OIC Journal - Issue 30

May - July 2015

Issue No. 30

Developments in Yemen

• Humanitarian Relief Conference • OIC Contact Group on Yemen

42 Council of Foreign Ministers

Countering Terrorism in Muslim world

The Rohingya: AN ONGOING TRAGEDY

About OIC The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various peoples of the world.

Originally named The Organization of the Islamic Conference, it was established pursuant a decision adopted by the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 12th Rajab 1389 AH/ 25 September 1969 AD, following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani is the 10th Secretary General who assumed the office in January 2014.

The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter was amended to keep pace with the developments that have unraveled recently across the world. The 11th Islamic Summit held in Dakar in March 2008 endorsed the new Charter, which has become the pillar of the OIC future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the 21st century. The new Charter provides for the dissemination and safeguard of Islamic teachings and values based on moderation and tolerance, as well as the need to strive for the projection and defense of the true image of Islam. The new Charter also called for encouraging inter-civilizational and interfaith dialogue. Over the last 40 years, the OIC membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states. In 2011 in Astana, Khazakhstan, the 38th Council of Foreign Ministers endorsed changing the emblem and name to Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The Organization has the singular honor of galvanizing the Ummah into a unified voice and representing Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against Muslims in all forms and manifestations. It has also engaged in fighting Islamophobia by setting up a dedicated observatory to track and monitor the phenomenon and its disturbing manifestations .

The Member States of the OIC face many challenges in the 21st century. To address these challenges, the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down a blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action (TYPOA) which envisages joint action by the Member States, promotion of tolerance and moderation, modernization, extensive reforms in all spheres of activities including science and technology, education, and development of trade.

It also emphasizes good governance and the promotion of human rights in the Muslim world, especially with regard to the children’s and women’s rights as well as family values enshrined in Islamic Shariah [law].

One of the outstanding achievements since the adoption of the Ten-Year Programme of Action (TYPOA) has been the recent reinvigoration and restructuring of the various OIC bodies. Among the OIC›s key bodies the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee chaired by the king of the Kingdom of Morocco, as Al-Quds remains the paramount issue on the OIC’s agenda, and three permanent committees, one of which is concerned with science and technology (COMSTECH) that is chaired by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the second committee is concerned with economy and trade (COMCEC) which is chaired by the President of the Republic of Turkey, while the third one is concerned with information and culture (COMIAC) which is chaired by the President of Senegal.

The OIC has subsidiary organs, notably Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for the Islamic Countries (SESRIC), the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) and the Islamic Center for the development of Trade (ICDT). Other specialized organs operating under the OIC include the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). There are also affiliated organs such as the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS). The OIC subsidiary, affiliated and specialized organs play a vital role in boosting cooperation in various fields among the OIC Member States.

For more details, visit the OIC website at www.oic-oci.org OIC - OCI

OUR MESSAGE The need for dialogue in the century of identity

Iyad Ameen Madani OIC Secretary General

Can multiculturalism, where cultures are interpreted as bridges rather than fences, survive in a world of inwardlooking identities where cultural expressions shield us rather than enrich our multiplicity?

Some analysts assert that the 20th century was the century of ideology, and now we are in the century of identity. Ideology has usually tried to unite people, to bring them together under one vision, under one set of expectations and under the sky of one dream.

Identity seems to limit us to ourselves, where we see the world from within a specific reference point of an identity. Little by little, cultural expressions cease to be a bridge of understanding to become a shield that separates us from others.

Can multiculturalism, where cultures are interpreted as bridges rather than fences, survive in a world of inward looking identities where cultural expressions shield us rather than enrich our multiplicity?

The answer to this question poses a challenge to all of us. It requires us to contemplate and think together. It demands that we dialogue.

There are voices that claim that multiculturalism has failed, and that we all have to be molded by the melting pots of the societies where we live. Thus, we have to stop and think through the assumption of structured mutual exclusivity between the two concepts of a “melting pot” and “multiculturalism.” Is it a contradiction to say that every society, every country, has a melting pot; and also saying that we can, should and work hard to live in a multicultural world? Does a melting pot in any place mold us, make us robots, make us only capable of expressing one set of values, only certain points of view, or is it also possible that multiculturalism can be the ingredient of that melting pot?

The times we live in are critical and demanding. They require courage and leadership that will initiate and push forward a continuous process of dialogue.

Dialogue is not, and should not be, a feel-good spotlight that is used to create a mood or a public relations campaign or image to soften the harsh reality surrounding us. Dialogue is our commitment to understand each other’s realities, to tolerate, to accept, to share, to respect, and to partner with other systems of belief, other cultural sets of values, and to realize that this world is too small for us to fight over, and too large for any of us to claim a monopoly over.

When we talk about the global village, we should talk about a village of different streets, different coffee shops, different ways to celebrate, different ways to live; not a global village where we are all asked or bombarded to think about self in a certain manner and a certain way.

We need to know each other because it is very difficult to hate someone you know, someone you conversed with, someone you had a chance to drink a cup of coffee with. This assumption of familiarity is fundamental.

It is also relevant to recall that since the UN Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, culture has been brought in as one of the pillars, one of the basic dimensions required to achieve economic sustainability and development, and by definition, that means bringing in the dynamism and the diversity of what culture is.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is totally committed to this process of dialogue and to reaching out together to a common understanding. The OIC also ardently believes that together we must continue to develop new approaches towards intercultural dialogue. The challenge is how to get the ideas, concepts and understanding that dialogue creates to areas of conflicts, to areas where people differ, to areas where cultures clash. How to make that connection between what we talk about, agree to, and commit ourselves to do and the reality that is lived by ordinary people where they are surrounded by conflict, asked to adhere to a certain set of values, and denied their right of citizenship or cannot go home because they happen to be of a different religion or ethnicity.

It is no longer possible to live in a world that classifies or stigmatizes people based on their belief, their religion, or their convictions. This is a world that we must share, and we cannot truly share it if we tolerate the conditions that deny some of our fellow human beings not only cultural rights, but their very basic and most fundamental human rights, as we witness in Myanmar, or in some parts of Africa, or in the brutality of ‘Daesh’, or the frustrations that the Palestinians have been living under for over sixty years.

At the end of the day, if our century is a century of identity, it should be an identity that is tolerant, that recognizes the other, and that is willing not only to tolerate but also to live with the other, and not only to live but to share, and not only to share but to partner with the other.

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

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

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

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

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

OIC Calendar: October – December 2015 1 October:

OIC Annual Coordination Meeting of the Foreign Ministers – UN Headquarters, New York, USA 5-6 October: 37th Session of the BODs Meeting of SESRIC – Istanbul, Turkey 9-10 October: 6th Islamic Conference of Environment

Ministers – Rabat, Morocco 12-14 October: Seventh OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development in OIC Member States – Astana, Kazakhstan 19-20 October: 2nd OIC Tourism Fair – Sharjah, UAE 28-30 October: 3rd Session of the Islamic Conference of Labor Ministers (ICLM) – Jakarta, Indonesia 8-12 November: 15th Trade Fair of the OIC Member States – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 9-11 November: OIC Summit on Science and Technology – Islamabad, Pakistan 17-19 November: Islamic Conference of Health Ministers – Istanbul, Turkey 21-27 November: 8th regular Session of the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Right Commission (IPHRC) – OIC Headquarters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 23-26 November: 31st Session of the COMCEC – Istanbul, Turkey 26-28 November: 3rd Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water – Istanbul, Turkey

CONTENTS IN Focus 4.

5th Session of Istanbul Process: Widespread consensus on how to take UN HRC

Resolution 16/18 forward

Palestine File 6.

8.

Hazardous chemical - Pollutants emitted by Israeli settlement factories in the West Bank Palestine’s seeds of hope

12

Kuwait hosts 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers

18

Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah of Kuwait on Extremism and sectarianism

20

OIC Council of Foreign Ministers holds extraordinary meeting on Yemen

24

Mobilizing efforts for political and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees

54

Calls for OIC Member States to continue controlling and eliminating Malaria

World Affairs 22.

