded by the failure of the Security Council to act

and put an end to this human catastrophe, the like of which history has never known.

Prince Saud pointed out that the fallouts of the Syrian crisis seems to have provided fertile ground for further destabilizing the already unstable internal situation in Iraq due to the sectarian approach used, which has fragmented the components of Iraqi society. This has paved the way for anyone harbouring ill will for this country to go ahead with their plans to threaten its peace and stability, shatter its national unity and destroy its Arab identity. All this has resulted in the grave situation we are witnessing today in Iraq, which brings the ominous threat of a civil war to come, the extent and consequences of which on the region no one can predict.

At the end of his speech the Foreign Minister expressed to the Member States the profound appreciation of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for choosing the City of Jeddah to host the permanent headquarters of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission. “We assure your esteemed council that we shall carry out the responsibility of host for this body and give it all that would enable it to do its work and play its role optimally in a manner that would realize the aspirations of Member States.”

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SPECIAL REPORT The Palestinian President:

Standing invitation to visit Al-Quds to support its people

P

alestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the invitation to come to AlQuds is open, permanent and always standing so as to affirm the right of the Arabs, Muslims and Christians to visit the holy city and pray at the Aqsa Mosque.

“These visits will further reflect the strong support to its residents in their solid steadfastness,” he said.

The President said a visit to a prisoner is not considered communicating with the jailer or normalizing relationships with him.

Abbas was addressing the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, which was held in Jeddah.

He asked the Organization for a more serious stand to protect Al-Quds against the ongoing Judaization process and against Israel’s continued aggressions.

“The OIC today, more than any other time in the past, is required to take a firm and serious stand vis-a-vis the Israel practices in Al-Quds,” he said.

Abbas went on to say: “we would like to inform all our brothers that Al-Quds is facing serious threats and is being consistently Judaized. The Islamic sanctuaries are being divided in time and place as happened to the Al-Haram Al- Ibrahimi.”

Abbas warned that if the present status quo of Al-Quds continued, its people would be obliged to leave under the burdens of the high living costs, the heavy taxes, non-existence of development projects and lack of visitors.

The President stressed that Palestine without Al-Quds is not a state. “We will never accept a Palestinian State if the Eastern Al-Quds is not its capital,” he added.

Abbas referred to the UN resolution issued on 29 November 2012 and said that all the territories before the war of 1967, including Al-Quds, are the lands of an occupied state.

“This is the difference between the past and the present. In the past, Israel considered AlQuds as a disputed land, and went on building everywhere under this pretext,” he said.

He pointed out that due to Israel’s refusal to release the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian authority hastened to join 15 international organizations and conventions including the four Geneva conventions.

He explained that these conventions prevent any occupying power from transferring its citizens to the lands it has occupied or to expel the population of the occupied lands from it.

Regarding the peace negotiations, Abbas said it was Israel which had halted them uni-

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laterally.

“We are still ready to go for fresh negotiations with duration of nine months, but in this regard Israel has to honor its commitments and release the Palestinian prisoners.”

Abbas suggested that the negotiations first focus on the issue of the demarcation of borders.

“We will give ourselves three months for these negotiations during which Israel should stop building more settlements.”

Talking about the National Unity Government, Abbas said after the Gaza coup of 2007, the Palestinian Authority resorted to the Arab League to end the consequences of the coup and close the rift between the Palestinians. The Arab League deferred the file to Egypt to sponsor the reconciliation talks.

He went on saying that on a kind initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the conflicting Palestinian factions met in Makkah and took a solemn oath near the Grand Mosque in 2007 to work hard for the reconciliation.

“Three months later the coup took place in Gaza,” he added.

Abbas said the dialogue continued with Gaza until two agreements were signed at the same time, meaning 2 different agreements with the same topic: one, to form a government of independent technocrats, and secondly, to organize the general elections in three to six months.

“One of the agreements was signed in Doha and the other in Cairo. Three years have passed since then but nothing happened,”

he said.

Abbas said that during the negotiations with Israel, there was a simultaneous dialogue with Hamas which agreed on these two points, but Israel vehemently refused this and asked us to choose between Hamas and the peace negotiations, although previously it used to wonder with whom it should negotiate, with the West Bank or Gaza?

“When the Palestinians were united, Israel changed its tone and asked us to choose between the peace negotiations and Hamas.

“Of course we chose our people and national unity and decided to go on our reconciliation regardless of Israel’s objections,” he said.

The President said a Palestinian National Unity Government was formed without a single member from any movement, especially Hamas. “The program of this government is in total compliance with that of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) which recognizes the existence of Israel,” he said.

Abbas added that the unity government recognizes Israel, rejects terrorism, recognizes the international legitimacy, and believes in the negotiations which have not yet resumed.

“The government also believes in the peaceful popular resistance,” he added.

Concluding his speech, the President asked the OIC member states to extend every possible material and moral support to Palestine until it becomes sovereign state with AlQuds as its capital.

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SPECIAL REPORT Iyad Madani in his speech to the 41st CFM:

OIC Steps up Towards the Embodiment of the Joint Visions of the Member States

T

he OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, stressed that despite the short span between the last session of the Islamic Council of Foreign Ministers held in Conakry in December 2013, and the commencement to prepare for the present session, the General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation has stepped up towards the embodiment of the joint visions of Member States and the goals adopted by the Summit meetings and the sessions of the Foreign Ministers. He pointed out that the OIC has not stood idle in the face of the developments that have taken place in the domains of its work and responsibilities.

In his speech at the 41st CFM in Jeddah, the Secretary General said that since the last CFM he has visited more than twenty Member States in order to exchange views, listen to assessment, and have a first-hand experience of the realities on the ground.

These included visits to some conflict zones, such as Mali, the West Bank, Bangladesh and Nigeria.

On the Palestinian Cause and the reality of Al-Quds Ash-Sharif, Madani called for taking new means in addressing this conflict including legal follow-up of Israel through a professional legal arm able to prepare well-documented files on Israeli aggressions, violations, and notorious record of its officials and leaders to be presented to the International Criminal Court, and to complete the “apartheid state� profile so that the international community deals with it on that basis. He also added that the General Secretariat calls for opening the door and encouraging hundreds of thousands of Muslims to visit Al-Quds Ash-Sharif and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Secretary General presented the efforts of the OIC in the political field. The Executive Ministerial Committee was invited for an open-ended meeting to approve the mechanism for addressing the entrenched crisis in the Central African Republic. Following its meeting, Dr. Sheikh Tijani Gadio, a prominent politician and former Senegalese foreign minister, was instated as the Special Representative of the Secretary General to the Central African Republic. Moreover, a ministerial delegation conducted a field visit that included the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, and Chad. This was followed by a visit of a delegation from the alliance of humanitarian organizations to

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the region under the umbrella of the OIC to discuss the mechanism required for the continuation of humanitarian aid initiated by the OIC inside and outside that stricken country. The General Secretariat has been exerting efforts to convince all political leaders there to execute an instrument that denounces violence to be the prelude for a political dialogue that leads to the formation of a national unity government under which security can prevail and the displaced can return to their homes before the elections can be held.

Furthermore, the Secretary General has appointed Hamid Albar, former Malaysian foreign minister, as his Special Representative for Myanmar. He hopes that the Special Envoy’s efforts include holding dialogue platforms between Muslim scholars and thinkers and their Buddhist counterparts to emphasize the historical commonalities and similar values.

As for the crisis in northern Mali, Madani said that the General Secretariat acknowledges the different perspectives of the influential countries in the region on how to end that conflict. However, the OIC believes that this dispute should be resolved politically and developmentally along with the security perspective.

With regards to Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Secretary General stressed that combating this separatist movement that adopts violence, intimidation and murder, should start

by denying its assumed Islamic identity as most of its victims are Muslims. It destroys mosques and killed one of the historical princes in northern Nigeria. It should also be deprived its support resources while spending more towards greater national development in those areas of Nigeria.

As for the situation in the Middle East, Madani said that the political and security repercussions in Libya, Iraq and Syria haunt us deeply. He called on the meeting to crystallize a collective stand and an agreed political approach to make the OIC a platform and a strong springboard to advocate that approach.

The Secretary General said that one of the primary concerns of the OIC is to address the phenomenon of terrorism, religious and sectarian extremism, the rights of Muslim minorities outside the Muslim World, and concepts of human rights, and rights of women and children and religious practice.

On the economic level, Madani said that the Islamic Development Bank continues to discharge its leading role in supporting economic development and infrastructure projects and in supporting the social facilities required to achieve sustainable development in Member States. He pointed out that the General Secretariat has been working closely with the Bank leadership in order to achieve wider microfinance coverage in coordination with countries with extensive experience in this field.

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SPECIAL REPORT Underscoring OIC Secretary General’s call for the establishment of endowment funds (waqfs) for the benefit of Al-Quds Al-Shareef The 41st Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which was held in Jeddah on 18-19 June 2014, reiterated that the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Shareef is the central issue of the Islamic Ummah, and held Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the stoppage of the peace process due to its failure to release the fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners and its continuation of the policy of settlement, blockading and judaization of Al-Quds Al-Shareef, its failure to accept the Arab peace initiative and other international terms of reference as basis for peace. The Council also affirmed absolute rejection of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, and requested the international community urgently to enthrone a just and comprehensive peace based on ending Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian lands since 1967, to enable the Palestinian people exercise their inalienable rights, including the right to self determination, establish the sovereignty of their independent state on the borders of 4 June 1967, with Al-Quds as its capital, and to find a just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees in accordance with General Assembly resolution no. 194. The Ministers also expressed their condemnation of Israel’s continued occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese lands, and affirmed their support for these two countries to reclaim their entire territories occupied by Israel since 1967.

The Council of Foreign Ministers affirmed its strong condemnation of Israel’s continued racial policy based on hostility, settlement, judaization of Al-Quds Al-Shareef and changing its geographic and demographic status, and the attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty on the Blessed Al-Quds Mosque and attack worshipers in its courtyard, which is a provocation to the sensibility of the Islamic Ummah and a defiance of the will of the international community.

The Foreign Ministers welcomed the formation of the ministerial contact group on

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Al-Quds Al-Shareef, and called for prompt action to convey the message of the OIC on Al-Quds Al-Shareef to the states having political, moral and ethical responsibility for this issue. They expressed support for the OIC effort to implement the Strategic Plan for the Development of Al-Quds Al-Shareef, which was adopted by the 40th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, and the recommendations of the 20th session of the Al-Quds Committee, held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco. They also called for the mobilization of necessary resources to support the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Shareef Agency of the Al-Quds Committee to execute development projects for the benefit of the Holy City. They also welcomed the Secretary General’s call for the establishment of waqfs (endowment funds) in Member States for the benefit of Al-Quds Al-Shareef.

The Council also welcomed the Palestinian national reconciliation agreement which led to the formation of the national reconciliation government and affirmed support for it. It reiterated support for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons, for their resilience, and reiterate its continuous defence for them until freedom, justice and their dignity in their homeland are realized.

The Foreign Ministers renewed total support for the Palestinian position demanding Israel, the occupying power, to stop settlement and commit to the time frame stipulated for negotiations on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, to halt its unilateral

Call for commencing an international campaign to classify the Jewish settlement movements “Hilltop Youth” and the “Price Tag” as terrorist groups

practices, and abide by the international terms of reference as a basis for serious and meaningful negotiations to achieve a two states solution.

The Ministers welcomed the European Union›s decision to exclude Israeli settlements from future agreements with any of the EU Member States, and to prohibit funding, cooperation or the issuing of scholarships to any Israeli individuals in the settlements located in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and called upon the EU to take further steps to prohibit entrance of illegal settlement products to their markets, and in this regard work towards ensuring that all states apply the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

The Council of Foreign Ministers invited the Member States to commence an international campaign aimed at classifying the Jewish settlement movement called “Hilltop Youth” and the “Price Tag” groups as terrorist groups and organizations which must be included in terrorism lists of countries and international organizations.

The Ministers condemned all positions affecting the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and, and in this regard, condemned the orientation of the Australian government not to describe the city as «occupied», reiterating that this orientation contradicts international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention and relevant resolutions of the United Nations, particularly resolutions of the Security Council.

They called on the Government of Australia to respect its commitments under international law in this regard, and requested the Member States to condemn such illegal positions and take necessary measures to respond to them.

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SPECIAL REPORT OIC Council of Foreign Ministers issues decisive political resolutions on Middle East issues and conflict regions The forty-first Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 18 – 19 June 2014, issued decisive political resolutions on the Middle East issues and conflict regions in the OIC member states and other countries with Muslim communities.

The Council of Foreign Ministers expressed its solidarity with and full support to Afghanistan in its efforts to bring peace, security and economic progress for the people of this country, during transition period up to 2014 and transformation decade from 2015 to 2025; and urged the Member States and the International Community to continue their vigorous support and assistance to the government of Afghanistan and its struggle against terrorism. The Council recognized narcotic problem as global challenge which requires global partnership based on the principle of join and shared responsibilities, and called upon the international community and OIC Member States to increase its assistance to enhance the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to carry out its National Drug Control Strategy.

On the situation in Syria, the Council condemned, in the strongest terms, the attacks by the regime against the people of Syria through the use of heavy weapons including barrel bombs, chemicals and ballistic missiles which resulted in thousands of casualties, also deplored the “starvation until submission” strategy applied by the regime throughout the country which deprives hundreds of thousands of people of basic requirements such as food, water and medicine and constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity. It expressed outrage by the rapidly increasing death toll of at least 200,000 and more than 2,5 million refugees and millions of internally displaced persons and reiterated its appreciation to the neighboring countries notably Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey for generously hosting Syrian refugees.

While rejecting the concluded Presidential elections and all its results, the Council supported revitalizing the political process Togo

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Indonesia

under the auspices of the UN, with a view to implementing a Syrian-led and Syrian owned political transition that would allow building a new Syrian State based on a pluralist, democratic and civilian system where the principles of equality before the law, rule of law and respect for human rights prevail.

On the situation in Libya, the Ministers the Ministers called for support and backing for the legitimacy in Libya in the efforts to build state institutions, and stressed the importance of sound democratic transition and the adoption of a new constitution that guarantees freedoms, the rule of law, smooth transfer of power through full participation of all the Libyan people and the building of a new democratic Libya.

The Council of Foreign Ministers also strongly condemned the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan, and considered the actions perpetrated against civilian Azerbaijani population in the occupied Azerbaijani territories as crimes against humanity.

The Ministers also commended the steps achieved by the Comoros particularly as to the follow-up efforts on national reconciliation, the launching of inter-Comorian dialogue relevant to the consolidation of national unity and the establishment of the States’ institutions.

On the situation at the border between Djibouti and Eritrea, the Council welcomed the efforts of His Highness, the Emir of the State of Qatar to settle the conflict between Eretria and Djibouti, and expressed hope that Djibouti will continue to enjoy respect for the rules of good neighborliness that should govern relations among the countries of the region.

The Council of reiterated its full solidarity with the Sudan for the maintenance of security, stability, respect for its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and expressed its total rejection of all forms of foreign interference in Sudan’s affairs, especially the decision of the International Criminal Court of 4/3/2009 and its allegations against His Excellency President Omar Hassan Ahmed Saudi Arabia

Al-Bashir, and called for the Court’s decision to be permanently rescinded. The Ministers commended the initiatives and steps taken by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to resolve their differences through peaceful means and called for all pending issues between the countries to continue to be resolved in line with agreements signed under the sponsorship of the African Union High Level Group, for priority to be given to resolving security issues and to agreement on border delineation in accordance with the January 1956 border.

On solidarity with Yemen, the Council supported the efforts of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi and the National Consensus Government aimed at achieving peace and political and economic stability for Yemen, and establishing the rule of law in line with the Gulf Initiative and its binding executive mechanism. It demanded an end to all acts impeding the success of the GulfInitiative such as to expedite the turn of stability and development of Yemen.

The Council also expressed thanks to the OIC for the support extended to Cote d’Ivoire during the period of the crisis, and congratulated the government of Cote d’Ivoire for holding peaceful, transparent and democratic elections which have enabled the Ivoirian people to re-establish the National Assembly, regional and local governments thereby reinforcing the ongoing democratic process of state institutions.

The Foreign Ministers acknowledged the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence, delivered on 22 July 2010, in which the Court rendered that Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence violated neither general international law, Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), nor the Provisional Constitutional Framework of Kosovo, adopted by UNMIK. They also called upon the OIC Member States to consider recognizing of Kosovo based on their free and sovereign rights as well as on their national practice.

Iraq

Kosovo

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SPECIAL REPORT OIC presents an action plan to continue efforts to resolve Mali crisis

The Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Mali, which was held on Tuesday, 17 June 2014 prior to the 41st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and chaired by the OIC Secretary General, Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, called for a faster implementation of the action plan presented by the OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Mali to resolve the crisis in Mali and the Sahel region.

The action plan presented by Mr. Djibril Bas-

sole, Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso and OIC Secretary General Special Envoy to Mali and the Sahel region includes continuing OIC participation in the quest to finding a solution for re-instating stability, reintegration, disarmament and supporting the initiatives undertaken by the OIC Member States, the latest of which was the initiative of Algeria, which yielded positive results aiming to restore confidence and beginning dialogue in order to reach a comprehensive peace

agreement.

The OIC Secretary General expressed OIC’s readiness to provide support to hosting negotiation of the parties considering that the OIC witnessed the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement, which was held on 15 June 2013. He stressed that the confrontations and clashes which broke out over the past month in Kidal and the continuing tension in the city and its suburbs, highlight the need more than ever to negotiations.

The 41st CFM commends activities of the OIC Humanitarian Affairs Office in Mogadishu The OIC Forty-First Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, which was held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 18 and 19 June 2014 issued a resolution on Somalia commending activities of the OIC Humanitarian Affairs Office in Mogadishu. The Session called for the work of the Office to be strengthened throughout Somalia, especially in the east and north of the country in order to strengthen Somalia’s unity and territorial cohesion and called for the transformation of OIC Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Office in Mogadishu to a development office with additional responsibility of monitoring political activities, leading to the realization of lasting national reconciliation, promotion of a federal state entity, conclusion of constitution drafting and holding of elections. The Council of Foreign Ministers requested the Member States, Red Crescent societies and charitable associations to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those who are still affected by drought and famine in Somalia, as well as to those affected by floods, which

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the opening of their embassies in Mogadishu in order to improve bilateral relations between them and the Republic of Somalia.

hit some regions of Somalia.

The Ministers also highly appreciated the leading role played by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for its support and cooperation with Somali forces to enhance the security situation in the country and for putting an end to all forms of violence committed by opposition movements against the people and Government of Somalia. The Ministers appealed to the international community to accelerate the provision of financial and logistical support to AMISOM to enable it to continue to discharge its security duties in restoring security and stability in Somalia.