23.

29.

OIC welcomes the signing of the agreement for peace and reconciliation in Mali OIC delegation visits Libya on fact-finding mission Daesh plunders heritage sites in Syria to finance militias

Humanitarian Affairs 40.

41.

Issue of accessing people affected by armed conflicts needs addressing OIC and USAID sign new joint plan of action on humanitarian activities

Human Rights 43.

7th Session of OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission

Islamophobia 44.

Is Islamophobia in the West becoming violent?

Religion 45.

5th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan

Culture 47.

48.

49.

Cotonou: 2015 Islamic Culture Capital for the African Region Bardo Museum earns its fight against terrorism with its treasures COMIAC: Social media key to highlight Israeli violations in Occupied Territories

Economy 57.

58.

Lake Victoria, the main source of the Nile is dying slowly 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of IDB

Opinion Articles 11. Kristallnacht in Palestine 30. The triple axis of terror: Daesh, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram 53. OIC Member States and the fight against child labor

IN FOCUS 5th Session of Istanbul Process held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Widespread Consensus on How to Take UN HRC Resolution 16/18 Forward

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani (centre) with (starting from left) Director of the OIC Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights Marghoob Saleem Butt, President of the UN Human Rights Council Ambassador Joachim Rücker, Secretary General of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna Faisal bin Muammar, and Chairman of the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue Professor Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naim

JEDDAH: Over 90 leading experts on human rights, law, politics and minorities met at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on June 3-4 as part of a two-day meeting on how to effectively implement the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 on combating religious intolerance, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against people due to their religion or beliefs.

The meeting—the 5th Session of the Istanbul Process—was the second of its nature to be held in the Muslim world and follows previous meetings in Washington, London, Geneva and Doha to promote the full and effective implementation of the resolution.

The meeting was attended by UN Member States, academics, UN officials, independent experts, legal practitioners, NGOs, and media and civil society representatives.

Participants reaffirmed the significance of the resolution as a milestone achievement in the UN’s efforts to combat incitement to hatred, discrimination, stigmatization and violence based on one’s religion or belief, and called for all out efforts to preserve international consensus on this important document.

The meeting was divided into three panel

4

OIC Journal May - July 2015

discussions that covered the Resolution’s eight-point Action Plan in three broad groups: Addressing potential areas of tension between communities and promotion of better understanding and dialogue; Countering and combating advocacy to religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence through affirmative or positive measures; and Understanding the need to combat denigration, negative religious stereotyping of persons and incitement to religious hatred by adopting measures criminalizing incitement to imminent violence based on religion or belief.

Panellists from different legal, social and cultural backgrounds delivered presentations and recommendations on various aspects of the Action Plan. Participants also provided useful input and raised important questions on how best to implement steps at different levels.

A series of outcomes were formed at the end of the event. These outcomes included reaffirmations about the significance of the resolution as a milestone achievement, the need to preserve international consensus on this important document and that political commitment at the highest levels is

essential for its implementation.

They also included the need for government institutions to prioritize the training of relevant officials, encourage religious and community leaders as well as civil society to address the root causes of religious discrimination, and avoid double standards in the implementation and promotion of the resolution, something that would help preserve international consensus and encourage effective implementation.

The outcomes also highlighted the importance of promoting freedom of religion while out-rightly combating religious intolerance and hatred, and the importance of ensuring freedom of opinion and expression that is crucial to exercising the right for freedom of religion.

During his opening speech, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani said the meeting reflected the importance that the international human rights community attaches to combating religious intolerance.

He also stressed that religious hatred needs to be addressed at all levels, and that there is a need to ascertain the limits of freedom of expression to determine where it ends and transforms into incitement to hatred.

Expounding on globalization and its impact,

www.oic-oci.org

IN FOCUS he said, “The impact of news of discrimination or violence based on religion not only affects the targeted people or community but also impacts the broader international community as well as evinces corresponding reactions.”

He further called on stakeholders to stand united, reaffirm their commitment to the global policy framework and redouble efforts to fully and effectively implement the Action Plan at all levels.

He further highlighted that the OIC has always upheld principles of openly discussing ideas, values and beliefs with tolerance and respect, and that the OIC stresses the importance of avoiding defamation and insults to religions.

“Islam like other religions recognises the role of critical thinking. However, there

Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division at the OHCHR Ibrahim Salama EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Gulf Countries Adam Kulach

must be a distinction between criticism and constructive discussion, which is a legitimate part of freedom of expression, and sheer disrespect, defamation, insult and negative stereotyping that falls into the category of inciting religious hatred,” he said.

Madani also said that some argue that prohibiting free expression leads to a reversal of many positive democratic developments.

“However, I tend to humbly disagree when this freedom is stretched into the realm of hate speech. I fail to understand how the right to offend or to insult, discriminate or negatively stereotype can produce a positive outcome,” he said, adding that a number of countries have imposed legitimate restrictions on this freedom when it morphs into incitement to hatred, discrimination or violence.

Ambassador Joachim Rücker, President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), also delivered a speech at the opening of the event. Rücker said the litmus test for the work of the HRC is its effectiveness and impact on the ground.

“This is what the Istanbul Process is about: To better implement one of the Council’s landmark resolutions. This process is a fine example for states, not just for negotiating and tabling a resolution… but for taking ownership of its very implementation,” he said.

“With its detailed, built-in action plan, Resolution 16/18 provides a useful framework for combating religious intolerance.

Concerning the implementation, some advances have been made in the previous four Istanbul Process events. But still a number of challenges lie ahead,” he said.

Other speakers at the event included Faisal bin Muammar, Secretary General of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna, Professor Ibrahim Saleh Al-Naimi, chairman of the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue (DCID), Ambassador Adam Kulach, the EU’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries, and Ambassador Marta Mauras, Permanent Representative of Chile to the UN in Geneva.

Messages were also read out on behalf of Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, and John Kerry, the US Secretary of State. A video message was also shown from David Kaye, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression.

Prince Zeid, whose speech was read out

by Ibrahim Salama, Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division at the OHCHR, said that Islamic values are not incompatible with international human rights. He also said the resolution is “not a political declaration but a program of action.”

The meeting was held to unite stakeholders, reaffirm their commitment to the resolution and redouble efforts to fully and effectively implement it.

The Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 16/18 in March 2011 by consensus.

The resolution deals with religious discrimination and violence from the perspective of international human rights law and outlines actions that governments need to implement to effectively combat religious-based violence and discrimination.

Acting US Envoy to the OIC Arsalan Suleman

Permanent Representative of Chile to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Marta Mauras

Delegates at the 5th Session of the Istanbul Process in Jeddah

www.oic-oci.org

OIC Journal May - July 2015

5

PALESTINE FILE

Hazardous chemical

Pollutants emitted by Israeli settlement factories in the West Bank RAMALLAH (dpa): Palestinians are complaining about dangers threatening their lives as a result of Israelis setting up dozens of industrial plants inside West Bank settlements, particularly those connected with chemical products.

According to official Palestinian statistics, Israel is proceeding with the establishment of two industrial zones that include dozens of factories in the West Bank settlements, of which the most dangerous is the Gishuri industrial zone in Toulkaram.

Toulkaram inhabitants have staged almost weekly protests against the dangers of the said industrial zone, mostly in the form of students organizing human chain demonstrations demanding the dismantlement of the chemical factories in the province.

The Gishuri Israeli industrial zone in Toulkaram includes a number of hazardous plants, according to Palestinian sources, among them a plant for insecticides and another for gas usages as well as one for chemical agro-fertilizers, all of which place the Palestinians’ lives at risk due to their poisonous emissions.

Israel is also setting up a second industrial zone in the settlement of (Burkan) including over 80 industrial plants and forming the largest industrial zone in the West Bank.

The mayor of Toulkaram, Iyad Al-Jalled, told the Deutsche Press Agency (DPA) that the presence of these factories in Toulkaram and inside the borders of the 1967 occupied Palestine “is illegal, particularly as these plants have been transplanted from inside Israel on account of their health hazards for the inhabitants there.”

Al-Jalled added that these plants pose a health risk for Palestinians, with 151 cancer cases registered in 2013, along with other diseases related to the poisonous emissions of these plants.

Al-Jalled further noted that the Palestinian authorities are pursuing legal procedures through Israeli courts and through international organizations, calling for an international investigation committee to look into the dangers of the Gishuri plants and the need to have them removed.

6

OIC Journal May - July 2015

Palestinians have been complaining against the risks of other industrial zones being set up by Israel elsewhere in the West Bank too, including the (Shilo) industrial zone which produces solid and liquid pollutant waste and carcinogenic matter that affect the provinces of Nablus and Solfit.

The “Al Khan Al Ahmar” in Jericho is the second largest Israeli industrial zone in the West Bank, using poisonous matter in the production process of aluminums.

The head of the environmental quality department in the Palestinian authority, Adela Atira, says the Israeli plants spread out in the areas adjacent to the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories are affecting the environment and the health of over 70,000 Palestinians including more than 31,000 children below 14 years of age.

She added that an official Palestinian push is being made to have a UN resolution issued to compel Israel to “stop its violation of all international laws and conventions, including its plants established on the 1967-occupied Palestinian territories, in view of their dangerous polluting effects, and to stop its vicious exploitation and theft of Palestinian land and natural resources, and its destruction of agriculture and pollution of the environment there”.

She also noted that the Palestinian authority’s recent accession to the Basel Agreement and the Biological Diversity may help shore up efforts to bring Israel to international accounting, particularly regarding its dumping of dangerous waste from its chemical industries inside the Palestinian territories.

Over and above the risks generated by the Israeli industrial zones inside the settlements for the inhabitants, the Palestinian official authorities have warned against these dangers for Palestinian laborers who are forced to work there due to record levels of unemployment.

According to the Palestinian Central Statistics Authority, there are around 25,000 Palestinians working in the Israeli settlement factories despite the official efforts to curb that figure.

Amr notes that the Israeli settlement facto-

ries in the West Bank produce over 43 food trademarks and 47 house appliances in addition to scores of other products.

Palestinians, over the past few years, have campaigned for an international boycott of Israeli products from Israeli settler factories set up inside the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, such as to increase the international stand against the settlements and their products.

The ministers of 16 European states had addressed a message to the European Union High Commission calling for the placement of distinctive labels on Israeli settlement products found in European markets to activate the boycott campaign, a step widely appreciated by the Palestinians.

According to Amr, “More than 50 Israeli industrial outfits operating in the West Bank settlements have closed down over the past few months having registered severe losses due to the national program against the Israeli products.”

Palestinian officials point out that those outfits “have been forced to move to inside Israel in order to continue exporting their products to the European markets, which boycott Israeli settlement products, a fact that raises the Palestinians’ hopes for positive results as to the success of the international boycott of the settlement products”.

www.oic-oci.org

PALESTINE FILE OIC Ministerial Contact Group meets with German Foreign Minister

to discuss developments on Palestinian issue

Members of the OIC Ministerial Contact Group on Palestine meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier

The OIC Ministerial Contact Group on the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, comprising of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Turkey, Malaysia, and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), met with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on May 7, 2015 and conveyed to him the OIC’s position as to the Israeli violations and aggressions against the Holy City of Al-Quds/Jerusalem, and most particularly the repeated incursions and excavation works under and around the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. In addition, the delegation expressed concern over violations perpetrated against the Palestinians living in Al Quds in terms of forced exile, property confiscation, the imposition of oppressive and illegitimate laws including the so-called “absentee properties” laws, the ravaging of homes, the killing of young Jerusalemites and the continued settlement policy aimed at judaizing the Holy City of Al Quds/Jerusalem and cutting it off its natural Palestinian environment; all of which could lead the political conflict into a religious one.

The delegation laid stress on the need to activate the role of the international Quartet for it to intervene in an objective and fair way.

The delegation urged Germany to lend its support to efforts seek-

ing a resolution from the UN Security Council that would set a time limit to end the Israeli occupation. Likewise, the delegation called on Germany to recognize the State of Palestine, which would further advance the two-state solution, in harmony with the UN General Assembly’s resolution. The delegation also expressed its deep appreciation for the economic assistance extended by Germany to Palestine and articulated the hope that this would be coupled with an active political role.

On his part, the German Foreign Minister affirmed that the twostate solution is the only achievable one in favor of the restoration of peace in the Middle East, and that his country had already demanded more than once an end to the Israeli occupation. He further added that he would see to the energizing of Germany’s role in this respect and that he will undertake contacts with the various parties in the Middle East.

On the sideline of the visit, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani had a meeting with German Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss issues of common interest. The Foreign Minister confirmed the appointment of the German ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as special envoy to the OIC General Secretariat. The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister agreed to provide a framework for cooperation and develop a consultation mechanism at the level of senior officials.

The most important issue raised by the Secretary General was that of the Rohingya. He requested the Foreign Minister to support efforts to end the injustice done to this minority. Madani also reviewed with the German side efforts being made in Mali by the OIC and regional and international parties. He expressed hope that the Malian government would exert effort to ensure the signing of the peace agreement in the country.

Madani also explored the possibility of cooperation in several fields including water projects, capacity building in crisis management, human rights institutions, and in the area of preserving cultural and civilizational heritage.

OIC Secretary General welcomes the agreement signed between State of Palestine and the Vatican Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, welcomed on June 27, 2015 the comprehensive agreement that was signed between the State of Palestine and the Holy See. He considered this step a model for cooperation and constructive dialogue and exemplifies a strong message of support for the rights of the Palestinian people. The Secretary General added that the agreement would reinforce peaceful coexistence and build bridges between different cultures, civilizations and religions, and represents support for peace and stability in the region on the basis of the two-state solution according to the relevant international law and resolutions of international legitimacy.

Madani also expressed his appreciation for this political and moral step that embodies actual recognition by the Vatican City State of the State of Palestine.

www.oic-oci.org

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki meets with members of the Vatican in Rome led by Archbishop Paul Gallagher

OIC Journal May - July 2015

7

PALESTINE FILE Legal Aspects of the Palestinian Question

Palestine’s seeds of hope

By Shaher Awawdeh The halt of the Middle East peace process and the suspension of the trembling Palestinian-Israeli negotiations several years ago made everyone in the region, and the Palestinians in particular, question the value of the two-decade long peace negotiations.

The international community, especially the Quartet and traditional negotiations brokers, were no less helpless and puzzled.

Seeing the peace process facing its predestined bad fate came as no surprise to the Palestinians, given Israel’s long record of unilateral practices during the two decades of negotiations.

Frustrated by Israel’s lack of seriousness and lack of genuine impartiality of the American peace broker, the Palestinians have been left with no other option but to resort to available international mechanisms to compel Israel to abide by international law. In this regard, no serious observer can overlook the significance of the Palestinian step to upgrade their status at the United Nations to that of an Observer State with overwhelming international support. This step would open more doors for the Palestinians to attain their legitimate national rights, after trying for decades and in vain the two conventional conflict resolution models of war and negotiations. One of the important windows open to Palestine in the wake of upgrading its status was acceding to international conventions and bodies in an attempt to utilize legal mechanisms in their long march towards freedom and independence.

In May 2015, a roundtable meeting in The Hague was organized by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on legal aspects of the question of Palestine under the theme “available mechanisms to ensure accountability for violations of international law.”

The roundtable brought together prominent international legal minds and jurists who discussed for three days various aspects of the legal opportunities available for Palestine to pursue justice for the Pal-

8

OIC Journal May - July 2015

estinian people. It has been noted by several experts that when it comes to seeking accountability for Israeli violations Palestine could rely on different legal options.