The Foreign Ministers called for the operationalization of the OIC Trust Fund for Somalia established by a resolution of the 38th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, and urged all Member States to accelerate

The Foreign Ministers noted the improving security situation in Somalia and appealed to the international community as a matter of urgency to request the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo in order to further empower the Somali security sector.

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SPECIAL REPORT Jeddah to host Headquarters of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Right Commission

9 Commission Members elected

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he Forty-first session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 18 – 19 June 2014 decided to establish the permanent headquarters of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) in Jeddah, in accordance with the provisions of the IPHRC Statute.

His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in his statement to the CFM welcomed the decision and assured full support of the Kingdom for the smooth functioning of IPHRC. The Commission expressed its thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting its headquarters and for the assurances of extending all needed support en-

abling it to carry out its mandate optimally.

The CFM also proceeded to elect 9 Members of the IPHRC, for a term of three years starting from February 2015. Among the elected members five were re-elected for a second term whereas four new members will join the Commission from February next year. The Commission’s 18 Members serve in their personal capacity in supporting Member States efforts in promoting and protecting human rights for all in an independent manner, in accordance with the OIC Charter and its Statute.

The CFM requested the IPHRC to continue its work towards fulfilling its objectives as stipulated in the Statute and to continue providing the CFM with its expert advisory

opinion on the human rights content of the whole range of issues related to the OIC. The CFM welcomed the establishment of the four Working Groups on Palestine, the Right of Women and of the Child, Islamophobia and Muslim minorities and the Right to Development as well as the detailed deliberations took place therein, and requests the IPHRC to continue to provide the CFM with its advisory opinions on these issues.

It urged Member States and relevant OIC Organs, including IDB, to take full advantage of the Commission’s advisory expertise, including by enhancing interaction and exploring avenues for developing joint projects and cooperation; as well as to support the work and activities of the IPHRC.

OIC Contact group on Jammu and Kashmir reiterates continued support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation convened a meeting on 18 June 2014 at the sidelines of the OIC 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, which was held in Jeddah on 18 and 19 June 2014.

The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Abdullah Alim, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Secretary General’s Special Representative on the issue expressed hope that solidarity and support of the OIC Member States would be translated into practical and effective measures to help people of Kashmir.

Members of the Contact Group reiterated their continued support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called for a peaceful resolution to the dispute through negotiations and in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, the principle of self-determination and Human Rights.

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SPECIAL REPORT The Council of Foreign Ministers supports OIC Secretary General’s decision of appointing a Special Envoy to Myanmar The 41st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, which was held on 18-19 June 2014 in Jeddah, called for putting an end to continued violence and discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine state in Myanmar and supported the OIC Secretary General’s decision to appoint a special envoy to Myanmar in order to reach satisfactory solutions guaranteeing the rights of the Rohingya Muslim community, not subjecting them to oppression, dispossessing them of their legitimate rights, and facilitating the process of delivering humanitarian assistance to them.

The members of the OIC Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar held a meeting on the first day of the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers and discussed the latest developments on the issue and the challenges these people have been facing up. The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, who chaired the meeting, welcomed the members of the Contact

Group to this special meeting and thanked his Special Envoy on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, the former Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who was invited to brief the members of the Contact Group on his latest moves. Albar briefed the meeting on his vision and planned actions in dealing with the issue of Rohingya Muslims.

Also, Dr. Wakar Uddin, Director General of the Arakan Rohingya Union, gave a presen-

tation on the latest development with regard to Rohingya Muslims issue and urged OIC member states to render more support.

The Council of Foreign Ministers issued a resolution on the situation of the Muslim Community in Myanmar which called upon the Myanmar authorities to adopt an inclusive, transparent policy towards the Rohingya Muslims as an integral part of their democratization process and reform and to recognize them as an ethnic minority in accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 238/64 of 26 March 2010. The Foreign Ministers also expressed concern over the Myanmar government’s decision in not allowing census respondents who wish to self-identify their ethnicity as Rohingya which is not in compliance with the international human rights standards, and reiterated the call for Myanmar Government to restore the citizenship of the Rohingya Muslim community, which was revoked in the Citizenship Act of 1982.

Hamid Albar: We need better communication with Myanmar Government

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he recently appointed OIC Special Envoy for Myanmar Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said that his first priority is to have better communication with the government of Myanmar.

He is intending to visit the country in July in order to explain to the government and people of Myanmar the intentions of OIC and the objectives of his appointment as Special Envoy.

On the sidelines of the 41 Session of the CFM of the OIC in Jeddah, the Special Envoy for Myanmar, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, former Foreign Minister of Malaysia, explained to the OIC Journal the challenges and expectations of his mission concerning the situation of Muslim minorities, namely Rohingya, in Myanmar. He considers his assignment a responsibility, and his goal is to establish better communication and improve networking with both Myanmar government and society in order to find greater opportunities for the OIC to engage in the country.

Albar explained that Myanmar has just

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started to be accepted by the international community and at the same time had very bad publicity on the issue of minorities, and with elections coming up in 2015 it is good for Myanmar to engage with the international community and particularly with OIC. “We need to assure them that we are not interested in interfering in their domestic affairs, but we want to say that we see countries that succeed are the countries that decide on peace and reconciliation, you cannot put security up front, but you must put peace and reconciliation in order to achieve political stability.” He stressed that OIC seeks a solution that is good for Myanmar.

As for the anti-Muslim attitudes and violence and whether it is a new phenomenon or something that was there and had just surfaced, Albar said that in speaking with Muslims from Rakhine and their associations they say it is a new thing, and perhaps it is related to the upcoming elections.

There is also the issue of high unemployment among the youth that might be a factor and the issue of identity. He also pointed out that the older generation lived in peace and harmony and that Muslims were doing very well and accepted in the trade sector and fisheries sector, but now there is a sense of wanting to be a Buddhist-only state, especially by the more extreme ele-

ments. “We want to be able to convey to them that if you give a place to Muslims they will be an important element in society; they cannot dominate, they are only 10 percent of the population.”

“If we can have some development projects that show our good intentions I think actions would speak louder than words.”

However, he lamented that unfortunately the image of Muslims is not good at the present due to widespread Islamophobia in the country.

Albar said that he intends to focus on socioeconomic development in the Rakhine region as well as education and the need for basic facilities. Ironically, although the state is very underdeveloped, yet it is also very rich in natural resources, deep ports and fisheries. “In order to develop, it’s not only the resources that you need to develop, you also need political stability, and that can be established by creating tolerance and harmony among the people.” He also noted the need to explore all possible means to encourage reconciliation between Buddhists and Muslims in the country.

He plans to be in Myanmar in July as part of a meeting for ASEAN and while there he would meet officials and develop a plan to improve relations between OIC and Myanmar.

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SPECIAL REPORT Seventh OIC Annual Report on Islamophobia

Religious leaders, journalists and academics have a role in stopping the manipulation of faith by extremist groups

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he OIC Observatory on Islamophobia released its Seventh Annual Report covering the period from October 2013 to April 2014 at the commencement of the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Report illustrates that Islamophobia continues to manifest itself through different forms of prejudice and discrimination against Muslims both as individuals and as a community.

For this year’s Annual Report on Islamophobia, the Observatory decided to expand its scope of analysis and coverage taking into account the alarming incidents of manifes-

tations of Islamophobia in many parts of the world, including the Rohingya issue, the situation of Muslims in Sri Lanka, the alleged ban of Islam in Angola, the fears of Tatar Muslims in Crimea, and the persecution of Muslims in the ongoing war in the Central African Republic. This may be a new trend influenced by some quarters of western media, which are propagating fascist and irresponsible anti-Islam hate discourses.

The Report in its conclusion mentions that the support of a section of political leaders and inaction on the part of some governments to take legal action against the perpetrators of Islamophobia in the west makes it rise and gain in strength. Such

inaction helps propagate negative stereotypes regarding Islam, including the notion that Islam is linked to terror; that it is intolerant of other religious beliefs; that its values and practices are incompatible with modern democratic systems; that it favors repression of freedom of expression and that it undermines human rights.

Special recommendations are put with a view to encouraging Muslim communities living in the West to do more to combat Islamophobia or any kind of xenophobic and racist discourses, which may have more chances to be successful with the support of OIC Member States.

The Foreign Minister of Nigeria assures of the resolve

of the government to defeat Boko Haram

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he Foreign Minister of Nigeria has stressed that the authorities are doing everything possible to bring things back to normal in their confrontation with the terrorist group Boko Haram and that some progress has been achieved. However, he cautioned that it is not an easy task.

In an interview with the OIC Journal on the sidelines of the 41 Session of the CFM in Jeddah on 18-19 June 2014, Mr. Bashir Aminu Wali, the Foreign Minister of Ni-

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geria expressed the determination of his government to take care of Boko Haram in the nearest time possible. When asked about the international community’s pressure and criticism that the Nigerian government has not done enough to rescue the girls who were abducted by Boko Haram months ago, he said that rescuing over 200 girls is a very difficult operation and should be approached with careful planning, negotiation and execution, otherwise you risk something disastrous happening, which the government wants to avoid.

“I appeal to the international community to think in terms of the lives and safety of those girls rather than getting them quick, that is not as important as getting those girls back alive and well,” said Wali.

Asked about the underlying reasons for the problem in northeast Nigeria where Boko Haram is centered, whether it is poverty

and underdevelopment or sectarian conflict, Wali said that it is not sectarian because they have killed more Muslims than non-Muslims. “They are nothing more than misguided and what they are, is just criminals,” he said. Wali added that the group claims to be acting in the name of Islam, but the teachings of Islam prohibit killing and abduction and violence and the group’s acts give Islam a bad name.

As for poverty and underdevelopment, he admits that the whole of Africa and anywhere in the world where there are flashpoints of conflicts, violence etc., in most cases there are elements of poverty and underdevelopment. He said Africa as a whole has several of such flashpoints because of its underdevelopment, and in Nigeria they have taken a two- prong approach: the military option and the socio economic development in those areas.

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SPECIAL REPORT

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CFM urges Member States to expedite ratification of trade facilitating documents and procedures

he 41st Session of the CFM renewed its call on Member States to give effect to the various multilateral trade instruments in force among OIC Member States, particularly the General Agreement for Economic, Technical and Commercial Cooperation among OIC Member States and the Agreement for Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments.

Furthermore, the CFM invited Member States to work on a unified classification of trading companies and institutions and development of relevant database and conducting e-trade to facilitate trade exchanges among the Member States.

It urged Member States to expedite ratification of Framework Agreement on Trade Preferential System of the OIC, PRETAS and Rules of Origin and to submit their specific annual installments of reduction along with the list of products (schedules of concessions).

It also encouraged OIC Member States to facilitate movement of tourists by easing visa procedures for the citizens of Member States.

Meanwhile, the CFM called upon the OIC Member States and institutions to place greater attention to development of goods and products transportation networks among Member States, including air, road and sea transport and port networks.

Moreover, it renewed its call on OIC Member States and their Private Sector Organizations to accord priority to agricultural in-

vestment, capacity building and technology transfer in needy OIC Member States.

It commended the Private Sector for implementing the adopted strategy for development of SMEs, especially the creation of mechanisms for networking and exchange of expertise among various economic actors in such sector as agro-food industry, business and technology incubation, social finance.

On the other hand, the CFM called upon the Member States and relevant OIC institutions, in particular ICCIA to intensify their efforts in supporting and empowering businesswomen and women entrepreneurs in Islamic countries.

On a different note, the CFM requested the Secretary General to continue liaise will all competent authorities and stockholders in order to facilitate the convening of an Investment Forum for Central Asia.

It also called on the Secretary General to intensify consultations with concerned OIC Member States and relevant OIC institutions, including the IDB Group, for the evaluation of the achievements made under the Special Program for the Development of Africa (SPDA) and the elaboration of a successor program to the SPDA, within the framework of utilizing regional programs to fast-track OIC economic integration.

Resolutions on boosting Higher Education, Science, Technology, Innovation, Health and Environment

An Islamic University in Kabul and combating sandstorms in Member States

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he 41st Session of the CFM adopted many resolutions for boosting and collaborating on higher education, science, technology, innovation, health and environment. Among them is a resolution reaffirming its support for the efforts of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to contribute to the establishment of an International Islamic University in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as efforts of the Bank to mobilize financial resources for this purpose.

Meanwhile, the CFM urged the OIC universities (the Islamic University of Technology IUT in Bangladesh, the Islamic University in Niger IUN, the Islamic University in Uganda IUU, and the International Islamic University Malaysia IIUM) to devote more attention to research in the fields relevant to the needs of Member States and disseminate research findings to the potential beneficiaries. It also requested the OIC Universities to implement the Key Performance Indicators document to achieving quality and high standards of higher education.

The CFM called upon the OIC universities to pursue meaningful cooperation under Memorandums of Understanding signed with other reputed Institutions, and appealed to Member States to donate generously to the OIC universities for further development of their infrastructure and other specific needs.

On a different note, there was a resolution on Mainstreaming Efforts to Combat the Sand and Dust Storm in Some Member States in which the CFM expressed concern over the unprecedented wave of sand and dust tempests and for the considerable losses they have been causing in desert areas in the Member States in both Asia and Africa. It called on all the Member States affected in desert areas in Asia and Africa to engage in a conscientious and constructive interaction to resolve this problem in an appropriate

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manner. It appreciated the participation of the OIC Member States in the UNEP regional project on Catalyzing Cooperative Actions to Combat Land Degradation and Dust Storms under the UNEP initiative of Regional Programme to Combat Sand and Dust Storms and encouraged other OIC Member States to join the UNEP regional project. Furthermore, it expressed its support for developing a collective regional mechanism for awareness raising early warning and risk management network enabling the affected countries to face the problem in a suitable manner. It called upon all international and regional environmental instruments and institutions, including ROPME, to seriously and rapidly address the issue and to mobilize their resources, both technically and financially to assist the affected countries.

The CFM also invited the Member States to contribute to the reforestation of desert zones in the OIC Member States, and to take firm measures against the abusive cutting of trees and bushfires. It invited the OIC Specialized Agencies such as Islamic Development Bank to take all appropriate measures to develop concrete projects for assisting the affected countries enabling them to overcome the disastrous effects of this phenomenon.

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SPECIAL REPORT OIC Foreign Ministers call for strengthening inter-cultural and intercivilizational dialogue The forty-first Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 18 – 19 June 2014, commended the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz on Inter-faith and Intercultural Dialogue, and stressed on unity of humanity and on equality among peoples, regardless of their colours, races and cultures. It commended the efforts of Saudi Arabia for the establishment of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), headquartered in Vienna, and called on the Member States to actively contribute with ideas, suggestions, and recommendations of making the Center an effective institution for promoting interfaith and intercivilizational dialogue.

The Foreign Ministers commended the Secretary General for engaging in dialogue with the United Nations, and other international organizations, including the OSCE and Council of Europe, political leaders and civil society to underscore the concerns as well as raise global awareness over the dangers of Islamophobia and for his initiative calling for a historical reconciliation between Islam and Christianity. In this connection, the Ministers called on the OIC General Secretariat, UNESCO, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) to continue to strengthen inter-cultural and intercivilizational dialogue through concrete and sustainable initiatives, conferences and symposia; and appealed to all Member States, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) to provide all pos- sible moral and financial support for the success of these dialogues. They called on those Member States that have not yet done so, to join the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations and called upon all OIC Member States to actively participate in the work of the Alliance, particularly the development and adoption of the Alliance’s regional strategies and related guiding documents, and the imple-

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mentation thereof.

The Foreign Ministers welcomed the adoption of the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic world and called upon the Member States willing to implement cultural projects to submit their projects to the ISESCO. They also called for the activation of the Council of OIC Member States’ ambassadors in Europe and the Americas to hold cultural and artistic activities in order to improve the image of Islam and spread Islamic culture so as to reduce Islamophobia.

Promoting women’s status

The Council of Foreign Ministers urged the OIC Member States to provide women with better opportunities through enacting and consolidating laws that empower women and provide them with greater role in the development of Muslim society in various fields.

They called upon the parliaments of the OIC Member States to pass necessary laws to combat trafficking, abuse of women, and other forms of violence against them. The Ministers also invited the Member States to sign and ratify the statute of the specialized Organization for Women Development, based in Cairo with the view to operationalize it and to cooperate and coordinate with the General Secretariat for the implementation of the Islamic Summit Conferences and CFM resolutions on women’s advancement.

They welcomed the hosting of the 5th Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of OIC Member States, to be held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, on 20-21 Oct. 2014, and encouraged Member States to actively participate and contribute for its sucess.

Humanitarian work

The Council commended the work undertaken by the OIC General Secretariat in this field, the growing cooperation with the international humanitarian community, and UN Agencies, and the coordi- nation efforts accomplished by the Humanitarian Affairs Department (ICHAD) to alleviate the sufferings of the needy people in various OIC Member States affected by disasters and calamities, particularly, Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, Niger, Sudan and Sahel at large. The Ministers supported the initiative of the OIC Secretary General to initiate micro-finance schemes for the Sahel and other needy countries so as to enhance the community’s resilience to address humanitarian challenges which negatively impact their livelihoods, and requested the Member States, donors and philanthropists to strongly support the Secretary General’s initiative. The Foreign Ministers expressed grave concern on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Sahel region and reiterated its appeal for the international community and the OIC civil society and philanthropic organizations to assist the Sahel countries to develop more sustainable development-oriented projects.

In this context, the Ministers welcomed the proposed United Nations Global Humanitarian Summit due to take place in Turkey in 2016. They urged the Member States to give this matter utmost attention as it provides a unique opportunity to define and forge a forward-looking humanitarian agenda, which will take into consideration the views of the Muslim World, and requested the General Secretariat to start extensive consultations with the Member States and civil society organizations to develop a unified vision for Member States on the new themes for the Summit.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

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Inauguartion of the projects of the Saudi National Campaign in Somalia

he first agricultural projects to be implemented by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation with financing by the National Campaign for the Relief of the Somali People was inauguarated on 27 May 2014 in the region Janaale (about 90 km south-west of the capital Mogadishu) of the Lower Shabelle region, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Abdi Ahmed Mohammed, the provincial governor, Mr. Abdul Qader Mohammed Noor, the representative of the OIC, Mr. Mohammed Edli, ​​deputy director of the OIC Office of Somalia, and a number of government and civil officials and

a wide number of farmers from the area.

The project includes the agricultural reform of 500 hectares of agricultural land in the Jnala area and the distribution of seeds to around 500 families for cultivation in the reformed land in addition to the rehabilitation of 3 irrigation canals, the first Yas channel silt at a length of 5 km, Hanoli canal at a length of 7 km, and Jdodo canal at a length of 8 km, with a total length of 20 km and a 4 meters width.

The project aims to help farmers benefit from agricultural lands that have been neglected because of war, drought and civil strife, and to facilitate access to water

through the rehabilitation of irrigation canals for the use of humans, animals and agriculture, which will benefit the population of that region, considered to be one of the most important fertile agricultural areas.

The Somali government and the local population welcomed this vital project that will change the lives of hundreds of families.

It should be noted that the OIC is implementing a big reconstruction and development program for Somalia’s funded by the Saudi National Campaign. It includes a variety of projects in the areas of education, health, social care, agriculture and others in a number of affected Somali regions.

An OIC delegation visits a school it rehabilitated for Syrian children in Lebanon

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delegation for the OIC visited on 30 April 2014 Chaneh Middle School in Mount Lebanon allocated for displeced Syrian children in Lebanon, which it had rehabilitated through a grant by the Government of Kazakhistan.

The OIC delegation was headed by the Director of the Humanitarian Affairs Department, Sulaiman Al-Awadhi, accompanied by the Ambassador of Kazakhistan, Imbir Diev, and the representative of the implementing agency of the project, the Guidance and Reform Islamci Charity Society in Lebanon, the deputy president of the Society Jamil Qatirji and the public relations officer Mohamed Rabie Qatirji.

It is worth noting that Kazakhistan gave a grant of $200 thousand for the rehabilitation of the school.

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Experts meet to consider establishing OIC Humanitarian Emergency Response Fund

he meeting of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts to consider the rules of the OIC Humanitarian Emergency Response Fund was held at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on 14 and 15 April 2014. The two-day meeting aimed to agree on the final draft of the proposed rules for the Fund, which has been in consideration for three years now.

On the importance of the Humanitarian Emergency Response Fund, the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, in his opening address, explained that, “in considering these rules, we must not be led

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by difference over the text or words in the rules as by the need to establish the Fund.”

He called for the meeting to produce positive outcomes and remove the apprehensions by some over misuse or lack of transparency.

The Secretary General gave an example of the difficulties facing the General Secretariat with the two major humanitarian crises facing the Republic of Mali and the worsening catastrophic situation in the Central African Republic. He stressed that because of lack of necessary financial capabilities for the General Secretariat, “our efforts in the

humanitarian domain are limited despite growing need and increasing requests received by the General Secretariat from victims.”

Madani said that according to the latest annual report of humanitarian catastrophes and disasters issued by the OIC’s Department of Humanitarian Affairs, 146 million people were affected by humanitarian disasters in the Muslim world in the last three years, and the total number of refugees and displaced persons is 26 million, while material losses due to humanitarian disasters is in excess of US$ 200 billion dollars.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

O First Meeting of the OIC Humanitarian Organizations Council sets up working mechanism

IC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, inaugurated on 6 April 2014 at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah the first meeting of the OIC Humanitarian Organizations Council.

The event had in attendance representatives of civil society organizations in OIC Member States and Muslim minorities outside the Muslim world. The meeting was held in implementation of the resolution of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea from 9-11 December 2013 on the accession of non-governmental humanitarian organizations to OIC consultative status.

Madani stressed the need to take into consideration how Member States perceive civil society organizations, revealing that during his recent tours he discussed the issue of opening up to civil society with leaders of some Member States, since some of them had expressed misgivings that these institutions could be fronts used to realize foreign interests, working within and with political orientations.

There were also doubts about the sources of their financing.

In this connection, the Secretary General stressed the importance of this meeting, which would evolve a systematic and institutional framework for collective Islamic humanitarian work in the OIC and under the Organization’s umbrella. This is likely to remove doubts and apprehension about misuse that

could impede their work.

During the three-day meeting, the organizations discussed how to organize their work under the umbrella of the OIC and their role in supporting humanitarian work in the Muslim world, in addition to administrative and financial mechanisms for the establishment of the Council of Humanitarian Organizations.

The organizations agreed on the composition of the Council in the OIC consisting of the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) of Saudi Arabia as Vice-President, the Qatar Foundation as rapporteur, the Organization of Islamic Relief Worldwide of Britain as treasurer, and the Turkish IHH organization as member. As for the President of the Council and the Executive Secretariat, it was decided that they will be elected from outside the humanitarian organizations from among professionals with extensive experience in humanitarian work and international regulations, in accordance with the international system in these cases.

The organizations pledged a donation of approximately $ 300 thousand dollars for the establishment of the Secretariat of the Council within the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. The organizational structure for the Council includes besides the Executive Office four specialized committees: relief, foreign relations, protection of humanitarian activity, and training and capacity building.

OIC Humanitarian Campaign in the Central African Republic during Ramadan

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he OIC launched a humanitarian campaign in the Central African Republic (CAR) to coincide with the end of Ramadan and the Eid period through providing food and other essential assistance to displaced people in Bangui in the period 14-26 July 2014. The OIC delegation was led by Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, the OIC Special Envoy for CAR. The OIC delegation met the Interim President H.E. Mrs. Catherine Samba Panza; the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Toussaint Kongo-Doudou and senior officials from the UN and international humanitarian organisations who were all briefed about OIC activities in the humanitarian field in CAR. From 19th to 25th July 2014, rice, wheat flour, soap, milk, sardines, oil, pasta, tomato, salt, etc. were distributed to PK5 vulnerable people through the remaining mosques in Bangui such as Ali Babolo, Atik and Central Mosque as well as to the Senegalese, Malian and Guinean communities living in La Conga. Humanitarian assistance was also extended to Malian IDPs waiting to be repatriated to Bamako after leaving Boda where they were held as hostages by Anti-Balakas for several months. Similarly, food and non-food items were also handed over to the Archibishop of Bangui to assist IDPs living within the vicinity of the Cathedral. Finally, a small portion of the assistance was sent to some demobilized Seleka Forces confined in military barracks in Bangui. It represented a token contribution towards alleviating the suffering of demobilised soldiers from the former Selekas. Medical supplies were also availed to several former Seleka soldiers by the OIC delegation.

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Despite the limited financial resources at its disposal, the OIC Campaign had a true impact on vulnerable people living within and outside PK5 area. Up to 21,000 people received humanitarian aid. CAR Government and public opinion welcomed the OIC humanitarian initiative. However, the humanitarian challenges are still ongoing in CAR.

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OIC NEWS His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein receives OIC Secretary General

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is Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan received on 7 May 2014, Iyad Ameen Madani, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), who was on an official visit to Amman from 5 to 7 May 2014.

At the meeting, His Majesty asserted Jordan’s support for the ongoing joint Islamic action in all fields for the welfare and dignity of the

Ummah and its peoples, stressing the need for the OIC to remain the collective institution and voice for all Muslims.

The Jordanian monarch also stressed the need to support the interOIC solidarity and work towards restoring security and stability in the Muslim world, based on reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

On his part, the OIC Secretary General commended the efforts of Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein to back the Palestinian Cause, safeguard and preserve AlQuds Ash-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque and support the Maqdisites.

The OIC Secretary General also met with Nasser Judeh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Jordan, at the headquarters of the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. Judeh praised the existing cooperation between Jordan and the OIC and the two sides reviewed the OIC future action areas and mechanisms to face the challenges encountered by the Ummah.

Madani also held two working sessions with Dr. Ibrahim Saif, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, and Dr. Mohammed Thnaibat, Minister of Education, during which providing support to joint Islamic action in the areas of finance, development and education was reviewed.

Madani visits Zaatari Camp and inspects Syrian refugees conditions

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n 6th May 2014, the OIC Secretary General and his accompanying delegation visited the Zaatari camp near the Jordanian-Syrian border, in order to inspect the Syrian refugees conditions there. The delegation was received by the camp management and security officials. The camp is considered a home for more than 120 thousand Syrian refugees.

The officials presented an overview of the camp and the refugees needs, and among the important points mentioned was that the Jordanian Ministry of Interior has established a special department for the refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, as the daily number of refugee influx at the greatest time of crisis reached 4000 to 5000. The refugees are received at the border between Jordan and Syria, where they are registered; even though in most cases the refugees had their personal documents, they were still registered in iris recognition system for security reasons.

The Zaatari camp contains 23 thousand tents, beside kitchens, public restrooms, six public hospitals and health centers, a number of schools, and some local markets. The officials referred to some challenges including the infrastructure problems, specially the issue of water consumption which reaches up to three million liters per day, and the sewage issue, as they also explained that the camp is built on groundwater, which was essentially an agricultural land that belongs to and donated by the armed forces to establish the camp.

Another challenge facing the camp is the energy problem, where the monthly consumption costs the Jordanian government 700 thousand dollars. The officials further inclined that there are almost 1.3 million Syrians, of whom 600 thousand are listed as refugees, and the sponsorship system is applied on them in case of a request to live outside the camp.

There are six camps in Jordan; the Zaatari camp is the largest amongst them, and considered the second largest worldwide. With regards to international support, the officials indicated that donors include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and others. Moreover, with

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respect to the OIC support, it includes donating clothing and parts of the tents, in cooperation with the Republic of Kazakhstan.After his visit to the camp, the OIC Secretary General met with Dr. Ibrahim Saif, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, who stressed that the refugees problem represents a significant burden on the Jordanian economy and society. Jordan is currently working with the UNHCR on a national plan to mitigate the effects of the Syrian crises, including education, health, housing, and other essential areas to maintain proper functioning of the society.

He added that the cost of accommodating refugees exceeds 3 billion dollars, and in less than two years the population of Jordan has increased by 15 percent; however, the Jordanian society is bearing the burden of the Syrian crisis, considering the close historical and social relations between the two countries.

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OIC NEWS Libya signs the Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security

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he Ambassador of Libya to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Amb. Abdel Basit Albadri, signed on 15 April 2014 the Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security in the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah on behalf of his government. With this, Libya became the twentieth country to sign the Statute.

The Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security was adopted during 40th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Conakry, Guinea on 9-11 December 2013. The aim of this organization is to provide expertise and technical know-how on the various aspects of sustainable agriculture, rural development, and food security as well as mobilizing financial resources for developing agriculture and enhancing food security in OIC member states. It will be headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Statute provides that it shall be applied provisionally upon signing by at least ten OIC member states and shall enter into force definitively upon submission of instruments of ratification by ten OIC Member States.

The OIC Secretary General pays official visit to Bahrain and participates in Dialogue of Civilizations Conference

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he OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, paid an official visit to the Kingdom the Bahrain from 4 – 5 May 2014. During his visit, the Secretary General had an audience with the Prime Minister of Bahrain, HRH Sheikh Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa who expressed the continuous support of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the OIC as well as the initiatives and reforms aiming at reinforcing solidarity and cooperation among Muslim countries.

The Secretary General also met the Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa, and Ghanim bin Fadhul AlBuainain, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with whom he discussed the longstanding relationship between Bahrain and the OIC as well as ways and means to strengthen the joint Islamic action and the issues of concern to the Muslim world, including the Palestinian question, the situation of Rohingya in Myanmar, the ongoing conflict in the Central African Republic as well as the growing phenomena of Islamophobia and religious extremism.

On May 5th, the Secretary General attended the inaugural session of a three-day conference, organized by the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of the King, His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on the theme of “Dialogue of Civilizations – All Civilizations in the Service of Humanity”.

In his Statement the Secretary General reiterated the OIC’s strong commitment to promote dialogue both among and within civilizations as a means to combating all forms of bigotry, intolerance and discrimination that threaten peaceful coexistence among people and nations.

OIC participates in observing the Presidential Elections in Panama with the Organization of American States (OAS) As part of the ongoing cooperation between the OIC and the

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United Nations on electoral issues, the United Nations invited the OIC to participate in the Presidential Election monitoring mission in Panama on 4 May 2014. The main objective of the mission to Panama was to see how the OAS organizes and conducts electionmonitoring missions as well as to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two organizations so that the OIC can build its capacity on election monitoring from its collaboration with the OAS. OIC Charter and the Ten Year Program of Action (TYPOA) encourage Member States to promote good governance, rule of law, democracy and accountability and election observation is becoming an important tool support member states in these areas. OAS has more than five decades of experience in election observation and this is well integrated in the structure of the OAS General Secretariat. The OIC can benefit from the OAS experience on electoral observation and OIC should maintain the tempo of cooperation between the two organizations.

President of Senegal and the Secretary General discuss revitalization of OIC The President of the Republic of Senegal, HE Mr. Macky Sall, during his visit to Makkah received the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, on 17 May 2014.

During the audience, the President and the Secretary General had an extensive exchange of views on issues related to the revitalization of the OIC and its institutions as well as the current peace and security challenges facing parts of the African continent. They also discussed ways and means to further strengthen intra-OIC cooperation particularly in the socio-economic domain and enhance Islamic solidarity.

The President assured the Secretary General of the continued commitment of Senegal to the ideals of the OIC while the Secretary General on his part, stressed his readiness to intensify cooperation with his important country to promote Joint Islamic Actions.

King of Spain receives OIC Secretary General

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is Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain who is on an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani on 18 May 2014 in Jeddah.

The OIC Secretary General used the occasion to intimate His Majesty of the current activities of the OIC on peace-building and socio-economic cooperation, including issues relating to education, science and technology and innovation. The OIC Secretary General also presented to HM the scope of work and divergent issues the OIC is involved in at the political, economic, humanitarian and cultural fields. He also reviewed the major challenges facing the OIC and the situation in occupied Palestine, the current crisis in Central African Republic, north Mali and the conditions of Muslims in Myanmar.

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OIC NEWS HM the King pointed out the unique role Spain can play in terms of bilateral and EU relations with the OIC.

aged the Government of Myanmar and the OIC to engage constructively on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.

Istanbul hosts the biennial UN-OIC General Meeting on Cooperation

OIC Secretary General addresses the Opening Session of the NAM Ministerial Conference in Algeria

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he three-day biennial UN-OIC General Meeting on Cooperation commenced in Istanbul on 20 May 2014, at IRCICA (Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture), a subsidiary organ of OIC, under the co-chairmanship of Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu, Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Program.

At the outset, Ambassador Opeloyeru stressed that ever since his assumption of duty in January this year, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani underscored the need for constant coordination between the OIC and United Nations, considering both Organizations’ common vision and purpose for a peaceful, secure and stable world.

In his statement, delivered by Ambassador Opeloyeru, OIC Secretary General Madani noted that the UN and the OIC have made strident efforts in consolidating their consultations, coordination and collaboration mechanisms. He stated that in the identified sectors of joint action, the two Organizations have held regular meetings, seminars and workshops aimed at developing the capacities of the personnel in their respective General Secretariats, as well as subsidiary, specialized and affiliated institutions.

In his message to the meeting, delivered by Ms. Sultanoglu, UN Secretary General noted that the cooperation between the UN and the OIC has further strengthened since the last UN General Meeting on Cooperation, held in Geneva in 2012.

Recalling the UN Security Council’s first ever meeting on the role of the OIC in maintaining peace and security, UN Secretary General stressed that the joint work of the UN and the OIC encompasses mediation support, electoral assistance, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the regulation of conventional arms. The Secretary General stated that the UN family is also working with the OIC member states to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction, ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, enhance South-South cooperation, as well as advance reproductive, maternal and child health.

Moreover, the Secretary General Ban mentioned that as the world shapes a common development agenda for the post-2015 period, the OIC’s attention to the rights of migrants, interfaith harmony and gender equality could help ensure that these issues are properly reflected.

Underlining the common concern of the UN and the OIC on addressing a number of peace and security challenges, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed that the OIC could play a critical role in supporting peace efforts in the Middle East and in helping create an environment of trust and understanding. The UN position on the illegality of Israel’s settlements is well known, he reminded. Urging for the need to ease the plight of the people of Gaza, Secretary General pointed that deteriorating conditions for the civilian population remain a source of deep concern.

In addition, referring to the alarming situations both in Syria and the Central African Republic, Secretary General Ban encouraged further cooperation and partnership of the UN and the OIC, especially given that military action only is not a solution to either conflict. Similarly, recalling that both the UN and the OIC are closely watching the situation in Myanmar, Secretary General Ban encour-

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he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, addressed the opening session of the 17th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which started in Algiers on 28 May 2014.

In his statement, the Secretary General stressed that the common membership between the NAM and the OIC is an expression of the strong historical ties between the two Organizations. He pointed out that, despite the conditions and circumstances that led to the establishment of the NAM, and despite the change of the historical context, the movement’s role and collective efforts remain essential. The Movement constitutes an alternative voice, a different vision and another option and remains a crucial factor of dialogue between developing and developed countries with a view to instilling a better and fairer understanding of issues.

“While we aspire to a new world governed by justice, freedom and equality, we at the OIC Member States face long-lasting issues related to international peace and security. The occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories continues unabated, as well as the building of settlements and the Judaization of Al Quds Al Sharif.

And Israel is perpetrating with impunity crimes that are recognized as such by the international community,” added Madani.

The Secretary General pointed out to the threat of terrorism, the unjustified attempts to link this scourge with Islam, and the surge of Islamophobia and the attempts of defamation of Islam. He added that the OIC was making intensive efforts to instill the notion of moderation in the Muslim world as well as among religions, civilizations and cultures as a means of supporting peaceful coexistence and firmly establishing the foundations of international peace and security.

Iyad Madani called upon regional and political organizations in which most NAM Member States are members to meet regularly in order to coordinate their views so that NAM may take a new dimension and bring all these organizations closer together.

Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation pays an official visit to the OIC Headquarters

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n his first visit to the Headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation reiterated the mutual interest in promoting cooperation between Russia and the OIC, where Russia is an observer member.

The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, received on 21 June 2014 in his office Sergei Lavrov, the For-

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OIC NEWS eign Minister of the Russian Federation, and his delegation. During the meeting they discussed regional and international issues including developments in the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, Myanmar and Crimea.

Both sides agreed to continue consultations and dialogue within the Cooperation Framework Agreement between Russia and the OIC. Mr. Madani accepted an invitation extended by the Foreign Minister to visit Russia, and Muslim communities in the region including in Tatarstan, Chechnya, Dagestan and Crimea.

Lavrov said to the OIC Journal that the two sides also agreed to cooperate in the United Nations on human rights issues and other important issues to ensure that all civilizations, cultures and traditions are respected and there is no one sided approach to issues, be it human rights, be it conflict resolution, but rather an approach based on consensus, compromise building and respect to the interests of all.

Worth noting is that the 41st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah expressed interest in the situation of the Crimean Muslim Tatars in the light of the recent developments in the Crimea.

The Council stressed the need to address appropriately the status, safety and security of Crimean Tatars, and guarantee them effective access to their religious, cultural, educational and property rights.