While media attention had recently focused on Palestinian access to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), experts argued that the Geneva Conventions provide extraordinary legal mechanism for Palestine, as all UN Member States are bound by them. However, it has to be noted that Israel has argued for a long time that the Fourth Geneva Convention is not applicable to the occupied Palestinian territory because Palestine was not a sovereign state before it was occupied and not a High Contracting state as required by the Fourth Geneva Convention. However, this argument was strongly challenged by the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2004 as the UN accepted that the Fourth Geneva Convention is binding on Israel in its occupation of Palestine. Israel’s argument was challenged again by Palestine’s accession to the Geneva Conventions in 2014, which makes it difficult for Israel to persist in its argument. These two important developments necessitate paying adequate attention to addressing the obligations of Israel, as occupying power, and the obligations of state parties under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

It should be emphasized that the principal rights, to which the Palestinians are entitled under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which are in practice violated by Israel, should be enforced by states parties. Given Israel’s rejection to the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention on Palestinian territory and its failure to prosecute Israeli violators of the Convention, it becomes incumbent on state parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention to prosecute in their domestic courts the most serious breaches of the Convention. Article 146 of the Convention provides that “each High Contracting Party shall be under the obligation to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed,

such grave breaches, and shall bring such persons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts. It may also, if it prefers, and in accordance with the provisions of its own legislation, hand such persons over for trial to another High Contracting Party concerned, provided such High Contracting Party has made out a prima facie case.” Therefore, greater pressure should be brought to bear on state parties to carry out this obligation and to prosecute in their domestic courts Israeli military leaders and officials for committing grave violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Equally significant, the ICC remains an important legal option that the Palestinians should resort to. In January 2015, the Palestinian president signed, among other international conventions, the Rome statute governing the ICC, potentially opening the way for Palestinians to pursue Israel for war crimes. While some commentators considered that the move would put the Palestinians on a diplomatic collision course with Israel and the US, and risking imposition of American sanctions, the Palestinians have shown firm determination to go the legal path and to refer cases before the court.

Something they have done recently.

The Palestinians, for sure, will not have a shortage in cases of war crimes committed

by Israel for referral to the ICC. Such cases could include, but not limited to, willful extrajudicial killing of civilians, torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners of war, evic-

www.oic-oci.org

PALESTINE FILE tion of population, moving Israeli settlers to the occupied territory as well as targeting civilian facilities.

Experts participating in the aforementioned roundtable dedicated a special focus on the issue of Israeli settlements as one of the important issues that the Palestinians should refer to the ICC. Israeli settlements undermine the Palestinian people’s right to self­determination as they involve a web of interconnected policies leading to the appropriation of land, changing the demographic composition of the occupied territory, forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population, transfer of population by the occupier, demolition of properties, impunity for crimes committed by settlers against civilians, and the construction of infrastructure leading to illegal annexation of Palestinian lands. Additionally, Israeli settlement policies have created an Apartheid regime, where one set of laws are applied to Israelis and other civil-military laws are applied to Palestinians, who should rather be protected.

One of the important legal options available for Palestine is seeking additional advisory opinions from the ICJ on issues related to the legal consequences of Israel›s prolonged occupation, the illegality of the blockade on Gaza and Israel’s exploitation of Palestinian natural resources. However, some experts at the Roundtable cautioned against seeking another advisory opinion

and questioned the value of such a move at this time given the comprehensive advisory opinion of 2004, without excluding examination of the possibilities to seek further advisory opinions in the future as necessary and appropriate.

Nevertheless, one should not overlook that new legal opinions and rulings, including the non-binding ones, could promote further positive and important changes in international public opinion and the emergence of a new discourse on Palestine.

Israel›s ongoing disregard for international law, as expressed in the ICJ’s 2004 Advisory Opinion and Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, has been internationally exposed and something that has generated increased awareness on the continuing injustices in Occupied Palestine. More legal opinions of this kind could also influence perceptions and generate desirable change in international public opinion, which is significantly needed to promote countries’ compliance with international law, especially with regards to the prosecution of Israeli violators in national courts.

By the same token, other initiatives, like “civil society tribunals” such as the Russell Tribunal, are also capable of generating public awareness and political impact.

In addition, they carry moral authority and, therefore, become useful in promoting awareness and changing perceptions on issues such as corporate responsibility.

We should keep in mind that civil society initiatives were instrumental in eroding the apartheid regime in South Africa and ultimately led to its dismantlement.

Comparing the divergent evolution of previously mandated territories, namely the cases of Namibia and Palestine, is particularly interesting and relevant. For example, the case of South West Africa (Namibia) developed from a weaker legal standpoint compared to the Palestinian case, but with stronger international political support, which facilitated the end of the status quo and the realization of independence for Namibia. Yet, Palestine, with a stronger legal case, does not have international political will on its side. Lack of political will to compel Israel to abide by international law and UN resolutions have negative consequences on the primacy and applicability of international law, and would lead to the continuation of Israel’s impunity. It is the credibility of international law which is at stake, not just as regards the question of Palestine.

To conclude, Palestine making use of international law is not just a good move, but crucially needed as it reaffirmed that legal mechanisms are an appropriate, peaceful means to resolve conflicts instead of surrendering to an unjust reality. This legal approach becomes particularly valuable when diplomacy is unable to uphold international law.

OIC condemns the construction of 900 settlement units in the occupied city of Al-Quds The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned strongly on May 10, 2015 the Israeli occupation government’s approval of the construction of 900 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem. It stated that the continued policy of the construction and expansion of Israeli colonial settlements is a blatant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and a grave breach of relevant international resolutions and covenants.

The OIC again condemned in July the approval by the Israeli occupation authorities for the building of another 886 new settlement units on occupied Palestinian land, a violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and a flagrant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani added that settlement operations are aimed at establishing facts on the ground with a view to perpetuating Israeli occupation and isolating the city of Al-Quds from its Palestinian surroundings. He called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and play a role in ending these violations.

www.oic-oci.org

OIC Journal May - July 2015

9

PALESTINE FILE OIC SG expresses concern over UN keeping Israel off Children’s Rights Violator List Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, expressed on June 11, 2015 profound concern over the UN SG’s decision to keep Israel off a UN blacklist of States that violate the rights of children during armed conflicts.

Madani asserted that the decision would encourage Israel to continue its inhumane policies, which target children, women and the elderly, let alone infrastructure.

The OIC Secretary General reaffirmed that the crimes perpetrated

by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during its 2014

aggression must not pass without a clear denunciation by the international community. He indicated that such denunciation would solidify the international community’s will towards ending Israel’s unlawful behavior and its glaring and continuous violations of all international agreements, conventions and laws.

Madani underscored the need to keep the international conscience vigilant through maintaining credibility in monitoring and documenting Israeli violations and holding the perpetrators of such crimes accountable.

Human Rights Council adopts OIC resolution on ensuring accountability and justice for violations in Occupied Palestinian Territory The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted on July 3, 2015 a resolution sponsored by the OIC on “Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” In the resolution, the UNHRC stated that it is concerned by reports of serious human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, committed in the context of military operations conducted in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2008, 2009 and 2014, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

The resolution emphasizes the need to ensure that all those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law are held to account through appropriate fair and independent domestic or international criminal justice mechanisms, and to ensure the right of all victims to an effective remedy, including full reparations. It calls on the parties concerned to cooperate fully with the preliminary examination of the International Criminal Court and with any subsequent investigation that may be opened.

Moreover, the resolution calls on all duty bearers and UN bodies to pursue the implementation of all recommendations contained in the report, in accordance with their respective mandates. It welcomed the report of the independent commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict, and noted the importance of the work of the

commission and of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict of 2009 and the information collected regarding violations in support of future accountability efforts, particularly information on alleged perpetrators of violations of international law.

The resolution further calls on all States to comply with human rights obligations and all High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to respect international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with Geneva Conventions. The resolution recommends that the General Assembly remain apprised of the matter until it is satisfied that appropriate action with regards to implementing the recommendations made by the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict in its report has been or is being taken appropriately at the domestic or international levels to ensure justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

Finally, the resolution requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to present, as part of the reporting requested by the Human Rights Council in its resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1, a report on the implementation of the present resolution, as well as on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports of the independent commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict and of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, to the Council at its thirty-first session.

Extremist settlers attack house in Nablus, burn child alive

The General Secretariat of the OIC condemned in the strongest terms the horrendous crime by extremist settlers who attacked and burned a house in Nablus, in the West Bank, on July 31, leading to the burning to death of a Palestinian child, Ali Dawabsheh, and the severe wounding of his family.

The OIC described the crime as a dangerous escalation of terrorist acts by extremist settlers, protected by an indifferent and unperturbed Israeli army.

Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani said that Israel, the occupying power, should be held fully responsible and accountable for the consequences of the terrorist acts car-

10 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

ried out by extremist settlers.

Madani called on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council and the states that continue to affirm their relationship with Israel, to assume their political, moral and humanitarian responsibilities and take immediate and concrete measures to stop these crimes. He emphasized the importance of following up the dossier of Israeli crimes and infractions at the International Criminal Court.

Madani also expressed hope that Jews everywhere are aware and taking note of the image being portrayed of Judaism, the great, divine, Abrahamic religion, by the

settlers’ terrorism and the violent extremism of Israel.

www.oic-oci.org

OPINION Kristallnacht in Palestine

W By: Dr Shaher Awawdeh

This attack cannot be decontextualized. For years, fanatic settlers have staged brutal attacks against Palestinian homes, mosques, churches, vehicles and farms.

In June 2015, Israeli extremists set the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes ablaze.

www.oic-oci.org

orld history is full of horrific incidents where euphemism does not always reflect the actual brutality of occurrences. For example, the night of November 9, 1938 constitutes a turning point in the life of German Jewries prior to the holocaust, as Nazi gangs, in a largescale pogrom, torched and vandalized Jewish properties throughout Germany and Austria.

Cocktail bombs were tossed into houses while families slept peacefully. About 100 Jews were brutally slayed, and 30,000 were arrested and driven to concentration camps. Unsurprisingly, the Gestapo chief Heinrich Müller ordered police to do nothing to control the riots. That night came to be called Kristallnacht “Crystal Night,” referring to the debris of smashed windows that littered the streets. The Holocaust Museum describes the Kristallnacht as “a turning point in the history of the Third Reich, marking the shift from antisemitic rhetoric and legislation to the violent, aggressive anti-Jewish measures that would culminate with the Holocaust.”

Seven decades later, a wave of burning people alive, torching houses, churches and mosques swept the Middle East, but by different breeds of terrorists. In February 2015, the world was outraged by the brutal burning alive of a Jordanian pilot by the terrorist group Daesh. Several months earlier, a Jewish terrorist group kidnapped and burned alive a 14-year-old Palestinian boy.

I was reading “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” byJohn Boyne, when I received the news about a group of Israeli terrorists who sneaked into the Palestinian village of Kufr Douma overnight on Friday 31st July 2015, smashed the windows and lobbed cocktail bombs at the Dawabsha family. Bombs fell exactly where terrorists intended them to settle: beds and baby cradles. Fire quickly consumed the entire home.

The arsonists could not go without leaving graffiti on nearby walls: “Long live the Messiah,” and a Star of David.

Ali Dawabsha, 18-month-old toddler was found a carbonized body. His father and mother suffered fatal injuries and died at hospital days later. His four-year old brother sustained critical injuries. In addition to the shards of broken glass, the Kristallnacht attack left burnt black walls, charred baby clothes, partially burnt family photos and atiny bib reading “Good morning Mama”.

This attack cannot be decontextualized. For years, fanatic settlers have staged brutal attacks against Palestinian homes, mosques, churches, vehicles and farms. In June 2015, Israeli extremists set the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes ablaze. A verse from a Hebrew prayer denouncing the worship of “false gods” was spraypainted on the church walls. According to the Rabbis for Human Rights group, more than 43 hate crime attacks have been committed by Israeli fanatic groups against churches, mosques and monasteries since 2009.

As you would have thought, attackers came from Israeli colonies illegally erected on stolen Palestinian land. Extremely ironic, most of these settlements hold biblical names such as Yitzhar (pure), or Brakha (blessing). These two settlements are particularly ill-famed for sending their nightly pure beatitudes to Palestinian families after smashing their windows.

Why do these groups flourish? Answers are furnished by bona fide Israeli sources. A report aired in August 2015 by the Israeli “Channel 10” revealed that Israel’s government has allocated hundreds of millions of Shekels for settler groups. Peace Now’s Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer confirmed, in the same report, that Netanyahu’s government uses various channels to provide subsidies to these groups. The report, further, accused the Finance Committee of the Israeli Parliament of approving budgets for such groups, under fake budget items.

Furthermore, settlers attacking Palestinians enjoy almost unlimited impunity. A recent report titled “Mock enforcement,” published by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, discussed the willful failure of the Israeli authorities to leash settler terrorism. According to the report, the chance that Israel provides an effective investigation, arresting a suspect, prosecution and ultimate conviction is just 1.9 percent. Ziv Stahl, author of the report, comments: “The failures and structural problems described in the report lead to the inevitable conclusion that the law enforcement system in the West Bank lacks the most important component of all: a genuine motivation to investigate, prosecute, and convict Israeli offenders who attack Palestinians. Without enforcement there can be no deterrence.”

Finally, settlers’ terrorism is often praised by Israeli spiritual and political leaders. For example, Rabbi Benzi Gofstein, in a press conference, made no bones about his explicit support for burning churches in Israel. In the aftermath of burning the Church of the Multiplication, Vatican’s Custodia de Terra Santa called for filing an indictment against Rabbi Gofstein for incitement to violence and terrorism.

Much worse, in a statement that speaks volumes, Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s minister of justice, (yes the MINISTER of JUSTICE), commented on burning alive the Palestinian child Mohammed Abu Khdeir by Israeli settlers, saying that Palestinian kids are “little snakes who should be eliminated together with their families and homes.”

Still asking why settler terrorism flourishes in Palestine and why Palestinians should expect more Kristallnachts?

OIC Journal May - July 2015 11

SPECIAL REPORT Kuwait hosts 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers:

Ministers Call for New Resolution to End Israeli Occupation, Counter Terrorism and Address Conflict within Muslim World

His Highness Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurates the 42nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers

KUWAIT: A number of important decisions supporting the OIC in its march to promote joint Islamic action were reached at the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers that was held on May 27-28 in Kuwait.

The annual event, which was held under the theme of “Joint Vision to Strengthen Tolerance and Reject Terrorism,” saw foreign ministers of Muslim countries discuss politics, conflict in the Muslim world, Muslim minorities and issues relating to economics, culture and humanitarian work.

His Highness Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated the event with an opening speech in which he condemned the suicide bombing of a mosque in Al-Qatif, Saudi Arabia. He also said that Kuwait stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

The meeting of foreign ministers, said Sheikh Sabah, is taking place in the wake of “continuous challenges and the extremely sensitive political and security conditions that the world in general is facing and our Islamic milieu in particular.”

The comments were in reference to the

12 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

challenges posed by terrorist groups. He also called on attendees to pause a moment to consider sectarianism and redouble efforts to end conflict within Muslim countries.

On behalf of OIC Member States, Secretary General of the OIC Iyad Ameen Madani honored the Emir of Kuwait with the title “Commander of Humanitarian Action” and designated Kuwait as “Center for Humanitarian Action.” Madani said the titles were a tribute to all OIC Member States.

“The world welcomed the United Nations granting this title to His Highness the Emir in recognition of his outstanding and unprecedented efforts in international humanitarian work,” he said.

Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia and head of the 41st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, also delivered a speech in which he emphasized Saudi Arabia’s keenness during its chairmanship to do all in its power to cooperate with Member States and the OIC Secretariat to promote joint Islamic action and address the challenges faced by the Islamic Ummah, particularly terrorism,

extremism and sectarianism.