It underscored the importance of ensuring the safety and security of Muslim Tatars, and urged the Secretary General to conduct the needed contacts and studies on the situation of Crimean Tatars following the recent developments.

OIC signs cooperation agreement with Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States

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he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between it and the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC) at its headquarters in Jeddah on 17 June 2014. The agreement was signed on behalf of the OIC by the Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, and on behalf of the Union by its Secretary General, Dr. Mahmud Erol Kilic.

The signing of the agreement was in implementation of the resolution of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea from 9-11 December 2013, based on the objectives and principles of the OIC Charter and the Ten-Year Program of Action and on the importance of cooperation with other international organizations.

The agreement is to promote the role of the two parties in preserving the noble Islamic values of peace, compassion, tolerance, equality, and justice and to create acquaintance with aspects of Islamic civilization. It is also to carry forward the work of the two parties in promoting human rights, rule of law and enthroning pillars of peace based on justice in Member States.

The two parties agreed to hold conferences, symposia and joint activities on issues of concern to the Muslim world, particularly in the context of cooperation and Islamic solidarity, promoting dialogue and

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understanding between civilizations and culture, and preserving the historical and Islamic identity of Islamic places, especially in Al-Quds Al-Shareef.

OIC Secretary General undertakes official visit to Pakistan

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pon an official invitation from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, undertook a visit to Islamabad on 4-5 August 2014.

The Secretary General met with Pakistani President H.E. Mamnoon Hussein, the Prime Minister, H.E. Nawaz Sharif, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, the Federal Minister of Finance, Ishaq Dar and the Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Azam Khan Swati.

The discussions during the meetings focused mainly on the major challenges plaguing the Muslim world, notably the situation in Gaza Strip, the question of Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, extremism and poverty. Madani asserted the importance of assembling the OIC’s Member States’ efforts to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip and to pursue Israel for its crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories before the International criminal Court, (ICC). The Secretary General reiterated the need to implement the resolutions of the Executive Committee Meeting at the level of Ministers held at the OIC General Secretariat on 10 July 2014. He highlighted the active role of Pakistan in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) and urged the country to strengthen OIC’s endeavors to bring the Israeli aggression to an end.

Exchange of views between the Secretary General and Pakistani top officials touched on the effective ways and means likely to help the Muslim world come to grips with these daunting challenges and to enhance the OIC-Pakistani bilateral relations. Pakistani officials expressed their commitment to support the Secretary General in his mission at the helm of the OIC. The meeting with the Federal Minister of Science and Technology stressed the importance of convening the ever first OIC Science and Technology’s Summit in Islamabad in the first quarter of 2015.

Madani also held a meeting with a group of Kashmiri representatives and high officials of Azad Jammu and Kashmir government.

His program also included a lecture where he interacted with a select group audience at the Institute of Strategic Studies where he highlighted the challenges in the Muslim World and the OIC’s engagement to overcome these challenges.

The Secretary General was accompanied by Ambassador M. Naeem Khan, Assistant Secretary General of Science and Technology and Ambassador Ali Abolhassani, Director, Political Department.

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OIC NEWS OIC Secretary General meets the UN Secretary General in Bali

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani met with the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon in Bali on 29 August 2014 at the sidelines of the Sixth Global Forum of UN Alliance of Civilization.

Their discussion touched on three main issues, namely the Rohingya plight in Myanmar; the Israeli aggressions on the Palestinians in the Gaza strip; and the crimes committed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS. On the Rohingya issue, the need for granting citizenship to Rohingya people was emphasized, calling on the international community to work with the UN in addressing this matter which has become an international issue. Dialogue with the government of Myanmar in tackling this issue was also emphasized. Both Secretaries General agreed that their Special Envoys for Myanmar should foster their consultations and cooperation.

The two parties discussed the ongoing Israeli aggression on Palestinians in the Gaza strip. They stressed the need for re-opening of the airport and seaport in Gaza in order to ease connection of Palestinians with the outside world. In this context, Ki-moon stressed that the state of blockade experienced by Palestinians in the past should not be allowed to happen again. He also called for investigation of war crimes committed against civilians including the UN staff and facilities in Gaza strip. He called on the OIC Secretary General to urge the OIC member states to actively participate in the donors’ conference for the reconstruction of Gaza which is expected t be held in September in Cairo, Egypt.

The two Secretaries General also discussed religious extremism citing the examples of Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIS in Syria and Iraq and stressed the need for a better understanding of the nature of these terrorist groups which falsely carry Islamic label. They called on the international community to address this issue and to be firm in dealing with it, however, a proper remedy for this problem should first come from the region.

IRCICA convenes a Session on Coexistence of Different Cultures

The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), a subsidiary organ of OIC, held a special session on “Coexistence of Different Cultures: Examples from History as Lessons for the Future” at the Sixth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilization in Bali. The session aimed to generate presentations of specific topics or case studies that would illustrate examples of coexistence of different faiths and cultures at different times and places.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, delivered a statement that was read by the Director General of Cultural, Social and Family Affairs Directorate of the OIC General Secretariat. The Secretary General emphasised on the need for education and learning how to live together in a globalized world, and urged for close collaboration with civil society organizations to allow introduction and development of concrete policy guidelines and projects guaranteeing the right to diversity and facilitating a culture of peace and human rights for all citizens.

The session, which was moderated by Ambassador Omur Orhun, the OIC Focal Point to the Alliance of Civilization, included a statement by Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA, and featured speakers who delivered their presentations on a variety of topics on coexistence in different faiths and cultures. The High Representative for the Alliance of Civilization, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser also graced the occasion by his presence and constructive comments. H.R.H. Prince Hassan bin Talal and the President of Republic of Macedonia Dr. George Ivanov joined with video messages.

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The OIC celebrates Orphans Day in the Islamic World

Madani: The celebration is consecration of the principles of our pristine religion

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he Organization of Islamic Cooperation organized on 12 July 2014, a big celebration on the occasion of the Orphans Day in the Islamic World at the premises of Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddah.

The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, promised to observe this day by the OIC and Muslim countries every year in a different Islamic capital. He urged the Muslim world to support and help out the orphans in all Member States.

Iyad Madani explained that the Orphans Day in the Islamic World celebration is a consecration of the principles of our pristine religion and a pursuance of the resolution adopted by the Fortieth Session of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), held in the Guinean capital, Conakry, in December 2013. He pointed out that this celebration comes “in light of the perceived need to remind community members, government and private institutions of the suffering of this segment of children who have lost their loved ones, and to urge them to exert more effort in caring for and sponsoring orphans.”

The Secretary General commended the leading role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, in the aftermath of the Tsunami that hit the province of Band Aceh in Indonesia, which is one of the worst natural disasters known to mankind in modern history. It left behind more than 20 thousand orphans who lost their families. He said that thanks to the support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the endeavors of the OIC in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, a program named “the OIC Alliance to Sponsor Child Victims of the Tsunami” was adopted and ten thousand orphans were sponsored in 15 years, to the tune of $5400 per child.

Madani pointed out that orphans in the Muslim world are not only the child victims of Tsunami, as the Islamic world is being tested and afflicted in several areas. The Gaza Strip is subject to Israeli aggression that left many children orphaned. There are orphans in Syria, Myanmar, Somalia, and other areas that need the attention of the Islamic world.

The ceremony featured an act by the orphans of the Social Care Nursery in Jeddah and an act presented by some of the Tsunami orphaned children, in addition to the screening of a documentary about the program for caring for the Tsunami orphans.

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OIC NEWS OIC making contact with Muslims in Cambodia

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n a first visit of its kind, a delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation recently visited Cambodia to participate in the international conference organized by the council for Development of Cambodia on “Islamic Education and Economic Development in Cambodia” in the capital Phnom Penh on 28 – 29 April 2014.

Located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia, Cambodia has a population of over 14.8 million with a Muslim population of more than 700 thousand mostly from the Cham ethnic minority group. During the reign of the notorious Khmer Rouge in the mid 70s, the Cham Muslims suffered serious purges with as much as half of their population exterminated.

The country’s current constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship. There are around 200 mosques in different parts of Cambodia and nearly 100 charitable societies and organizations. Yet, Cambodia is not so actively engaged with the Muslim world and there are a few Islamic countries that have resident Ambassadors in Phnom Penh including Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Kuwait, Pakistan and Turkey.

So this first high-official visit by the OIC to Cambodia is significant, and the delegation

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was impressed by the government’s plans to properly treat the Muslim minority and expressed this during its meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Svega Sun An, and other Cambodian officials.

The OIC delegation, which included Mr. Talal Daous, Advisor to the Secretary General, and Ambassador Ali Abolhassani, Director in the Political Affairs Department as well as the Executive Director of the Islamic Solidarity Fund, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Khuzayem, and the Manager of the Islamic Development Bank Regional Office in Malaysia, Mr. Kunrat Wirasubrata, participated in the international conference on “Islamic Education and Economic Development in Cambodia”. The objective of the conference was to highlight the importance of the various stages and types of education to the Muslim community in Cambodia, and to get to know the constraints and difficulties facing the educational process due to the fact that education plays a pivotal role in the development of societies, and is a fundamental pillar of the economic development. The conference also aimed at discussing ways available to provide resources that enable achieving economic development, and to discuss the appropriate mechanisms that achieve this development such as Zakah and Islamic Waqf.

A number of professors and specialists in education and economics from inside and outside Cambodia participated in the conference. There were lectures given by the participants who were specialists in educational affairs, economic development, Islamic banks, Halal food, Zakah, and Is-

lamic Waqf. These lectures highlighted the aspects that help achieve economic development and education for the Muslim community in Cambodia through the experience of the participants in their respective fields.

The conference recommended the establishment of specialized committees in the fields of education, Halal food, Zakah and Islamic Waqf. Education in particular gained focus in order to set up a unified base for the religious education curricula in the Islamic schools in Cambodia, to work on the establishment of vocational training centers and to encourage the population of the Muslim minority to send their children to public schools to study the modern curricula besides the religious curricula. Most of the Muslim population, who are from the Cham ethnicity, refuse to send their children to the public schools out of their keenness on not to lose their own language, which is Cham that differs from Khmer, the official language of Cambodia and the instruction language of the modern curricula in the public schools.

There was also a recommendation to elaborate on methodological plans for economic development in the Muslim society most of which suffers from poverty and low income.

In addition to its meetings with officials, the OIC delegation visited the primary Simia Private International School, the region where Muslims live in the Capital, the site of the Islamic University project, the site of the Islamic College about 300 Km away from the Capital, and some mosques in the area.

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HUMAN RIGHTS OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission holds 5th Session Calls for referring Israeli detention of Palestinians to International Court of Justice

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he OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held its 5th Session in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 1-5 June 2014.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Mohammad K. Ibrahim, the Chairperson of the Commission, highlighted the importance of the role and work of IPHRC in supporting and strengthening Member-States’ efforts in promoting and protecting the human rights of their citizens. To that end, the Chairperson, apprised the participants on the list of activities carried out by the Commission since the last session and enumerated the main issues on which it has been working in the recent past. He also thanked Member States’ keen interest in the work of the IPHRC and requested their strong support for provision of required resources to the Commission for the fulfillment of its mandated responsibilities.

During the five-day session, the Commission had in-depth discussions on all items on its agenda including human rights violations in Occupied Palestinian Territories; civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in OIC Member States; as well as specific mandates given to it by the CFM such as Islamophobia, negative impact of unilateral economic sanctions on member states; situation of Rohingya Muslim minority, human rights situation in Central African Republic, and creation of mechanism for monitoring human rights violations against Muslim minorities.

The Commission expressed its disappointment with the continued and ongoing violations of Palestinians’ human rights by the occupying power Israel. It strongly condemned the arbitrary practice of administrative detentions of Palestinian people as

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discriminatory and contrary to all existing international human rights and legal standards. It called upon OIC Member States to highlight these discriminatory practices at all relevant international human rights forums and requested the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to consider referring the matter to the International Court of Justice, through appropriate channels, for an advisory opinion on its illegality that severely impacts Palestinians’ human rights.

The Commission also reiterated its firm stance that Israeli occupation was the primary cause of all human rights violations, which impacts the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian people.

During the Session, the Commission considered and finalized two reports on the subjects of “Negative impact of economic and financial sanctions on the full range of human rights of the people in the targeted OIC States” and the “Human rights situation in the Central African Republic”. Based on the existing international law and human rights norms, the first report calls the economic and financial sanctions as illegal, discriminatory and counter-productive to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and other international human rights standards. The report on Central African Republic, which was based on first hand information acquired through an on-ground visit to the affected country as well as refugee camps in the neighboring states, provides an overview of the ongoing human rights situation in the country with specific recommendations on how to address the state of affected Muslim population, as well as steps needed to ensure avoidance of future recurrence of these events. These reports

together with the Commission’s specific recommendations were presented to the 41st Session of the CFM on June 18, 2014.

The Commission also delved in detail on the issues of right to development and human rights of women and children. Discussions on these subjects were complemented by participation of experts from Islamic Development Bank and Islamic Fiqh Academy. It was agreed that joint seminars/symposiums would be held on specific topics and projects in these areas with a view to defining common positions/views that would help Member States in better understanding these issues from a holistic angle.

IPHRC regretted the lack of response from Myanmar authorities on its repeated requests to undertake a visit to their country to discuss the issue of Rohingya Muslims.

The Commission urged the Myanmar authorities to favorably consider its request, on priority.

The Commission also issued a press release condemning the factually incorrect and fallacious statement by President Milos Zeman of Czech Republic about Islam. It termed Zeman’s statement as a clear manifestation of hatred that constitutes incitement to hostility and violence. The Commission reaffirmed that no religion should be equated with violence and extremism and urged relevant international human rights mechanisms to openly denounce such assertions.

The Commission decided to invite National Human Rights Institutions of Member States in its future symposiums/workshops, with a view to benefitting from their practical experiences and expertise in dealing with these issues on the ground. The Commission further agreed to address specific themes during its next session and established an adhoc sub-working group to monitor violations of human rights of Muslim minorities.

The Commission thanked those Member States who have provided IPHRC with their human rights legislative, institutional and policy frameworks related to items under consideration and urged remaining Member States to do the same with a view to compiling a list of best practices to be shared with Member States. IPHRC reiterated its call upon all Member States to expedite ratification of the statute of OIC Women Development Organization enabling its early establishment in Cairo. The Commission also finalized the launching of its website that would become operational from 1st of July.

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FAMILY

AFFAirs The Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana):

Ten Years of Protecting the Moroccan Family Rabat, Morocco (DPA)- Ten years ago, the entering into force of the Moroccan Family Code was a critical achievement in the Kingdom of Morocco after a difficult process.

After ten years of implementing the Code, some believe it was promising and guaranteed the social and family rights of Moroccan women, while others think some of the Code’s provisions harmed women.

Every association or official entity endeavoured throughout the previous period in expanding this framework, which worked​​ its way after a bitter conflict between the society’s ideologies reaching almost an impasse and a clash between the conservative forces, represented in Islamists who observe particular references to women and family issues, and the liberals, whose ideology is detached from anything related to the Islamic legislations. Eventually, the Royal intervention put an end to the conflict, by proposing a family code that received acceptance. Nevertheless, a few flaws have appeared after the implementation of the Code, and some are demanding revising a number of items including proof of marriage, guardianship in marriage, and division of property.

The expert and judicial delegate in the Higher Judicial Institute in Rabat, Mohammed Ikij, explained to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (German Press Agency) that the Code had been issued under sensitive circumstances, characterized by tension between the broad political and societal spectrum, after introducing the draft of the national plan to engage women in the development in 2000 and the provisions it included with regards to reforming the previous Personal Status Code. However, the Royal intervention was decisive and able to defuse the conflicts.

“The Family Code received a consensus, or a near consensus, among all the political and societal spectrum,” said Ikij, “considering the repairs it offered, it is seen as a quiet revolution in family issues. However, just like any man-made product, it cannot feature ultimate perfection, and its effectiveness and usefulness would not be witnessed until it is implemented.”

The expert seemed optimistic, as he pointed out some advantages, including that the legal language used is easily understood by everyone; worded away from the dry jurisprudence and legal language.

The Code has also employed the requirements of international conventions on

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women and children that have been ratified

by Morocco, without prejudice to the religious texts and its objectives derived from Quran and Sunnah. Also, it is not restricted to the official Al-Malki Madhab (School of Sunni jurisprudence) of Morocco, and did not comply with the preponderant opinions in Al Malki but also considered the weaker ones, giving priority to the general benefit of the Moroccan family.

“The Code has expanded in some concepts, such as the concept of harm,” stated Ikij, “as now it includes everything physical, emotional, psychological, and verbal.

Where previously it was limited to physical and body harm, which is rarely verified, or can be easily manipulated; thus, making it difficult to prove in court. Besides establishing specialized and independent entities to decide on family issues (Family law sections).

Ikij clarified that the Code adopted a set of precautionary measures in order to reduce some of the spousal abuse by husbands.

Thus, stressed the possibility of probation, in case the husband’s deception is proven of making false or forged statements when showing interest in polygamy or divorce.

On the other hand, Ikij mentioned some of the drawbacks, represented in the expansion of the concept of “marital discord”, which led to the dominance of this provision over all others related to dissolution of marriage.

Also, due to the expansion of judicial work in interpreting the concept of “objective and exceptional justification” in the provisions of polygamy, under the name of activating the discretionary power of judges, which led to unjust practices against those interested in polygamy, resulting in frequent manipulation in exercising this right through the code of marital evidence.

The specialist did not hide the weakness in article 49 of the Code, especially when it comes to financial conflicts between the spouses where one of them lacks a “personal statement” to prove financial disclosure. Therefore, this has denied many housewives their rights, although they have participated directly or indirectly in increasing their husband’s fortune, which requires the legislator’s intervention to consider domestic work as an income generating work.

He also recommends assigning family judiciary tasks to sufficient social experts in family relationships.

Ikij added that more needs to be done to spread adequate awareness of the Code’s

provisions, especially through the media and engaging serious and responsible civil society associations.