Al-Jubeir said that the suicide bombing of a mosque in the village of Al-Qudayh is incompatible with Islamic and human values. He further alluded to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud’s pledge that Saudi Arabia will do everything in its power to fight deviant thought and confront terrorism.

His Royal Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamd Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, then received the chairmanship of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. He delivered a speech in which he reminisced His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal when he was head of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said that Prince Saud is considered one of the cornerstones of joint Islamic and Arab action and a leading figure in international diplomacy.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani also delivered a speech in which he said that since the 42nd Ministerial Council meeting in Jeddah, the OIC General Secretariat and its various organs has been working hard to realize decisions that were reached.

www.oic-oci.org

SPECIAL REPORT On the OIC’s raison d’être of Palestine, Madani said, “We look forward to a response soon to the request by the Palestinian state to hold a special summit on Palestine. The decision to establish an OIC office in Ramallah is something that is before the session … We look forward to the concrete participation of Member States when the OIC raises its flag on the land of Palestine.”

The Secretary-General further reiterated his call to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque as a right of all Muslims, and a way of breaking the Israeli Occupation which seeks to isolate the holy city from its Arab and Islamic ties.

Madani also spoke about Yemen, adding that the OIC is to soon hold a special ministerial meeting on the issue on the request of the Yemeni government and with the approval of the majority of Member States in mid-June.

The Secretary General also touched on the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Mali, Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Central Africa, and relations with the People’s Republic of China, as well as the fight against terrorism, and the difficulties faced by minority Muslims in Myanmar and the Philippines.

He also underscored the OIC’s efforts in the fields of economy, science and culture.

At the end of the second day, the Kuwait Declaration was issued which affirmed a full commitment to the OIC’s principles and objectives. Participants of the meeting also declared that the welfare of Muslims and their common interests lie in supporting the OIC and joint Islamic action.

The Ministers also declared their support for the Secretary General’s efforts to reform the OIC, improve its capacity and expand its network by opening regional offices.

The Kuwait Declaration also reiterated its full support to Palestine and Al-Quds and for the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and return. It further highlighted that just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East is dependent on a full Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian and Arab territories occupied in 1967, including the Golan Heights and Lebanese territory, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital and finding an equitable solution to the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Foreign Ministers also expressed their support for the re-launch of a new draft resolution to the UN Security Council to end the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian territo-

www.oic-oci.org

ries and establish an independent Palestinian state. They also condemned Israel’s arrogant policies including its blockade of the Gaza Strip, the construction of settlements, the expansion of the Separation Wall and the Judaization of Al-Quds. The ministers also supported the measures taken by the Palestinian state to accede international institutions, charters and treaties.

They further praised the OIC Secretary General’s efforts to mobilize support for the Palestinian cause, and welcomed the visits undertaken by the ministerial Contact Group on the City of Al-Quds Ash-Shareef to several countries to seek a just and comprehensive solution to the problem.

The Council of Ministers also stressed their commitment to realizing security and stability within Yemen and expressed support for President Abdu Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, the conclusion of the political process in accordance with the Gulf Initiative, and the outcomes of the National Dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and other relevant resolutions. The Council also commended the outcome of the Riyadh conference held in May 2015 and the Riyadh Agreement.

The ministers also welcomed the process of reconstructing Yemen and expressed their appreciation for the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to establish a center to coordinate assistance to the people of the country.

On Syria, the ministers called on the international community to stand firm to stop violence and the continuous destruction of infrastructure, as well as an immediate end to the shedding of blood.

They also called for a political solution to conflict in accordance to the decisions of the Geneva I Conference on Syria.

Ministers also followed with interest developments in Libya, and called on all factions within the country to assume their responsibilities to end the ongoing violence there.

“We follow the unfortunate developments in the security situation in Iraq and the attempts of the socalled Islamic State terrorist group to undermine its security and stability; we reaffirm our support for the brotherly Republic of Iraq in preserving its security, stabil-

ity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and support the serious and dedicated endeavors of the Iraqi Government to implement the national reconciliation program with a view to consolidating the internal front and strengthening the national unity of the Iraqi people,” the ministers said.

The foreign ministers also reaffirmed the need to exhaust sources of terror funding and remaining committed to relevant UN and OIC resolutions on combating terrorism and extremism, particularly the outcomes of the Ministerial level Executive Committee Meeting held on February 15.

They also reiterated their solidarity with Mali, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire , Union of the Comoros, Djibouti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Turkish Cypriots and the people of Kosovo in their aspirations to live in peace, security and prosperity.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 13

SPECIAL REPORT New ways of countering sectarianism, terrorism and extremism discussed

A

special brainstorming session on ways to develop an effective strategy to combat terrorism, violent extremism and Islamophobia was held on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on May 27 in Kuwait.

Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamd Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait, opened the session with a speech in which he spoke about the importance of the subject at the present moment and the need for OIC Member States to search for solutions.

Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary-General of the OIC, also spoke at the opening of the meeting in which he raised major questions about terrorism. He asked: Where has all this violence and evil come from? What have we all done to ourselves and to this globalized world that we allow violent extremism to foster in our societies?

The Secretary-General called for the dismantling of the supposed

legitimacy in the rhetoric of hegemony, occupation, terrorism and extremism. He said this it is this rhetoric that seeks to legitimize violence and mislead in the name of religion and ideology or claims of cultural superiority.

He also said that terrorism cannot be confronted through security and military means alone, and that there is a need for a structured plan to address the problem from multiple angles – this includes understanding the political, social and economic contexts that generate terrorism and violent extremism.

Madani said that the OIC recognizes the need to discuss likely external actors who infiltrate terrorist and extremist groups to serve their own political agendas.

With regards to Islamophobia, Madani said that what is most worrying is the frequency at which Islam and its sacred symbols are derided. The OIC, he said, once again invites the international community to take practical and consensual measures to address the problem.

The session saw several foreign ministers and heads of delegations of Member States discussing the issues. The session concluded that both the OIC and its Member States strongly believe in the importance of acknowledging historical injustices such as colonialism and working to right historic wrongs. It further concluded that there should be an end in denying people the right to self-determination in contemporary scenarios of foreign occupation.

Participants also called for action in areas where sectarian conflict is taking place and the development of a plan of action to address these issues. This includes remedying the problem by addressing the underlying causes of sectarianism, the politicizing of ideological differences, the focusing on doctrine as if it is the fundamental identity of individuals and efforts to convert Muslims to other doctrines.

They further called for serious studies to understand the manner by which media coverage plays a role in deepening the divide between religions, cultures and ethnic groups, and analyze the emergence of cyber terrorism through technology and new media.

OIC Contact Group on Mali firmly committed to respect Mali’s sovereignty

T

he OIC Contact Group on Mali held a meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait on May 27-28 to review developments in the peace process in Mali.

During the meeting, the Contact Group reiterated its total respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Participants also sat through two presentations delivered by Mali’s Foreign Minister and OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani.

Madani praised the role played by Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria in the Algerian Process, which was described as excellent and a realistic foundation for a permanent solution to conflict in Mali which has been ongoing for several years.

As a result of the process, the initial signing of an agreement between the Government of Mali and three opposition groups took place on March 1, 2015, followed by its official signing on May 15 in Bamako. In his speech—delivered on his behalf by Ambassador

14 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Alim, the OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs—Madani called on signatories to strengthen the process of dialogue, adding that the OIC will extensively engage in efforts aimed at sustainable development in northern Mali and along the coast through investments.

Madani also announced the allocation of $1.5 million from the Saudi Grant (originally $10 million dedicated to counterterrorism and building peace in Africa) to support initiatives in Mali.

The Contact Group also asked OIC Member States and concerned OIC subsidiary organs to assist in implementing the Mali and Sahel Action Plan proposed by the OIC’s Special Envoy for Mali and the Sahel. The Contact Group also asked that they continue providing humanitarian assistance.