The statistics of the Ministry of Justice confirm the continuing development in the marriage institution, with an increase in minors’ marriages and a huge decrease in polygamy, which indicates that the legislative provisions that came with the Code were positive in avoiding turning to this option excessively. Also, the percentage of dissolution of marriages has increased because of the divorce provisions, affirming that the legal approach does not present an ultimate solution to reduce marriage breakup, which requires adapting an integrated approach based on education, awareness and social aspects. Besides, the low number of documents issued to manage earned money during marriage life, and the low proportion of family reconciliation, requires considering reorganizing this institute, and involving neutral parties, to achieve better investment in this mechanism and to protect the Moroccan family from falling apart.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 41

CULTURE Historical Istanbul: Divided between nostalgia for the past and future aspirations

Istanbul, Turkey (dpa) – The historical city center of Istanbul is a part that must be visited in this ancient city. Among its well known sites: the Sultan’s giant Palace known as the Topkapi (Sublime Porte, or high gate, which was the center of power in the Ottoman Empire); the wonderful Hagia Sophia that was the main Cathedral of the ancient Byzantine Empire, before it was turned into a mosque and currently became a museum; and next to it the six majestic minarets of the Blue Mosque looking towards the sky. One should also stop at one of the many cafes, and if you have not yet tried bargaining in the Grand Bazaar, then you have not visited Istanbul truly.

For those looking for another part of Istan� bul, they have to cross to the north through the Golden Horn; a long waterway that bisects the city, and flows into the Bosphorus, forming a peninsula.

Elim, a 22-years-old Turkish girl, says “If you want to know the elegant and ever evolving modern Istanbul, you must come here, to this part of the city.”

From the terrace of the restaurant Istanbul

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360 which overlooks spectacular panoramic views. Elim points to the bottom, to Beyoglu district, overlooking the waterway. This district is considered the heart of the Westernized Istanbul, which many tourists miss visiting. “From this height you can even see across the waterway the attractions of the old city,” says Elim.

“That is the famous Taksim Square,” Elim points towards the North and talks about the centre of the protests that erupted last summer.

A tour through the narrow twisted alleys in‫‫‫‬ Beyoglu district can show the deep gap between Islamic traditions and modern Turkish arena. This is a multicultural district and one of the most popular areas for students, activities and entertainment.

Nothing here differs from Berlin, London or Paris. The finest international brands are found, from Zara to Apple store, lined up along the sides of Istiklal Avenue, which has a pedestrians promenade, surrounded by buildings along the lines, built in the Art Deco wonderful style that combines varied technical lines.

There are also the antique tramcars that make their way slowly through Istiklal Street, ringing their bells through the crowds of passersby, as a memento that brings nostalgia for the past.

On the side streets, young artists present their latest artistic works in small boutiques, and most of art galleries in the city exist in this district that is characterized by liberation.

On the waterfront part overlooking the waterway, and in the former warehouse at the port, Istanbul Modern Museum displays works of contemporary Turkish art since 2004.

Ever since the reign of the Roman Emperor Theodosius, until the early twentieth century, this region was called Pera; a Greek word that means “out there”. When viewed from the side of the heart of the Sultan city, this area is located on the “other side” of the Golden Horn.

Nowadays, we find that the youth, such as Elim, believe that the heart of the old city is the one located there, on the “other side”. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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CULTURE

Sharja – Islamic Capital Culture 2014 Location The Emirate of Sharjah is the cultural capital of the United Arab Emirates. Sharjah is considered the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and it is the only one with land overlooking both The Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is an embodiment of social and cultural harmony, surrounded with a unique cultural ambience and historical landmarks that bear witness to its growth and heritage along the years.

In 1998, UNESCO awarded Sharjah the title of the Cultural Capital of the Arab World, and this year it received the title of the Capital of Islamic Culture.

Brief History of Sharja The history of Sharjah dates back to some 6000 years. Its first inhabitants settled around water sources and were generally engaged in trade, shipbuilding, farming, fishing and pearl diving. Having conquered the area at the east coast in 1507, in order to control the spice trade, the Portuguese built forts at Khor Fakkan, Kalba and Dibba.

They assumed command of the region for a whole century until the arrival of the Dutch who dominated the area. The 17th century was the turning point of the city as the British arrived in the region and started trading with the Qawasim tribe, the forefathers of present Sharjah’s ruling family.

In 1820, the first of several peace treaties was signed assuring maritime peace, security and protection of the British against any attacks for 150 years.

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates. In 1946, he was appointed as governor of Al Ain. On 6 August 1966, he became the ruler of Abu Dhabi. When Britain declared its intention to withdraw from the region in 1968, the late Sheikh Zayed made earnest endeavors to form the United Arab Emirates

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(UAE) federation, which was born on December 2, 1971. During his reign, the UAE developed significantly in various fields.

Mosques in Sharja The particular interest of Sharjah in establishing mosques is consistent with its dedication to keeping the features of Islamic architecture alive in every aspect of life. The Emirate of Sharja aims to build a thousand mosques by the end of 2014, in emphasis to the attention it pays to mosques as a religious and an educational institution.

The most famous mosques are Al-Noor Mosque, Al Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal Mosque, Sheikh Saud Al Qassimi Mosque, Al Bara’a Bin Azeb Mosque, Al Maghfira Mosque, Al Radwan Mosque, Al-Arqam ibn Abi Arqam Mosque and Al Salaf Al Saleh Mosque.

Shraja Museums

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is situated right at the historical heart of Sharjah in Al Majarrah area. It was renovated and re-opened in 2008 as a significant tourist landmark in the region, and the first of its kind in the UAE. The museum building, now transformed into a state-of-theart cultural venue, houses more than five thousand exquisite Islamic artifacts from all over the Islamic world, arranged according to themes in seven spacious galleries and display areas.

Sharjah Hisn Museum

Built in 1820, this large double storey fort, which was the former residence of the Al Qasimi ruling family, houses priceless objects, fascinating old photographs, classic weapons and trading tools tracing 200 years of Sharjah’s history.

Sharjah Art Museum

The Sharjah Art Museum was opened in

April 1997. It became the largest art museum in the Gulf with both temporary exhibitions and permanent collections by renowned artists. It also displays works by the Orientalist painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sharja Archaeology Museum

The Sharjah Archaeology Museum first opened in 1993. It was moved to its current location in 1997 to serve as a permanent archive for all archaeological findings recovered in Sharjah since the start of archaeological excavations in 1972. The mission of the museum is to preserve, interpret and exhibit its collections and to disseminate knowledge about them in a manner that encourages appreciation, learning, and enjoyment of Sharjah’s archaeological heritage.

This interesting museum displays the stories of Sharja’s very early history. It also enables visitors to explore the changing environments experienced by the region’s inhabitants from the Stone Age to the present day through displays of artifacts, coins, jewellery, pottery and ancient weapons.

Annual Events

Sharja International Book Fair

The Fair has become one of the most important book fairs worldwide. As the years passed, this annual 11-day event became a literary celebration in which more than 1000 publishing houses from 62 countries participated and more than 600,000 visitors from around the world attended.

Islamic Arts Festival

The Annual Islamic Arts Festival commenced in 1998 under the supervision and organization of the Directorate of Art in the Department of Culture and Information, with the aim of exhibiting various kinds of traditional and contemporary Islamic arts.

The festival is one of the most renowned Islamic art events in the region.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 43

CULTURE KAICIID hosts meeting on Fostering Common Citizenship among Christians and Muslims in Arab Societies

During a two-day consultation convened at the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna from 20 to 21 June 2014, 25 religious, academic and civil society actors from several Arab countries—including, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria—convened to discuss means to strengthen social cohesion and the common understanding of citizenship among Muslim and Christians in Arab societies.

Some Arab societies are witnessing violence and political conflicts, which gravely threatens to weaken the region’s social and cultural fabric. The urgency of the situation motivated this meeting, which brought together many of the religious, inter-religious, and civil society institutions currently engaged in supporting and strengthening peace building and dialogue in the Arab world.

In the opening session, Dr. Muhammad Sammak, KAICIID Board member, emphasized that citizenship guarantees equality, freedom, human dignity and the rule of law. “Such a civic state does not contradict Islam”, added Dr. Sammak.

During two days of thorough deliberations, the participants have presented different modalities of inter-religious, humanitarian and civil society cooperation at national and regional levels. The emphasis was on identifying the best practices and lessons learned. They agreed on the following recommendations: • Request KAICIID to foster, facilitate, and coordinate local and regional initiatives focusing on citizenship and respect of diversity, especially providing space for exchanging and highlighting the successful and positive experience of the various institutions in the Arab world; • Launch a special initiative for dialogue to engage youth to ensure sustainability and continuation of the young generation in this field; Launch a special campaign to reach out to Arab society through social media; • An initiative to engage political and religious institutions and leaders to seriously adopt and implement the discourse of dialogue and common citizenship; In his closing remarks to the consultation, KAICIID Secretary General Faisal bin Muaammar, noted that in the midst of conflict, dialogue is better suited to building peace than any other means. “All of our relations, between people, between groups, between states, depend upon trust. Trust results from dialogue that is inclusive, especially dialogue that brings together religious leaders, governments, teachers, and civil society towards strengthening the common citizenship for Muslims and Christians in the Arab world based on equality and respect for human rights.”

UNESCO releases Volume I of 6-volume collection on The Different Aspects of Islamic Culture Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), took part in a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris marking the official presentation of Volume I of UNESCO six-volume collection “The Different Aspects of Islamic Culture”, designed for publication in Arabic, English and French with the support of Libya’s World Islamic Call Society. The first volume is dedicated to “The Foundations of Islam”.

The other five volumes of this full encyclopedia deal with the following themes: The Individual and Society in Islam (in Vol. II), The Spread of Islam Throughout the World (in Vol. III), Science and Technology in Islam (in Vol. IV), Culture and Learning in Islam (in Vol. V), and Islam in the World Today (in Vol. VI).

Volume I, devoted to “The Foundations of Islam”, explores the fundamental principles of Islam and explains Islam’s view of man as a composite of divine and earthly elements, whom God has chosen to be His vicegerent on earth. The volume also deals with the meaning and significance of Revelation and prophethood, and offers both a description of the Holy Quran and the Prophetic tradition, and an overview of the Islamic jurisprudence covering all aspects of individual and social life.

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CULTURE Baghdad, not a city of bombs and terrorism only, but also of liveliness and calm Baghdad- DPA: Najem Wali, a German-Iraqi author was astonished when he first arrived in Baghdad recently after many years. Wali, 58, who has been living in exile for about 34 years, did not expect to see Baghdad in this shape. It was for him a ghost city which was a haven for terrorism, killings, explosions, kidnapping and destruction.

Wali, the German with Iraqi origin, did not believe that he would again live a normal life in Baghdad which is located on the Tigris River.

When Wali told his girl friend in Berlin that he plans to present his new novel “Baghdad Marlboro” in Baghdad, she accused him of attempting to commit suicide.

The novel speaks about two soldiers who were forced to kill. It is a story about friendship, betrayal, sins and destruction. It is one of the two faces of Baghdad as the author sees it.

Wali sees the other face in Al-Mutanabi Street in the heart of the old city. It is the street on which he will read excerpts of his novel after he has received an invitation to do this from the Goethe Institute, which has recently opened an office in Baghdad.

This street is named after the famous Arab poet Abu Al-Tayyib AlMutanabi who lived during the Abbasid reign in the 19th century.

Baghdad was then the beacon of culture and science which it had radiated to the rest of the world.

The first university in Baghdad was established in this residential area. The area also hosted the Bait Al-Hikma (house of wisdom) in which scientists and men of letter from all over the world used to gather and exchange opinions.

It seems that this residential quarter would be resurrected again when at least 500 people will come to it to listen to Wali who has gained his fame abroad. Many of the writer’s works were translated into various languages. Before traveling to Iraq, he was skeptical that no one would want him to come back.

Wali left Iraq in 1980 only six weeks after the outbreak of war with Iran in which he refused to take part.

When he first arrived in Baghdad after long years he enthusiastically said: “I do not believe that this is the same city about which many negative headlines were written in the press.”

The demolishing and looting operations which came with the American invasion of April 9, 2003 never stopped. Fires had swept a large portion of the complex of courts located at the end of AlMutanabi Street.

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When Baghdad was declared a Capital of Arab Culture in 2013, the city’s municipality repaired part of the court building and turned it into a cultural confluence. So the place became the heart and soul for cultural activities.

The refurbished building now includes rooms for the musicians and actors to make their rehearsals, rooms for poetic readings and exhibitions for art and sculpture.

Special pavilions were established in the surrounding garden for the spectators. An atmosphere of serenity, content and happiness prevailed in the place.

Al-Mutanabi Street is no exception to the double face concept prevailing in the city. On March 5, 2005, two bombs hidden under papers and books on the street exploded killing 26 people and injuring about 100 others. The explosion also destroyed a number of stationaries. The Shahbandar cafe was annihilated. Nothing of it was left except some of its foundation stones.

These two explosions were a clear message to the cultivated peopled with liberal minds who found in the street a historical home.

As a result of the two explosions, people began to avoid the street especially the areas where the bookshops and stationaries were located.

Life only started to assume a normal shape in this cultural center after the repair works were completed. The street was reopened on 18 December 2008.

However, there are still tanks stationed at the entrance of the street. There are also checkpoints. The security patrols are continuously combing the street.

Wali, who was born in Basra and educated in Baghdad, sat on the remains and started to read portions of his novel. Next to him sat the musicians who played traditional Iraqi music.

Nothing had remained from the burnt down building except its facade. On this particular area a make-shift cement theatre was especially constructed for the Iraqi-German author to present his number.

This scene reminds everyone with Berlin which was turned into rubles 69 years ago when the Second World War was about to end. The first of the German art activities were held on these rubles.

It is obvious that the thirst for culture is stronger than the fear of bombs.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 45

HEALTH Islamic Scholars Declare Polio Vaccination Parental Duty, Community Responsibility

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eading international Islamic scholars from several countries called on the entire Muslim World to unite behind polio eradication and declared polio vaccination a parental and community responsibility. The call was made in a declaration issued at the conclusion of a two-day conference in Islamabad, Pakistan on 16 June 2014.

The conference, which brought together leading Islamic clerics from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Nigeria, was convened by the International Advisory Group for Polio Eradication (IAG), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) in partnership with the Pakistani Government. It discussed the Islamic position on vaccination, and addressed the challenges of polio eradication in Pakistan and other polio endemic countries.

The conference came at a time when polio was nearly eradicated, but children in some parts of Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria and Somalia were not able to access the vaccination they need for protection.

The declaration by the scholars was made against the backdrop of a disproportionate number of children affected by polio in Muslim communities. The conferees called on parents and community leaders to immunize their children against all vaccinepreventable diseases and stated that polio and other vaccines are safe and effective, and that they fully conform to Islamic principles.

Participating scholars were welcomed at the conference by Pakistan’s Minister of State for Health Ms. Saira Afzal Tarar who said she wants “Muslim scholars to have a key role in advocating for polio eradication and in inspiring people to take action and protect their children from the crippling disease.”

In his speech, President of Al-Azhar University in Cairo Professor Osama El-Abd said that Islam places special emphasis on the health of people and avoids anything that harms the individual. “Among the core objectives of Islam is the protection of religion, life, intellect, lineage and property,” said El-Abd. “Protecting children from disease is critical to achieving these objectives, and for this reason vaccination against polio is mandatory to protect all Muslim children”, he added.

“As an institution working to promote human development, the Islamic Development Bank believes that having a healthy society is an essential requirement for human development,” said the Bank’s President Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali. “The IDB stands ready to use its resources and intellectual capital to work side by side with the Government of Pakistan and other governments as well as other international organizations in order to eradicate polio and other endemic diseases, not only in Muslim

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countries but all around the world,” added Dr. Ali. The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani called for complete eradication of polio, which continues to be a critical challenge for the Pan-Islamic organization. “95 percent of polio cases reported in 2013 occurred in OIC Member States. In addition, the polio endemic countries in the world and a significant number of the countries where polio starts to spread again are OIC Member States.” The OIC chief however expressed confidence that the OIC region will be ridden of polio in the near future, according to a statement read out on his behalf by OIC Director General of Science and Technology Department Mohamed Kamran Akhtar.

In his statement, the Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Ahmad Khaled Babikr said Islamic scholars, Al-Azhar University, and the International Islamic University in Pakistan are united on the imperative of polio eradication.

The Muslim scholars and experts called on key Islamic organizations, philanthropists and policymakers to join hands and close ranks in pursuit of effective contributions to the much-needed eradication of polio in Muslim countries. They added, “it is the duty of all parents and communities to immunize their children and protect them from all diseases and life-long disability, and it is the duty of governments to provide critical health and social welfare services to improve the wellbeing of all children and the population.”

“We strongly reaffirm global Islamic solidarity and support for protecting children from polio paralysis and life-long disability through polio vaccinations, and that these protective measures fully conform to Islamic principles,” the declaration stated.

The scholars took the opportunity to applaud Pakistan’s Government and Ministry of Health for launching its comprehensive fiveyear plan to strengthen routine immunization services and provide critical health services to all children in Pakistan. They also urged all donor nations to support this critical program in order to protect the lives of millions of children.

The Islamic Advisory Group (IAG), inaugurated in February 2014 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was the initiative of the Saudi-based IIFA, the leading Islamic institution of learning in Egypt Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the OIC and the IDB.

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HEALTH OIC countries account for almost half of all Malaria cases worldwide

OIC requests its Member States to accord due attention to malaria control efforts

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new study by Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership on 22 June 2014 revealed that 238 million malaria cases, nearly half of malaria cases worldwide, are found in member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The study said 12 OIC countries are among the 20 most malariaaffected nations worldwide that account for nearly 80 percent of global cases, including Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan, Niger, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon. Nigeria alone accounts for one quarter of all malaria cases in Africa, with 97 percent of the population at risk and more malaria deaths in the country than any other in Africa, the study noted, adding that Afghanistan, Indonesia and Pakistan are the OIC countries with the highest number of malaria cases.

“We have seen tremendous progress against malaria in recent years, including in several countries in the OIC,” said Herve Verhoosel, RBM Partnership Representative at the UN, adding that many OIC countries have allocated international aid and domestic resources to malaria-control efforts. However, he added, economic challenges threaten that progress, with USD 1.7 billion shortage for OIC countries in sub-Saharan Africa alone, urging leaders to fill in the gap and increase commitment so that communities may thrive.

He expressed satisfaction that OIC ministers reaffirmed on more than one occasion their commitment to work together to fight the treatable disease, and as a result, he noted, “notable progress” was achieved with seven OIC member states are now malaria-free, including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

In its message issued on the occasion of the World Malaria Day on 25 April 2014, the OIC General Secretariat underlined that “the Organization and its relevant institutions are carrying out diverse activities and programs in the domain of health”, and that “disease prevention and control is one of the six priority areas identified in the OIC Strategic Health Program of Action (SHPA) 2014-2023, adding that it has been closely coordinating efforts with the Global Fund to Fight AID/HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis and Roll Back Malaria Partnership.” Announcing in this context, “Strong political leadership and support from international partners such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have led to considerable increase in access to anti-malarial treatment and prevention in the OIC Member States.”