The need to restore state authority throughout the country, respect existing ceasefire agreements and implement confidence building measures were also emphasized at the meeting.

www.oic-oci.org

SPECIAL REPORT International community needs to work hard to restore Rohingya rights

T

he OIC Ministerial Contact Group on the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar held a meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers that took place in Kuwait on May 27-28.

The meeting was opened by Secretary General of the OIC Iyad Ameen Madani with a speech read out on his behalf by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Alim.

The Secretary General said that the OIC continues to monitor the situation of thousands of Rohingya and Bengali refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants who were stranded in boats in the Andaman Sea and Malaga Strait. He explained that contact with ministers in the region were ongoing to find a way to support those afflicted. Madani added that OIC Permanent Representatives in Geneva and New York were also continuing to meet UN agencies, humanitarian organizations and other state partners to address the situation.

T

He also said that the OIC was working to urgently alleviate the suffering of those affected by collecting funds to assist refugees and overcoming challenges to ensure aid workers have access to affected areas in Myanmar to meet needs of people there.

The Secretary General urged the Contact Group to provide assistance to the OIC Special Envoy in Myanmar Syed Hamid Albar. He also urged Member States to intensify efforts to promote effective engagement with the authorities in Myanmar, stressing the need to urge the international community to continue to fulfill its humanitarian commitments and ensure that the Rohingya achieve peace and justice, and regain their rights.

On his part, Albar presented a report on his efforts to alleviate the plight of Rohingya Muslims and provided a set of recommendations in this regard.

Representatives of Member States in the Contact Group provided details of their interventions on the Rohingya tragedy, the plight of people there and discussed ways to address the matter.

OIC emphasizes need to support people of Jammu and Kashmir

he people of Jammu and Kashmir need to be supported in order for their legitimate rights to be realized, stressed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Contact Group on Jammu an d Kashmir.

The coontact group met on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers that took place in Kuwait on May 27-28.

The meeting was opened by the OIC’s Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, with a

speech delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Alim.

In his speech, Madani renewed the OIC’s basic position of fully supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle to see their legitimate rights restored.

He also expressed hope that the solidarity shown and support given by OIC Member States to the people of Kashmir translates into practical and effective measures.

He further welcomed a decision by the The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to establish a permanent mechanism to monitor human rights in Kashmir.

Members of the Contact Group emphasized the need to continue supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called for a peaceful settlement of the dispute through negotiations in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir, principles of selfdetermination and human rights.

OIC Contact Group on Somalia calls for end to arms embargo on Somalia

Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Alim (fifth from the left) at the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Somalia

T

he OIC Contact Group on Somalia, which met on the sidelines of the 42nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Kuwait on May 27-28, called for the lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia and accelerating the pace of aid in the country.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani said during a speech delivered on his behalf

www.oic-oci.org

by Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Alim, the OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, that despite daunting challenges, Somalia has over the past two years consistently made remarkable progress in achieving stability and peace.

He further called on the UN Security Council to completely lift the arms embargo on

the country to allow it to develop its armed forces which, he said, are crucial for peace, stability and development.

Madani also revealed that the OIC has begun moves to transform its office in Mogadishu into a development office with the additional task of monitoring democracy, including preparing the constitution, and organizing a referendum and general elections in 2016. The office previously played a limited role in humanitarian work and development.

The Contact Group also called on the international community to continue providing support in implementing the six pillars of the federal government plan. It also called on Member States and the OIC’s financial institutions to accelerate the pace of their assistance to Somalia’s federal government in efforts to rebuild the state and its institutions and establish peace.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 15

SPECIAL REPORT OIC releases its 8th Observatory Report on Islamophobia

C

oined relatively recent, in 1997, Islamophobia is a term for prejudice against, hatred towards, and excessive fear of Islam or Muslims. While the term has become part of our everyday language, it has also become an inherent reality in the lived experiences of Muslims across the globe.

The Eightth OIC Observatory Report on Islamophobia is a hardhitting summary of anti-Muslim sentiments across the world and which is expected to be a vehicle for raising awareness of the problem among OIC Member States. It covers the period from May 2014 to April 2015—a time considered particularly difficult for Muslims, especially those living as minorities within non-Muslim countries. The rise and widespread political and media coverage during the past year on the so-called Islamic State—whose ideology is widely and erroneously considered in sync with Islamic values and beliefs—is considered a significant contributor to the increase of negative attitudes towards Islam and Muslims; this problem was further exasperated by violent attacks perpetrated on the name of religion such as the one in Paris few months ago.

The report does not only reach the depth of the problem but also discusses on negative stereotyping of Muslims’ religious belief. In the backdrop of the so-called criticism of Islam under the pretext of a right to express, the report highlights that freedom of expression is a fundamental right that intrinsically comes with responsibilities.

The first chapter deals with the problem from a macro-level, and

the manner in which stereotypical perceptions about Islam and Muslims as being violent and extreme are perpetrated, a rhetoric that leads to discrimination of Muslims and their exclusion from public life. The second chapter brings the discussion to a micro level focusing on the manifestations of the problem in North America, Europe and rest of the world. The report delves into how public discourse and media campaigns are geared towards fostering Islamophobia. Policies and attitudes towards the hijab and other feminine Muslim attire and discrimination in employment are also given special attention.

Having presented a bleak picture, the third chapter raises the mood with an overview of positive developments taken by governments and non-Muslims in countering the problem, including court decisions, politicians’ statements, trends in countering the far-right and interfaith work. The fourth chapter summarizes the OIC’s work to counter the problem from its roots through its engagement with key players.

The last chapter provides a summary of the report and recommendations for OIC Member States and international stakeholders, including Western countries. It suggests taking actions to further renounce extremism and to counter Islamophobia through dialogue and the media, in the areas of education and society, in addition to collectively tackle the scourge of extremism and intolerance with resolve and strength.

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding for the Benefit of Muslim Youth

Inauguration of the Muslim Scout Decorations Project

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani at the signing of the MoU

T

he OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, witnessed on May 27, 2015 on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of CFM in Kuwait, the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amongst the OIC affiliated organs concerned with youth issues.

The MoU was signed by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF), the International Union of Muslim Scouts (IUMS), and the Islamic Youth Forum of Dialogue and Cooperation (IYFDC). The MoU is expected to synchronize the efforts of these organizations and advance cooperation on youth issues to ensure setting an effective

16 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

strategy to advance the future of youth in the Member States.

On this occasion, the Secretary General said that the MoU signals an era of further cooperation and consolidation of efforts aimed at youth advancement, to build their capacity and enable them to take on their responsibilities in the process of comprehensive development within the OIC Member States.

Additionally, a new project was launched the same day by the International Union of Muslim Scouts for 2015/2016 - the Decorations Activity – in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat. The new decorations include: “Social Service” Medal, which is expected to inspire 10 million hours of voluntary social service, including 2 million hours dedicated for raising awareness in schools, universities, and mosques; the “Removal of what is injurious from the road” Medal, which is expected to produce 300 video clips to raise awareness on this issue in Member States and produce the best documentary on the same, as well as dedicating ten thousand voluntary hours for this theme in each of the Member States; the “Literacy” Medal which should help literate a million persons; the “Preserving Water Resources” Medal – expected to promote one million hours to raise awareness in schools, universities and mosques on the importance of water resources and encourage introduction of a hundred invention to preserve water resource; and the “Green World” Medal which is expected to encourage planting of 20 million trees a year. All the institutions concerned with Youth issues will cooperate for the sake of implementing these projects.

www.oic-oci.org

SPECIAL REPORT CFM adopts key economic resolutions

T

A forum to unify halal food standards and procedures

he 42nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Kuwait, on May 27-28 2015, renewed its call for the OIC Member States to carry out various multilateral trade instruments, among them, in particular, the General Agreement for Economic, Technical, and Commercial Cooperation between OIC Member States, the Agreement for Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments, and the Trade Preferential System of OIC (TPS-OIC) instruments including Framework Agreement, PRETAS and TPS-OIC Rules of Origin.