The General Secretariat has requested its member states to continue to accord due attention to malaria-control efforts and increase national allocations for this purpose, noting that the it is committed to working closely with international partners for implementing the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action and is actively involved in the global efforts against Malaria. It also appealed to donor member states to accord due priority to malaria in their humanitarian aid agenda, since Malaria outbreaks in one OIC country can rapidly spread to another and lead to significant loss of lives while having a negative impact on economies, particularly in those member states lacking adequate infrastructure, human capacity and awareness of malaria prevention.

The RBM Partnership Study stated that in 2007, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) launched the Malaria-free Arabian Peninsula Initiative to eliminate malaria from Yemen after successfully eliminating it from the six Gulf countries, in light of regional migration due to labor and pilgrimage across the peninsula.

The latest statistics show that because of increased financing and collaboration, malaria death rates have decreased by approximately 42 percent globally and 49 percent in Africa alone, the study noted.

Nevertheless, almost half of the world’s population remains at risk

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from the disease, with an estimated 207 million cases of infection around the world each year and over 600,000 deaths.

RBM Partnership, the world’s coordinating mechanism for the response to malaria, estimates that USD 5.1 billion needed annually through 2020 to roll back malaria globally. Less than half of that amount is currently being spent, but it is obviously not enough to eradicate the disease, the study said.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 47

HEALTH

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First Meeting of the OIC Vaccine Manufacturers Group Agrees on Action Plan

he OIC Vaccine Manufacturers Group held its first meeting on 2526 June 2014 at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting comes in the wake of the decision of the 4th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) held in October 2013 which endorsed the establishment of the Group with a view to achieving self-reliance in the production and supply of essential vaccines and medicines in the OIC Member States.

The meeting was attended by Vaccine Manufacturers from OIC Member States, including representatives of OIC General Secretariat, Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), Statistical, economic and social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and World Health Organization (WHO.) The meeting elaborated on the short, medium and long term Plan of Action towards self-reliance of vaccines in the OIC region adopted by the Fourth Islamic Conference of

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WHO Director-General, West African presidents to launch intensified Ebola outbreak response plan

he Director-General of WHO and presidents of west African nations impacted by the Ebola virus disease outbreak met in Guinea in early August to launch a new joint US$ 100 million response plan as part of an intensified international, regional and national campaign to bring the outbreak under control.

“The scale of the Ebola outbreak, and the persistent threat it poses, requires WHO and Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to take the response to a new level, and this will require increased resources, in-country medical expertise, regional preparedness and coordination,” says Dr Chan. “The countries have identified what they need, and WHO is reaching out to the international community to drive the response plan forward.”

The Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Response Plan in West Africa identifies the need for several hundred more personnel to be deployed in affected countries to supplement overstretched treatment facilities. Hundreds of international aid workers, as well as 120-plus WHO staff, are already supporting national and regional response efforts. But more are urgently required. Of greatest need are clinical doctors and nurses, epidemiologists, social mobilization experts, logisticians and data managers. The plan also outlines the need to increase preparedness systems in neighboring nations and strengthen global capacities.

Key elements of the new plan, which draws on lessons learnt from other outbreaks, include strategies to: • Stop transmission of Ebola virus disease in the affected countries

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Ministers of Health and agreed on moving forward in terms of collaboration and building a strong network. As the first step, the Meeting agreed on the urgent compilation of reliable data and credible information on vaccine needs of the OIC region. In this regard, it requested SESRIC to undertake a technical and economic feasibility of production and supply of vaccines in particular to cover gaps of the vital vaccines.

The meeting reiterated the need to continue sharing of experiences, R&D collaboration, transfer of technology and capacity building to achieve the vision of self reliance in vaccines productions and supply. A number of capacity-building and experience-sharing events and workshops were agreed upon for the shortterm.

The next meeting of the Group will be held in Tunisia in the first quarter of 2015 to be followed by a training workshop on quality management of vaccine production scheduled to be held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran in the third quarter of 2015.

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through scaling up effective, evidencebased outbreak control measures; and • Prevent the spread of Ebola virus disease to the neighboring at-risk countries through strengthening epidemic preparedness and response measures.

WHO and affected and neighboring countries will renew efforts to mobilize communities and strengthen communication so that people know how to avoid infection and what to do if they fear they may have come into contact with the virus.

Improving prevention, detecting and reporting suspected cases, referring people infected with the disease for medical care, as well as psychosocial support, are key.

The plan also emphasizes the importance of surveillance, particularly in border areas, of risk assessments and of laboratory-based diagnostic testing of suspected cases. Also highlighted is the need to improve ways to protect health workers, a scarce resource in all three countries, from infection.

Finally, reinforcing coordination of the overall health response is critical. In particular, this includes strengthening capacities of the WHO-run Sub-regional Outbreak Coordination Centre, which was opened in July in Conakry, Guinea, to consolidate and streamline support to West African countries by all major partners and assist in resource mobilization. The scale of the ongoing outbreak is unprecedented, with approximately 1603 confirmed and suspected cases reported by August 1st, and 887 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since March 2014.

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OPINION Story of Model OIC: A Step to revive the Ummah

I Kareem Hussain MOIC Founder in Cairo University in 2005

We were able to see ideas generated by the youth throughout years of working on this project such as awareness campaigns about the issues of concern to Muslims.

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started my college life in 2000, at one of Cairo’s top colleges, the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences, Cairo University, searching for my mission in life. There I was introduced to a new kind of students’ activities, which simulates international organizations, such as the Model of the Arab League, United Nations, European Union, and American Congress.

As I started participating in them, I found what I have been looking for; the activities developed various skills in us, such as dialoguing, debating, public speaking, and building arguments. Also, they created an intellectual environment suitable for the youth.

However, I wondered how can we simulate all these international organizations, such as the EU and the American Congress, while they, in fact, do not reflect our identity? Why did participating in the Model Arab League not fulfill my sense of belonging to a larger nation, religiously, geographically, or even historically? Why have we not had a Model OIC yet, which indeed shall represent a larger nation? Thus, I took it upon me not to graduate before establishing a simulation Islamic model.

My journey began in the academic year 2004-2005, with the assistance of professors and colleagues.

The vision was to establish a new model, not mimicking the other models but adding to them; building values ​​along with awareness and skills, nourishing the sense of belonging to our Islamic Ummah, with deep understanding of its issues and ambitions.

The inaugural meeting was held on the 21st August 2005. It was not planned that the date should fall on the anniversary of the attack on Al-Aqsa, which sparked the establishment of the OIC. Hence, we felt that this was a sign. “A step to revive the Ummah” was the slogan we took for our work.

MOIC became one of the activities of the Center of Civilization Studies and Dialogue of Cultures for the year 2005-2006. Once we started, many students approached us- males and females- from different colleges and universities in Egypt, eager to participate and put efforts to ensure the success of this club.

The club was divided into an academic committee, regulatory committee, and a development committee. The academic included departments simulating the organization’s bodies with their various activities. The members are enrolled at the beginning of the year to these bodies based on a few tests. They are trained academically and skillfully throughout the year, according to programs administrated also by the youth, to prepare them for the final conference at the end of the year. During the 4-day conference they discuss certain issues, and make decisions and recommendations. Also, we have been keen that all those Arabic-speaking bodies are also available in English and French.

The regulatory committee is in charge of important work related to documentation, the media and the magazine, advertising, funding, and administrative and logistical affairs. As for the projects committee, this handles the developmental and charitable matters in an innovative way, where there is the orphans project and conducting a simulation model for school students as well as charity aids.

We were able to see ideas generated by the youth throughout years of working on this project such as awareness campaigns about the issues of concern to Muslims. Our first campaign was done in the first year of the club, beginning of 2006, during the offensive Danish cartoons crisis, where we started a civilized campaign, which included an exhibition with an information section on the crisis, another section had a spiritual sense dedicated to those who want to write a love letter to the Prophet (pbuh), and the third was artistic, organized by the Egyptian Caricature Society, whose work was aimed to raise antiracism. The exhibition was a great success, and even though it was planned for a week only, it lasted for over a month. Ever since that, similar events were held every year: in support of the victims of Beit Hanoun massacre, then for Gaza, and before that the aggression on Lebanon, and in support of the Syrian people, in addition to continuing the annual permanent event for spreading awareness and supporting the Palestinian issue.

The members took off with the idea and established activities in their colleges: in the Faculty of Commerce, the Faculty of Mass communication, the Faculty of Fine Arts, and the Faculty of Science Study.

Then, the idea of the simulation activity itself spread and was applied in five Egyptian universities, including Helwan University, Ain Shams University, The German University in Cairo, and Alexandria University. Applications are still being submitted from other universities and provinces, wanting to participate and take the experience to their universities.

In 2011, the OIC Youth Forum in Istanbul decided to establish a Model OIC; they have heard of ours and contacted our sponsoring center in Cairo University in order to have the Egyptian youth handle the academic training of others from universities around the world in the first international simulation conference in Istanbul. That was a new start for the idea to resonate among the youth in the Islamic world. We find the Model now applied in many countries such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan and the Islamic University of Tatarstan in Russia as well as in Turkey, Yemen and others.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 49

Media Despite the risks: Somali journalists continue working bravely

Mogadishu, Somalia (dpa) – Reporters Without Borders placed Somalia at the top of the list of the most dangerous places for journalists, a rank shared between this African country and war-torn Syria.

In 2013, seven Somali journalists were murdered. The situation in Somalia looked grimmer that year compared to other places, except India where eight journalists were murdered, and Syria where ten professional journalists and 35 local journalists faced the same fate, due to their role in news reporting.

2012 was more dangerous for Somali journalists, as 17 journalists were killed in mission.

“Somalia is considered one of the worst places for practicing journalism,” said Abdul Rahim Issa Addo, Director of Mogadishu Radio, to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa: German Press Agency). “Our mission is not limited to denouncing political corruption, but also covering reports about Al Shabab (a group linked to Al Qaeda), and revealing warlords’ business deals. We have become an easy target.”

Mogadishu Radio is the most experienced radio station in Somalia, and it had stood against Al Shabab group, in 2009, when they announced banning music in the entire country.

“We were the only radio station that continued broadcasting music,” added Addo, “which made us one of their main targets.

We have lost many colleagues over the

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past few years, they were murdered either while leaving work or at their arrival to their homes.”

He pointed out, “It is not possible for the government to provide personal guards for 600 journalists in Mogadishu, and everyone knows where we work and live.” He added that the group and their allied factions have executed 90 percent of the murders.

Mohamed Abdul Wahab, a 28-year-old photographer working with an international news agency since 2008, said that several of his friends were murdered, and he himself has received phone threats. Despite the pressure he faces for working with a foreign media company, he is determined to go on with his profession. “I would never think of leaving my country,” he said, “I want to stay here and work for the people.”

Not many journalists are as lucky as Abdul Wahab; many of them receive very little or no money for their work which they volunteer. “Journalists do this because they are passionate about their profession,” explained Abdul Wahab.

“People want to be informed about what is happening,” elaborated Abdul Mannan Yusuf Mohammad, Director of Horn Connect for television services, “this is the reason more media channels have come into existence in the past few years. Our role is essential for Somalia’s prosperity; to make 23 years of civil war part of the past.”

“We know we are under the threat of death at any moment,” said the director,

“but until then we will continue working professionally and we will not let fear affect our work. We fight for Somalia, and to get back what has been stolen from us during those 23 years.”

Ever since the ouster of the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, there has not been a stable government in Somalia.

Journalists in Somalia remained under the mercy of Al Shabab and other militias, corrupt politicians and warlords; all of whom are only too ready to suppress criticism.

“Al Shabab, for example, has imposed a law to gag journalists, so if you object you might pay the price with your life. Their aim is to control all means of media and journalists; to manipulate the Somali people,” said Mohammad Ibrahim, the Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists and a New York Times columnist since 2006.

Ibrahim has been threatened several times, and he accuses the police and Somali government with passivity in dealing with crimes against journalists. “Assassinations are not investigated, no one has ever been arrested, nor has anything been done to prevent the killing of more journalists every year,” he said, adding, “Freedom of expression simply does not exist in Somalia.”

Despite all the threats and dangers that Somali journalists face, they still have the courage to work every day, to cover the news and report the truth to people.

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Media

OIC Convenes a Training Session in Singapore for Officials in-charge of Information in Islamic Institutions in Asia

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he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened a training session under the theme of “Role of Islamic Institutions in Promoting the Culture of Peace and Harmony” from 11 to 13 June 2014 at the Grand Park City Hall hotel in Singapore. The OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, forwarded a message to the conference, which was read

by Dr. Ahmed Ismail Al-Basit, in-charge of Da’wah Affairs Department at the OIC General Secretariat He welcomed the participants in this training session and conveyed his greetings and best wishes for holding this event in Singapore, which has an exemplary civilized society in which religions and cultures integrate and complement in a cohesive and tolerant manner that guarantees fundamental freedoms for all. Madani also outlined the importance of having this training session conducted at a time whereby Muslims face up numerous civilizational challenges especially with regard to some of those living in the diaspora.

The Chairman of the Islamic Da’wah in Singapore Society (Jamiyah), Dr. Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, delivered a welcoming speech thanking the guests and participants and expressing hope that the training session would be an opportunity to discuss important issues for those in-charge of information activities in Islamic institutions in Asia region.

The training session was organized by the OIC in partnership with the Jamiyah Singapore. The representative of the government of Singapore and Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, delivered a speech in which he ex-

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pressed his pleasure to be among the participants in this session urging all present to proactively connect as a community on the basis of universal peace, harmony and respect. He also commended Jamiyah Singapore for the foresight in championing interfaith dialogue, a testimony of the vital role it plays in fostering a harmonious society.

The event encompassed four main panel sessions and three discussion sessions that conferred a number of important issues, including: The role of Muslim Institutions in Promoting Peace within Conflict Areas; Cosmopolitan Cities – Community Engagement in the Modern Day; Promoting Peaceful Co-Existence in East Asian Societies; and Religion, State and Society: Issues, Challenges and Future Trajectories.

The training session issued a Final Report embodying a number of important recommendations including: working towards the formation of an inter-civilizational forum that encompasses the Asia-Pacific region; considering the possibility of establishing a Media Training and Research Institute that would serve the needs of the people and organizations of the Asia-Pacific region; and the possibility of holding the fourth training session in Cambodia with support from the Jamiyah Singapore and the OIC. The training session also stressed in its Final Report the need to develop a comprehensive media strategy incorporating the new social media aimed at both conversion and convergence, and on enhancing cooperation amongst Muslims in the region in promoting a mainstream understanding of Islam, especially through educational institutions based on faith’s message of peace, mercy, co-existence and justice. It

also called for strengthening the capacity of grassroots organizations and civic groups in the delivery of appropriate services, and for an active engagement in local, national and regional efforts aimed at combating misconceptions as well as encouraging and facilitating whenever possible initiatives aimed at assisting in peacefully and amicably resolving conflicts within the Asia-Pacific region. The training sessional also stressed the need to collaborate with governments and non-governmental organizations both local and international to promote peace, justice and development in the region. The Final Report’s recommendations further emphasized on the need to focus in the Fourth Training Session on the issues faced by the diaspora in their countries of migration in the field of information and media.

Noteworthy that a delegation from the OIC General Secretariat, as well as those responsible for media activities in member institutions of the Committee for the Coordination of Joint Islamic Action in the domain of Da‘wa and some directors of Islamic centers, particularly from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, China, Australia, Korea, Japan and Mongolia and some diplomats accredited to Singapore attended this training session. It is the third training session held for those responsible for media activities in some Islamic institutions to develop their skills and shed light on the role of Muslim institutions in promoting peace and harmony in Muslim communities.

The convening of this conference comes in implementation of relevant resolutions issued by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers and Ministers of Information.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 51

ECONOMY US$ 217 million to fund Iraq’s major trade corridor

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raq’s Finance Minister, Dr. Safauddin Mohammed Al Safi and Acting President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Hinai signed an agreement in Amman, the Jordanian Capital, for US$ 217 million to fund the construction of Expressway No. 1, a major trade-corridor connecting Iraq to its neighboring countries. The signing was attended by Dr. Abdul Basit Turki Said, Acting Governor, Central Bank of Iraq, and IDB Governor for Iraq.

Once operational, the highway, which passes through the capital Baghdad, will help to enhance trade flow and regional linkages between the Gulf countries and the Levant Region. The nearly 1300-kilometer highway stretches from the city of Umm ul Qasr in the Southern Iraqi Province of Basra on the Kuwaiti borders to areas near Syria and Jordan passing through several Iraqi cities including Naseriyah, Diwaniyah, Hillah, Baghdad, Fallujah, Ramadi and Rutbah.

The total cost of the project is estimated at US$ 1 billion of which IDB is covering 22% by funding the construction of about 258 kilometers of the highway. Other major financiers are the World Bank (financing 32% of the project), the Iraqi government (29 %) and other partners (17%).

The highway project financing is a major breakthrough in IDB’s cooperation with Iraq coming in the framework of the Bank’s US$ 500 million reconstruction program for the country adopted in 2003.

Under the same program, IDB had approved two loans for US$ 25 million and two technical grants for elementary and vocational education projects. To date, 78% of IDB financings in Iraq have gone to the transport sector, 10% to education, 10% to health and 2% to industry and mining sectors.

(ICD), the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, and the Emirates Future (EF), one of the largest UAE-based players in the livestock trading industry, spread over 20 countries and involved in specialized livestock transportation business, livestock slaughtering, manufacturing of meat products, and processing livestock by-products.

The MoU aims to promote economic development and encourage the flow of investments between member countries through creation, expansion and modernization of institutions and private sector companies.

Another objective of the MoU is to establish strategic partnership and strengthen the system of food security in the Islamic World by developing the Halal food industry in terms of improving quality and reliability using the latest food technology, agricultural research and certification systems.

According to the MoU, ICD will examine the possibility of establishing an investment partnership with EF to create and manage hubs of manufacturing, packaging, certification and distribution of halal food around the world as well as studying the possibility of establishing an international company to manufacture and distribute Halal gelatin.

On the occasion of the MoU, Khaled Al-Aboodi, Chief Executive Officer of ICD, commented: “This MoU will further stimulate cooperation between ICD and EF towards creating a better environment for the spread of the Halal food industry in the world”.

Humaid Al Neyadi, Chairman of the Emirates Future Group, said, “coordination between the private sector and international development institutions such as the ICD has an important role in achieving food security in the Islamic World and boosting the Halal Food Industry.”

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector signs MoU with Emirates Future on Food Security

IDB Chairman Commends Success of Economic Empowerment Program for Palestinians, Signs US$ 23 Million Agreement with Banque Zitouna in Tunis

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nder the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs in the United Arab Emirates, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the private sector

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he IDB Group Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, attended the opening ceremony of a specialized workshop on Economic Empowerment through Islamic Micro-finance in Tunis where he commended the success of the economic empowerment program for Palestinian families. This program, despite difficulties, led to transitioning of 13,000 Palestinian families from a relief aid-recipient status to a self-reliant income generating status, a success, which was the result of contributions from Arab Financing Institutions as well as the support of the Al Aqsa Fund. “This success demonstrates the capacity of joint Arab action to win the war on poverty and strengthen the steadfastness of our people on their land in Palestine. It is a gift to the Ummah to inspire a new approach towards reducing poverty and unemployment in our communities, and a call to those active in the Islamic banking industry to pay more attention to the issue of economic empowerment and create more financial instruments to meet the needs of the poor and thus play a greater role in development”, stated Dr. Ali. The workshop was jointly organized by Banque Zitouna of Tunisia, Tunisian Ministry of Economy, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the IDB Group.

During the visit, the IDB Group Chairman signed a MoU with Banque Zitouna to launch a specialized institute for Micro-finance in Tunisia and contribute nearly US$ 23 million to Banque Zitouna’s

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ECONOMY capital as part of IDB’s efforts to support Islamic banks. IDB has so far contributed US$ 425 million to the capital of 34 Islamic banks in different parts of the world.

Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali underlined the keenness of the IDB Group to contribute to the programs of the Tunisian government aimed at reducing unemployment, fighting poverty and promoting development efforts across the country. He commended the Tunisian government’s efforts to enhance economic cooperation with other African countries particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Ali presented a progress report on the Sub-Saharan Freeway Project that connects Tunisia, Algeria, Chad, Mali and Niger to which the IDB Group is a major financier.

Chairman then praised Kazakhstan’s prevailing good economic status with an expected income per capita of US$ 16,000 by 2015.

Touching upon the current global economic situation, Dr. Ali underlined that global stability shall not prevail as long as about one third of the world population are poor and left without proper nutrition and housing, and unemployment figures are soaring, particularly amongst the youth and women. He stressed on the need for paying more attention to inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and narrowing the gap separating the poor from other social segments. “This is what the IDB Group is seeking to achieve”, he stated, calling on the participants to come up with ideas and recommendations for enhancing sustainable socio-economic development.

A philanthropist donates $267 million for 75 mobile health clinics to be launched under IDB supervision

ICDT organizes 2nd OIC Health Expo in Senegal

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hairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, praised a generous donation of SR one billion (US$ 267 million) by a philanthropist for 75 mobile health clinics that are to be launched under IDB supervision in rural and remote areas that have poor access to medical services, in IDB member countries and in Muslim communities in Non-member countries.

This was announced at the 297th meeting of IDB Board of Executive Directors held at the IDB headquarters starting 11 May 2014.

Dr Ahmed Ali explained that, as per the choice of the donor, the program will include the launching of 15 mobile clinics in Pakistan, 15 in India, 15 in Yemen, 10 in Afghanistan, 10 in Bangladesh, 5 in Tajikistan and 5 in Kyrgyzstan as well as their operations for at least 5 years. Subsequently, the host countries will commit to take charge of the clinics and operate them in the most competent and effective way. The IDB President added that the IDB would employ whatever it takes within its power to ensure this noble philanthropic program is implemented in the highest professional way.

The IDB Group Chairman, furthermore, encouraged capable philanthropists to follow suit and sponsor similar projects to serve populations that are most in need, in member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries.

US$ 2 Billion Development Support to Kazakhstan for 2015 – 2017 Period

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uring his visit to the capital city of Astana, Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, signed with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Karim Massimov, a US$ 2 billion framework agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation between the IDB Group and the Republic of Kazakhstan within the next three years (2015-2017).

The agreement follows a similar 2012-2014 partnership document signed earlier between the two sides, towards bringing sustainable and comprehensive development to Kazakhstan in all sectors.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the 7th Astana International Economic Forum, which was inaugurated by Kazakhstan’s President, HE Nursultan Nazarbayev, on 23 May 2014.

In his keynote speech, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali stated: “The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group strongly supports HE President Nazarbayev’s initiative in establishing the Islamic Organization for Food Security in the framework of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be headquartered in Astana”. The IDB Group

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The Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the International Centre for Foreign Trade of Senegal (CICES) organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Senegal, the “2nd OIC Health Expo” from 26th to 29th June 2014 at the Exhibition Centre of CICES, concomitantly with the 6th International Exhibition of Health and Medical Equipment in Dakar (SISDAK).

The opening ceremony of the exhibition took place on 26th June 2014 at the Exhibition Centre of CICES in Dakar, and was chaired

by Mrs. Eva Marie Coll Seck, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Senegal in the presence of Professor El Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Taleb Barrada, Dr. El Hassane Hzaine, Director General of ICDT, Dr Xavier Crespin, Director General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), Mr. Moussa Same Daff Director General of the Hospital Hoggy, Professor Issakha Diallo, the USAID Representative, Mr. Cheikh Ndiaye Director General of CICES, Ambassadors of some OIC Member accredited to Dakar and heads of delegations and heads of stands of participating countries in this exhibition. After the ribbon cutting, the participants visited the various exhibition stands of the large variety of exhibited pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

ICDT and CICES organized on the sidelines of this exhibition several seminars in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Senegal, AACICI, International Finance Corporation World Bank and the APIX. Likewise, B2B meetings were also held between the businessmen of the sector.

The Fair was attended by approximately 157 companies and 4,600 visitors, including 2,800 health sector professionals in the OIC Member States, in search of business and partnership opportunities.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 53

Member States Consider Ways of Boosting Islamic Tourism Jakarta, Indonesia – The 1st OIC International Forum on Islamic Tourism, which was held in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia on 2-3 June 2014 with the participation of representatives from twenty-seven OIC Member States, relevant OIC institutions, private sector and civil society organizations, discussed numerous ways and means to boost Islamic tourism among OIC countries.

- Increasing awarness on Islamic tourism sector’s opportunities.

- Promoting intra OIC Shari’ah-based tourism flows.

In his message at the opening ceremony of the two-day Forum, the OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani traced the significance of the forum on Islamic tourism to consolidating the gains made in the area of Islamic finance and the establishment of OIC Halal Standards. He explained that a major component of Islamic tourism was the development of Shariah-compliant hotels and resorts, entertainment and sport facilities, in addition to visits to Islamic cultural sites, promotion of Halal food and drinks, and family-dedicated swimming and spa areas, among others. He expressed hope that the outcome of the forum would increase awareness on the opportunities available in

the Islamic tourism sector and would therefore scale-up the attractiveness of heritage and cultural tourism for the ever-increasing population of Muslim travelers.

OIC Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, Amb. Hamid Opiliaru

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The opening session was also addressed by the Vice President of Indonesia, Dr. Boedino, while other keynote speakers were the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia Mrs. Mari E. Pangestu, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of The Gambia and Chairman of the 8th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), Mrs. Fatou Mas Jobe-Nije, and the Malaysian Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri Bin Abdul Aziz.

The Forum formulated recommendations on the development of a successful Islamic tourism destination, the expansion of business through Halal and Shariah-compliance and building of an effective communication to promote Islamic tourism. Four sessions were convened during the forum, namely Session I on “Islamic Economy and Islamic Tourism – the new promising economic paradigm as a boost for OIC economies”, which discussed the growing demand of Islamic economic sectors in supporting socio-economic development in OIC economies. Session II, themed “How to develop a successful Islamic tourism destination”, discussed the policy and strategy in integrating Islamic values in tourism activities.

The third Session, titled “Growing and expanding business through Halal Shari’ah compliance”, discussed how to tap the lu-

crative Halal of Shari’ah conscious consumers while keeping the existing consumers, whereas Session four, titled “How to build effective communication to promote Islamic tourism”, discussed the right branding and positioning strategy to market Islamic tourism.

The participants concluded in their recommendations, which will be considered for final adoption at the 9th Session of the Islamic Conference on Tourism Ministers in Niger in 2015, that Islamic tourism is growing and it will bring positive impact to economic development of OIC member countries, particularly on generating job opportunities and encouraging growth of small and medium enterprises activity. In this context, they commended that the OIC taking up the issue of Islamic tourism in a well-planned and well-coordinated manner involving government, private sector and the community.

The Forum also recommended that the OIC promote awareness and exposure of the significance of Islamic tourism for economic purposes, hence, more meetings and international events on this subject matter shall be held in the future.

Furthermore, the OIC shall promote intraOIC Shari’ah-based tourism flows by implementing national policies to enhance intraOIC tourist flows through visa facilitation among OIC Member States and by providing a conducive investment climate and capacity building. In this context, relevant OIC institutions shall support and facilitate capacity-building programs for the development of Islamic tourism sector in OIC countries.

Moreover, the Forum proposed establishment of a working group on Islamic tourism and explored the possibility of defining an action plan on this particular vital issue.

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ECONOMY After years of recession, Tunisian tourism awaits kiss of life

TUNIS-DPA: Samir Housny has been working as a photographer in the Yasmine LeHammamet Tourist Resort in Tunisia since 2002. He is, however, thinking seriously today of quitting if tourism did not flourish during summer.

During the early years of his work, Samir, 29, was able to develop his activities. He turned from a roving photographer into an owner of a photography studio in the heart of the Yasime Le-Hammamet Tourist Resort.

However, tourism revenues took a downward dive since the revolution of 2011.

Speaking to the German News Agency, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), he said: ”the activities were non-stop in the city.

Tourists used to come from various parts of the world from Germany to Japan throughout the year. The revenues were good, but today we have to wait for the summer and see if we can make some income that may barely cover expenditure.” Otherwise, he said he will close down his studio.

Yasmine Le-Hammamet is one of the main tourist attractions in Tunisia. It is situated about five km away from Al-Hammamat city and about 70 km from Tunis, the capital city.

It is a complex containing many luxurious hotels, an entertainment seaport for naval voyages, amusement parks and shops.

The city, which was bustling with life throughout the year, remained almost empty until last March.

Like Samir, thousands of Tunisians working

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in the tourism sector are anxiously waiting for an exceptional tourist season after a recess of more than three years. They are, however, skeptical due to the country’s unstable political and security conditions.

When she first took over her portfolio as Minister of Tourism, Amal Karboul, announced during a meeting with journalists, that revolutionary plans would be implemented to promote Tunisian tourism and attract tourists from outside.

Tourism in Tunisia, in which more than 400,000 people are involved, has deteriorated following the social and security unrest that came in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution.

The same year, the number of tourists dropped by more than 40 percent compared to the previous year. The revenues decreased by more than half but started to pick up slowly before the yearend.

However, Tunisia is still far away from regaining its strong presence in the traditional tourist markets, especially France, which is considered a top tourist market for the country; the number of French tourists dropped by about 30 percent.

Special programs for France and other European countries have been launched. “We will try to remove their fears about our country,” Karboul said.

The Ministry of Tourism said it would be targeting about 7 million tourists this year so as to restore the figures of 2010. This figure, however, is far fetched unless a real

breakthrough in reservations is achieved.

Speaking to the DPA last May, interim Tunisian Prime Minister, Mehdi Jomaa, admitted that it would be very difficult to attract 7 million tourists because of the incidents in the region, referring to the armed conflict in Libya and the threats poised by Al-Qaeda in the countries of Al-Maghreb Al-Arabi.

The traditional tourist spots along the sea shores, which extend over 1,300 km, have continued to attract tourists, contrary to the other areas inland which are facing difficulties because of the social turmoil and security unrest.

The tourist resorts in the north west of the country, particularly Ain Draham and Tubroqa, have paid a heavy price due to the war the security forces are waging against the terrorist cells stationed in the hilly areas.

The Moroccan market is considered a lung for Tunisian tourism, providing it with half of its tourists whereas about 1.5 million Libyans have been permanently residing in Tunisia since the outbreak of the revolution in their country in 2011.

Before the start of the tourism season, King Mohammed V1 arrived in Tunisia on May 30 on his first visit to the country since President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled.

The official royal visit was to continue for 3 days only, but the King of Morocco extended it to 2 weeks.

The King abandoned protocol and toured the cities’ downtowns in his sport uniform without any guards, giving a strong boost to tourism in Tunisia.

Mokhtar Al-Khalafawi, a political analyst said: “The Moroccan King wanted to send a message to the whole world that the security in Tunisia is good and that Tunisia is a safe tourist haven. Many thanks to the King.”

European leaders, on their part, pledged to support tourism in Tunisia. French President Francois Hollande asked the French citizens to spend their summer holidays in Tunisia.

The Tunisians are waiting to see if these promises would be fruitful.

OIC Journal May - August 2014 55

ECONOMY

SMIIC discusses accreditation

mechanisms for Halal Food

The 8th Board of Directors and 6th General Assembly of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 2-3 June 2014. The main outcome of the meetings were the election of the Chairman and three Vice Chairmen of the Board of Directors and the discussion of the accreditation and certification mechanisms for Halal Food and other standards.

At the 8th Board of Directors and 6th General Assembly of the

SMIIC, Turkey was elected as Chairman and Pakistan, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia as the three Vice Chairmen of the Institute. The election of the Secretary General was deferred to the next meeting.

At the meetings it was agreed that SMIIC would act as an umbrella accreditation body for the national accreditation agencies of OIC Member States. The meeting also adopted of the documents finalized by the OIC Expert Group on Halal Standardization, Accreditation and Certification.

Baku hosts First Steering Committee Meeting for Implementing OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor The First Steering Committee for the Implementation of the OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor, Employment and Social Protection was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 17-18 June 2014. The meeting was chaired

by Salim Muslumov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan and with the attendance of representatives from Cameroon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey as well as from the OIC General Secretariat, SESRIC and IDB.

The Committee reviewed the Draft Executive Program and invited OIC Member States and relevant institutions to participate in the identified programs and projects, which include 6 technical cooperation projects related to OSH development; establishing a database on migrant workers; and establishing an OIC labor and professional training observatory and job market information unit. The Committee took note of the Final Communique adopted by the First Meeting on Public Employment Ser-

vices Network, which was held in Ankara, Turkey on 29-30 April 2014. It also took note of the General Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health drafted by the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Turkey, the SESRIC and the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) and revised by the Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Regulations and Health, held in Istanbul, Turkey on 4 May 2014.

Traditional global financial system witnesses a radical shift towards Islamic finance A recent report by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, based on Ernst and Young numbers, showed that the traditional global financial system is witnessing a radical shift towards Islamic finance, as the global Islamic banking assets recorded an annual cumulative growth with 16 percent during the period from 2008-2012.

The Chamber, which is organizing the World Islamic Economic Forum this coming October, added that it is improbable that the Islamic finance would lose this big momentum.

The focus of Islamic finance sector on alternatives of lower risks led to its immunity from the financial crisis. The products and

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services of Islamic banking were able to increase their share of the financial services market rapidly, with a percentage that exceeds 50 percent in comparison with the traditional banking sector in some markets.

The report has further indicated that the number of Islamic banks costumers around the world is estimated to be 38 million; two thirds exist in six countries: Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, United Emirates, and Turkey. Among these six promising markets, the Saudi market is considered the largest in Islamic banking assets, valued at about 285 billion USD in 2013, in comparison with 245 billion USD in 2012.

According to the report outcomes, Saudi

Arabia owns over 43 percent of the total Islamic banking assets in the six countries mentioned, which makes up about 53 percent of the total local banking assets in Saudi Arabia.

At the global level, the report predicts that the Islamic banking sector profits in 2018 would reach an estimated 30.5 billion USD, driven by focusing mainly on the field of retail banking.

The growth of Islamic finance assets in the regions of North America and Europe is also remarkable, where bank assets are valued at 59.8 billion USD, whereas the estimated value of the total assets is 71.6 billion USD in 2013.

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ECONOMY

Salt…Senegal’s white gold: A means to make a living Dakar, Senegal (DPA) – Seydou Toure works in an attractive spot for tourists and photographers called Lake Retba (Lac Rose in French), meaning the pink lake. Located in western Senegal, the lake’s color changes from light pink to violet sometimes, as the degrees of lighting vary.

The reason behind its pink color is the existence of special algae called Dunaliella Salina, which produces a red dye to absorb more light, enabling it to make the energyrich compound ATP. The pink color becomes stronger in dry seasons, making the lake a primary source to make a living for Toure and hundreds of workers.

With 40% saltiness, Lake Retba is similar in high salt concentration to the Dead Sea in Jordan. For tourists, they enjoy floating on the lake’s thick still surface, with its remarkable cranberry-shake color. However, that all means nothing to Seydou Toure and his colleagues, who consider the lake a workplace. Toure wakes up at sunrise every day and digs his wooden stick to 2 meters depth in the lake, to extract the salt, or what is known as Senegal’s white gold. The salt is exported to Europe, and based on its quality and crystal clarity, it is either used in preparing fancy food, or for melting snow in the frozen streets in winter.

The annual amount of extracted salt is estimated to 60 thousand tons, and is locally

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known as Retba salt in reference to the lake located 30 kilometers to the northeast of the capital, Dakar. Medium-sized crystals are used for storing fishes, while the clearer ones are used to prepare fancy dining meals, a luxury that the Senegalese poor workers like Toure would probably never experience. This salt is sold under a recognized trademark, with the catch line “Fine and manually extracted”. The price for one kilogram can reach up to 26 Euros, which equals to 36 Dollars.

The less quality salt is used locally and regionally in most of western Africa countries.

The Senegalese government considers the lake a natural reserve and seeks to receive the classification from UNESCO World Heritage. Hence, Toure and his colleagues are not allowed to use machines to extract the salt; it must be done manually, and it becomes a tough task in winter, when it is impossible to stand in the iced water for more than an hour.

When Toure is back to the port, a group of women unload the sacks, categorize, dry, add iodine to the salt, and then prepare packages to be exported.

Many local cooperative associations take part in marketing the salt, representing the workers in matters such as discussing prices with exporters and wholesalers. “We try to work according to the market situation.

Sometimes the workers stop working until the salt price is high in the market again,” said Toyeh Diane, one of the cooperative associations director.

Diane explains that “A worker with experience can extract up to a ton a day, divided on 40 sacks weighting 25 kilograms, where 10 sacks are paid for renting a boat and 5 for the unloading process. This way, workers get 19 Euros a day for their work; a good wage if we took into consideration the average annual income for the individual in Senegal.” According to the UN statistics, the average income in Senegal is 750 Euros annually.

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ECONOMY Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia inaugrates the IDB 40th anniversary celebration Launches a US$2 billion fund for infrastructure

JEDDAH- Saudi Arabia: On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, deputy Premier and Minister of Defense inaugurated the 40th anniversary celebration of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) held in Jeddah, end of June 2014.

The Crown Prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s constant interest to further augment solidarity between Muslim countries. “This objective represents our solid and consistent policy,” he added.

He said the Kingdom had worked in the past and is working today to further cement solidarity among Muslim countries and people via its strong ties with them. “The IDB is a living example of the Islamic solidarity,” he said.

Prince Salman recalled that the Fourth Extraordinary Islamic Summit, held in Ramadan 1433H (August 2012) under the theme “Islamic Solidarity”, had decided to reinforce the IDB’s capital on an initiative by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

“Boosting Islamic solidarity is not the task of the governments alone. Organizations and establishments like the IDB Group have important roles to play in this respect. The

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matter needs coordination of efforts in work and implementation,” he added.

Prince Salman explained that the objective of the Islamic solidarity is to pool out the resources and capabilities of the Islamic Ummah to improve its conditions, ward off any evil plots against it and enable it to better serve its causes.

Prince Salman pointed out that the Ummah is facing grave challenges that entail continuous joint action to confront.

“These challenges, among others, include the development of human resources, achieving sustainable economic progress, reinforcing peace and stability and strengthening the feeling of the common destiny and the unified identity,” he said.

The Crown Prince said the Kingdom is proud to host the IDB on its soil and is a staunch believer in its noble message and

Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali: The Bank’s capital increased from 3 billion to 150 billion dollars.

objectives. He also commended the IDB’s self-evaluation of its past achievements.

“This is a sign of maturity and enlightenment. It is always a good thing to evaluate past achievements and assess what is to be done in the future,” he said.

Prince Salman thanked all those who have contributed to the noble path of the IDB particularly its President Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali for his great efforts for the development and progress of the group.

“We are all proud of the achievements the IDB has realized. We will continue to support the bank until it achieves more progress and success,” he added.

On his part, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Saudi Minister of Finance and Chairman of the IDB’s Board of Governors, said the consistent support of the Kingdom and all the other member countries have enabled the bank to increase its activities and operations remarkably.

“The bank has developed into a specialized group which has effectively contributed to the development efforts of the member countries and to the initiation of Islamic financing modes which are Shariah compatible,” he said.

Al-Assaf said the most spectacular achieve-

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ECONOMY ment made by the bank during the past 40 years is represented in the positive changes it has made in the lives of the millions in the member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries.

In his speech, IDB President Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said that among the ways of support to the bank is the response to its series of requests to increase its capital, which has gone up from US$3 billion when it was established in 1975 to more than US$150 billion now.

“All the member countries are determined to honor their financial commitments towards the bank. They are also keen to cooperate fully with it,” he said.

He talked about the various challenges the bank had faced during the first years of its establishment and said the bank is now standing out as a strong and successful financial institution.

The president appreciated the efforts of the founders and said their dedicated support has enabled the bank to have a triple “AAA” rating.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and the Finance Minister of the United Arab Emirates, said his country was keen to be one of the founders of the bank and a major supporter of its operations.

“We have strong confidence in the capabilities of this entity to finance development projects and achieve social and economic progress of its member countries,” he said.

Al-Maktoum called for formulating a strategy that would facilitate the bank’s financing procedures and reduce the time needed for that.

“The bank should focus on vital projects that will create more job opportunities for the citizens of its member states,” he said.

The minister expressed the UAE’s readiness to help the bank by providing it with experts.

“The bank can also make use of Dubai as a center of Islamic banking to assist its member states by using the city’s huge resources,” he said.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani said in his speech that the numerous meetings recently held between the senior officials of the IDB and the OIC have laid down the ground to further improve the working relationship, coordination and partnership between the various subsidiary and affiliated organs of the organization.

He talked about the achievements made by the various funds to combat poverty, which were established by the OIC under its 10year Action Program adopted in 2005.

“Together with the IDB these funds were able to finance a number of basic infra-

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structure projects which played a remarkable social role in the member countries,” he said.

The Secretary General said the organization is working closely with the IDB to expand micro financing.

“This is also being done with the member countries which have experiences in this type of financing to attain a practical, transparent and flexible model for the micro financing operations,” he said.

He commended the existing initiatives of the OIC’s Secretariat General and the IDB’s management to promote the social financing among member countries, which will enable them to use the financial resources of the Zakat, Saddaqa and Wakf.

On the other hand, the Secretary General asked the member countries who have not yet signed or ratified the OIC’s commercial and economic agreements to do so immediately.

These agreements include: the General

Iyad Madani: OIC is working closely with the IDB to expand micro-financing.

Agreement for Economic, Technical and Commercial Cooperation, The Agreement to Promote, Protect and Guarantee Investments, the Trade Preferential System (TPS), the Protocol on the Preferential Tariff Scheme and other pacts which are all aimed at promoting intra-trade among member countries.

The Secretary General hailed the IDB’s initia-

tive to review its vision until 1440H and said this initiative has come at a time the OIC is reviewing its 10-Year Program of Action, which will terminate in 2015.

Alongside the 40-year anniversary celebration the bank’s Board of Governors held their 39th meeting. The IDB Board of Governors issued a number of resolutions to further promote the process of development in the 57- member countries. Most significant of these was a resolution about the bank’s strategy for the next 10 years.

This strategy was formulated in cooperation with an international consultancy firm.

The Board also announced the launch of the second Fund for Infrastructure with a US$2 billion capital. A number of organizations and establishments have contributed to this fund including: The Saudi Pension Fund, The Saudi Public Investments Fund, The Bahrain’s Finance Ministry and the Finance Ministry of Brunei who are all founding members.

A sum of US$750 million has been allotted for the fund in its first stage. The deadline to make contributions to the fund is early 2015.

Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said, judging by the success of the IDB’s first Infrastructure Fund, the bank and the other investors have increased the capital of the second fund by three folds to reach about US$2 billion.

During the sessions of the meeting, the Supreme Council of the Aqsa and Al-Quds Funds met concurrently under the chairmanship of the Algerian Finance Minister who asked the member states to increase their contributions to the capitals of the two funds.

The two funds have so far provided Palestine with about US$922 million to build thousands of houses, schools and roads in addition to providing electricity and medical care.

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ECONOMY IDB and Development Partners Launch US$ 180 Million Renewable Energy Initiative for the Poor At a regional conference held in Dakar, Senegal on 3 June, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) along with other development partners launched a new program called Renewable Energy for Poverty Reduction (REPoR), which will focus on improving access to electricity through offgrid energy solutions such as mini-grids that combine solar and diesel energy that have proven to be effective and reliable sources of low-cost energy in various communities.

In the next three years, the program will be implemented in six countries, mainly in the

Sub-Saharan Africa.

The program, developed by the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), the poverty alleviation arm of the IDB, in partnership with the IDB itself, will provide US$ 125 million for the program while raising an additional US$ 55 million from other development partners.

REPoR is part of IDB’s pro-poor energy initiative that seeks to make electricity accessible to the poor, especially the rural population that is 2.5 times less likely to access electricity than those in urban areas. Within its propoor energy program, the IDB has financed

mini-hydro power plants in Tajikistan, supported rural electrification in Senegal and installed off-grid systems in Bangladesh.

Many other member countries have also benefited from the program.

The launch of the program came on the eve of the first UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Forum in New York during June 4-6, where UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other dignitaries formally launched the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All. IDB made a presentation on the REPoR initiative at the SE4ALL.

IDB President and Bill Gates Join Forces to Fight Poverty The President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, and Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, announced at the 39th Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors, which was held on 25-26 June 2014 in Jeddah, the proposed establishment of a US$500 million grant Buy-Down Facility under IDB. The Facility will enable the IDB to deploy up to US$2.5 billion of financing to fight poverty in low-income countries. The Facility builds on the success of a similar financing mechanism, by which IDB provided US$227 million to Pakistan to support the Polio Eradication Initiative.

To kick-start the new Buy-Down Facility, the Gates Foundation announced that it would contribute 20 percent (US$100 million) of the US $500 million. Grant resources from the Facility will be deployed along side IDB’s own financing to completely offset the cost of financing that countries would otherwise incur. This “buy-down” process will provide premium-free market resources to low-income countries. The two development leaders called on government aid-agencies, philanthropists and other partners to contribute to the Facility, so that they all could together address poverty-focused interventions in health (polio, malaria and other neglected tropical diseases), agriculture (supporting small holder farmers) and infrastructure for the poor (energy and sanitation).

The IDB Board of Governors welcomed the initiative and pledged its full support to its realization, noting that the initiative represents a paradigm shift from traditional funding mechanisms to a more sustainable way of providing development finance to least developed countries that can borrow only highly concessional resources, which are not available in sufficient amounts. The IDB Board of Governors appreciated Mr. Gates for his commitment to improving the lives of children and others and for the Foundation’s partnership with the IDB. Mr. Gates was among several dignitaries who attended the IDB 40th Anniversary celebrations and addressed the IDB Board of Governors during its annual meeting.

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ECONOMY

Seminar on Developing National &Regional Approaches to

Enhancing Innovation Support and Commercialization of R&D Results and Patents

T

he Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) organized in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the COMCEC Coordination Office, a Seminar on “Developing National & Regional Approaches to enhancing Innovation Support and Commercialization of the results of R&D and Patents in the OIC Member States” from 11 to 13 June 2014 at the headquarters of OMPIC in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco. The objective of the seminar was to review the strategies and policies in terms of successful dissemination and exploitation of information, commercialization of R&D and patents as well as the role of intellectual property (IP) in the value chain. It was attended by more than 70 representatives.

On the sidelines of the seminar, workshops were held by geographic area (Arab, African and Asian countries) on the needs and expectations of the OIC Member States in relation to access to information and marketing patents.

After a fruitful discussion, participants proposed the following recommendations: • To encourage some countries to create national support centers of technological information (TISC) and subsequently the focal points of the regions of each country in order to facilitate the collection of related information in collaboration with WIPO;

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• To Create regional centers (Arabic, French, English) to support information technology that will contain all the information related to the industry of technological innovation and R&D provided by the stakeholders of each country; for this purpose a meeting of expert group will be held to decide on the grievances of these centers (mandate, structure, secretariat coordinating focal point ....); • To encourage the harmonization of the Intellectual Property laws of the country in a bid to facilitate the commercialization of R&D and intra-OIC inventions patent drawing on the experiences of good practices of other regional economic groupings; • To organize specialized training sessions (sharing experiences) between the most advanced OIC countries for the benefit of the coordinators of national TISC (training of trainers) to other countries in need and more particularly with respect to the drafting of patents, commercialization of R&D and patents, the International Patent Classification (IPC), access and analysis of patent information, asset management of intellectual property, techniques of technology transfer and those of the use of research results, trademarks and geographical indications etc ...) in collaboration with WIPO, national TISC, ICDT, regional organizations IP (OAPI, ARIPO, SAARC, ASEAN, ...) and regional banks (IDB, AfDB, ....); • To organize innovation exhibitions and fo-

rums for OIC countries on a regular basis to promote, enhance and commercialize the results of R&D between the stakeholders of the sector and during which awards can be distributed to the best stands and inventions to encourage the stakeholders of the sector and also B2B meetings and between research centers; • To Extend ARABPAT data bases of the European Patent Office to all other Arab countries in a bid to facilitate the commercialization of R&D and patents of inventions and also the sharing of information; • To encourage the experiences sharing of successful collaborations between countries in the African, Arab and Asian regions in order to further develop the field of IP within the OIC zone by creating a virtual OIC TISC network coordinated by the ICDT; • To conduct awareness-raising campaigns at national and regional levels on the importance of the IP industry by organizing open days and seminars in universities either in collaboration in collaboration with either the private sector and government authorities; •To further increase the awareness of governments to use databases via WIPO, elearning and ask expert webinars; •To encourage countries to initiate training modules specialized in IP in national universities.

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occasions OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, was the guest of honor at the 51st Anniversary of Africa Day, organized by the African Group of Consuls General in Jeddah on May 25, 2014 at the Hilton Hotel, where he stressed in his speech that the OIC consistently seeks to establish strong relations with the African Union, where 27 of the 57 member states of the OIC are also member countries of the African Union.

Africa Day

Iftar Ramadan

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OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, hosted a Ramadan iftar on July 4, 2014, at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Jeddah. Attending the iftar, in addition to the staff of the OIC General Secretariat, were the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the OIC, Ambassador Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Tayeb, President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, and the dean of consul generals in Jeddah, the Consul General of Algeria Mr. Saleh Attia, and many consuls and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Jeddah as well as businessmen, intellectuals, media professionals and other guests.

OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, held a farewell ceremony on July 8, 2014 at the OIC Residence in Jeddah for outgoing Assistant Secretaries General, Amb. Atta El-Mannan Bakhiet of Humanitarian Affairs Department, and Amb. Abdulmoez Bukhari of Sience and Technology Department, attended by the staff of OIC General Secretariat, consul generals in Jeddah and a number of other guests.

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COUNTRY PROFILE Afghanistan

Geography and Climate Afghanistan’s rugged terrain and seasonally harsh climate have presented a challenge to inhabitants and conquering armies for centuries. Afghanistan extends from the imposing Pamir Mountains in the northeast Wakhan Corridor, through branches of smaller mountain ranges, down to the southwestern plateau where the fertile regions of Kandahar merge with the deserts of Rigestan and Dashti Margo. More than 49 percent of the total land area lies above 2,000 meters. There are a number of smaller mountain ranges spanning Afghanistan but the largest mountains are found in the north-eastern section of the 600 km Hindu Kush mountain range.

Afghanistan is completely landlocked, bordered by Iran to the west (925 kilometers), by the Central Asian States of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north and northeast (2,380 kilometers), by China at the easternmost top of the Wakhan Corridor (96 kilometers), and by Pakistan to the east and south (2,432 kilometers).

For the most part, Afghanistan may be described as semi-arid but regional variations and climate contrasts according to levels of elevation. Annual rainfall is low, but the high mountains contain sources for many streams and rivers, which supply water for cultivation.

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Official Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Capital: Kabul Population: 31,280,518 (2014 estimate) Area: 647,500 square km.

Official languages: Pashto and Dari Currency: Afghan Afghani (AFN)

Arts and Culture Artistic activity in Afghanistan can be traced back as early as 18,000 BC. For centuries Afghanistan linked the civilizations of Iran, India, and China. In the Islamic Era, the Ghaznavid rulers of the 10th to 12th centuries and the Ghorids fostered artistic development. Continuing through the Timurid dynasty, Afghanistan’s cultural life prospered and flourished through the rulers’ high regard for men of learning and artists. The descendants of Timur turned the city of Herat into a center of cultural activity enticing artists such as Abdul Rahman Jami, Abdulhay, and Kamal al-Din Bihzad.

Historical Sites Ancient and modern architecture in Afghanistan combines elements from Iran, India, and Byzantium. Afghanistan is filled with architectural gems. Mosques, fortresses and minarets reveal the artistic glory of past empires. The best sites to view architectural masterpieces are Herat, Bamiyan, Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh, Ghazni; however, architectural sites are spread throughout the country.

Afghan Food Afghan cuisine is an appetizing cross between the flavors of the Mediterranean, Middle East, Iran and India. It contains sev-

eral rice dishes that are often served with an assortment of thick, curried sauces cooked with lamb, beef and chicken. Spinach and eggplants constitute two commonly eaten vegetables. Traditional Afghan fare is rich in spices like cardamom, which lends a sweet, aromatic quality to drinks and dishes.

Education System The modern educational system was introduced at the end of the nineteenth century by the Afghan government and combined traditional Islamic learning with a modern curriculum. In 1935, education was declared universal, compulsory and free. With its expansion, the secular system came to be regarded as the principle medium for creating a national ideology and emphasized productive skills. By the 1960s, technical education assumed critical importance as a result of Afghanistan’s development drive.

The Afghan educational system is currently experiencing a period of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Twenty years of conflict caused the exodus of many teachers and qualified instructors and caused literacy rates to plummet. Violence throughout the country during the Soviet invasion, the Civil War, and the Taliban period, made the existence of primary and secondary schools near impossible. Schools still existed during these times, but they had little access to resources or qualified professionals.

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VIEWPOINT CLEARER STEPS FOR FACING CHALLENGES

T

he forty-first session of the Council of Foreign Ministers came six months after the fortieth session. Despite the short period between the two sessions, the 41st session witnessed important resolutions that reflected the rapidly unfolding developments on some issues of concern to the OIC. Chief among these issues is the question of Palestine, particularly the Israeli aggression on Gaza, its expanding settlements and judaization projects in Al-Quds Al-Sharif. We are faced with a maniac power that does not care about international law, human rights or even about the minimum standards of humanity. This necessitated the adoption of more targeted resolutions and new methods in the face of this conflict.

Maha M. Akeel Chief Editor

As for the deteriorating situation in Syria, Iraq, and Libya and the consequences of the political and security condition, there was no escape from confronting the distressing and unfortunate facts and attempting to develop an OIC collective position and political approach.

The outbreak of conflicts with racist and sectarian undertones compel us to look critically into them and to search for their causes and those behind them.

On a different level, the outbreak of conflicts with racist and sectarian undertones or those triggered by criminal gangs such as the Boko Haram in Nigeria or in countries where Muslim minorities suffer repression and racial discrimination such as Myanmar, compel us to look critically into the spread of terrorism, religious and sectarian extremism and to search for their causes and those behind them. This was discussed at the last foreign ministers’ meeting in Jeddah.

These were some of the political issues on the agenda of the 41st session, the resolutions of which we present in a special report in this edition of OIC journal.

At the economic level, the meeting paid attention to the problems of poverty and development, which have a major role in conflict inducement and in luring unemployed youths into joining fighting ranks.

Therefore, the meeting adopted resolutions on supporting financing of economic development and infrastructure projects and societal demands that are inevitable for the realization of sustainable development in the Member States.

Cultural affairs issues, particularly Islamophobia, cultural exchange and dialogue of civilizations, as well as science and technology and humanitarian affairs also had the attention of the annual ministerial meeting.

This is with regards the 41st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. As is the norm with all editions of the OIC Journal, this issue also sheds light on other topics such as the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, the First International Forum on Islamic Tourism, the selection of the City of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates as one of this year’ Capitals of Islamic Tourism. Other topics covered include the fight against polio and malaria in the OIC Member States still grappling with the spread of these diseases, and the report on the first visit by an OIC delegation to Cambodia to take stock of the conditions of Muslims there after being disconnected for a long time from their fellow Muslims. There is also a lengthy report on the recent events in the Central African Republic and the barbaric killing and expulsion to which the Muslims were subjected and the concrete measures taken by the OIC to resolve this ongoing crisis.

And so the OIC General Secretariat and its Secretary General continue to adopt clearer steps and mechanisms to confront the challenges facing the Muslim world at all levels.

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