The Council welcomed the General Secretariat initiative to convene an OIC Stakeholders’ Forum on Unified Halal Food Standards and Procedures at the OIC headquarters during the year 2015 in coordination with the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. It further called upon Member States to encourage their relevant public and private sector institutions to actively participate at the Forum.

It also welcomed the offer of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the 15th Trade Fair of OIC Member States in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on November 8-12 2015 and urged Member States to actively participate in this event.

T

CFM Urges Member States to participate in the OIC Science and Technology Summit in Islamabad

he OIC 42nd Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Kuwait on 27-28 May 2015, urged the OIC’s Member States and its relevant institutions, to maintain and further increase programs and activities to enhance sciences, technology and innovation, including the efforts aiming to develop policy frameworks for the related to sciences, technology, and innovations; to encourage research and development; strengthen the connections between universities and the industrial sector; and taking the necessary measures to increase financing research and development.

The Council is looking forward to hold the OIC Science and Technology summit in order to identify priorities, goals, and objectives to revive and enhance sciences and technology as the engines of social and economic development in the OIC Member States.

The Council urged all of the OIC Member States and its relevant institutions to participate in the OIC Science and Technology Summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in the last quarter of 2015.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) called for continuing to support the initiatives to enhance sciences, technology, and innovations, taking into account the priorities, goals, and objectives which directly contribute to achieving the Member States’ goals in economic and social development. It also urged the OIC Member States and its relevant institutions to maintain and increase its programs and activities support in the higher education sector, including the efforts aiming to improve school curriculums, university teaching committees, networking between higher education institutions, encouraging joint research projects, arranging distance learning, scholarship, and vocational training programs.

www.oic-oci.org

The Council commended the proposal of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to organize a workshop on the Single-Window Modality in order to promote intra-OIC trade and benefit from the experiences of Saudi Arabia in this critical sector and urge all Member States to participate actively in the said workshop.

As for the field of tourism, the Council congratulated the Government of the State of Palestine on the award of the OIC City of Tourism 2015 to Al-Quds Al-Sherif; and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on the award of the OIC City of Tourism 2016 to the city of Konya.

It also encouraged the OIC Member States to actively participate in the OIC City of Tourism Award Programme through staging various commemorative activities in their countries, as well as facilitating the movement of tourists’ visa procedures for the citizens of Member States.

In regards to the Islamic Solidarity Fund, the Council requested convening a fund mobilization session during the 43rd CFM for this purpose, and calling upon the OIC Member States to redeem their respective pledges to the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development and to make additional commitments so as to achieve the target capital of the said Fund, which is US $10 billion.

In the health Sector, it urged the ministers to continue coordinating with the Technical Committee for the Development and Harmonization of Standards on Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines, the OIC Vaccine Manufacturers Group, and the IDB to realize self-sufficiency in manufacturing vaccines, and studying the possibilities to develop practicable mechanisms regarding compilation purchases of drugs and vaccines. It also called upon the OIC vaccine manufacturing companies of interest to join the OIC Vaccine Manufacturers Group.

The Council requested the Member States to participate in the OIC cooperative project to for the survival of the mother and infant, to facilitate the work of national focal points in the field of collecting and compiling the necessary data about the situation of health care for mother and infant in each country.

The Council called on the Member States to continue its efforts to extent the coverage of vaccination, to ensure vaccination for all children against disease that can preventable, especially poliomyelitis, and to engage in bilateral and multilateral relations cooperation, including through exchanging laboratory monitoring data, and implementing appropriate concurrent supplementary immunization.

The Council also expressed its support for the legitimate Fatwa issued by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy regarding the safety and permissibility of vaccination against polio in Islam, and declared that it is the duty of parents and societies to protect children, besides allowing the health sector workers to perform their duties safely.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 17

SPECIAL REPORT Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers And Foreign Minister of Kuwait:

Extremism and sectarianism On the State of Kuwait’s assumption of the chairmanship of the 42nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, the OIC Journal held an interview with H.E. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in which he discussed the current situation in the Middle East region, particularly in Yemen and Syria and the dangers of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism.

have done massive damage to the Islamic ummah and we must cooperate to combat them

• The State of Kuwait hosted the 42nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC held under the theme: “Joint Vision for the Promotion of Tolerance and Rejection of Terrorism.” What is the basis of this joint vision for the promotion of tolerance and rejection of extremism?

The high patronage of 42nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers by His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is a clear indication of the importance of holding the session. This is more so because it took place under very critical conditions our Islamic world is going through in terms of the confusions of the past five years which have had serious political and security implications we are all suffering from.

Therefore, it was important for us as OIC countries to work hard with the interna-

tional community to confront these implications. Top of this is the danger of terrorism threatening the security and stability of the world, through the rejection of the destructive ideas calling for violence, hatred and reiteration that tolerance among peoples is, first and foremost, a human necessity encouraged by all divine religions.

18 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

• In his speech to the meeting, His Highness the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, said that the Muslim world faces the challenge of attempts by terrorist organisations to portray a picture that does not reflect the reality of Islam, as they kill and destroy in the name of Islam.

The State of Kuwait, like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before it, has witnessed terrorist attacks against mosques and the killing of innocent people, something completely at variance with the principles and teachings of Islam. What can the OIC and its Member States do to tackle these challenges?

The despicable terrorist act witnessed by the State of Kuwait on 26 June 2015 at a mosque where people worshipped is the clearest indication that terrorism has no religion and has nothing whatsoever to do with the teachings of Islam. The forces of darkness, during the glorious month of Ramadan, carried out the most heinous form of terrorism and cut short the lives of innocent worshippers, old and young.

This is similar to the terrorist incidents witnessed at the Qatif Mosque and in Dammam in the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These horrible terrorist crimes that claimed the lives of scores of people and injured hundreds more, in addition to the

critical conditions the region is passing through, require us to exercise caution and draw lessons in order to avoid their consequences and dangers. That is why we as OIC states have set our priorities to fight terrorism in all its forms and uproot terrorist groups, their supporters and financiers and those who enable them to continue their hateful practices. This can be done by working together to eradicate extremist ideology and crooked beliefs, drying up the sources of terrorism financing and being committed to relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions on combating terrorism, strengthening international, regional and bilateral cooperation among states.

Also through concerted efforts as well as media, security and military coordination to resolutely confront extremism and support international efforts against terrorist groups and all factors fuelling fanatical ideology.

• Also in his speech, His Highness the Emir of Kuwait called for a decisive stance to consider the sectarian situation and intensify efforts to stop the clashes and conflicts in some OIC states. In your opinion Excellency, what is the reason for the rise in these sectarian situations and clashes and how can they and their dangers be stopped?

Extremism and sectarianism have done severe damage to the Islamic ummah and it is one of the biggest challenges confronting the ummah. Therefore, we call on all members of the international community to cooperate more in order to tackle extremism and sectarianism and to shield generations from falling into their destructive abyss. We believe that the principles of brotherhood among all segments and denominations must be consolidated, and the values of Islam calling for openness, moderation and tolerance must be strengthened.

The conference has devoted a special brain storming session to terrorism. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas and rub minds on how to combat all manifestations of terrorism and the mechanisms that would be required. It was also an opportunity to discuss the means of tackling extremism, denominational fighting and hate speech

www.oic-oci.org

SPECIAL REPORT targeting Islam (Islamophobia) and to develop a strategy that would strengthen the position and procedures of the OIC seeking to stop terrorism and hate speech. The session produced a body of concepts on joint cooperation with clear ideas on how to deal with the context in which the phenomena grow and fester and adopt initiatives that would be driven by a single narrative at the OIC, and underscoring the need to keep the children away from strife and fighting, combat sectarianism and strengthen trust among the youth.

• The situation in Yemen came out prominently in the discussions of the meeting in Kuwait. Right after that, a special ministerial conference was also held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on the Yemen issue. What is required to resolve the crisis in Yemen and how can it be achieved?

We emphasize our commitment to the statements issued by the OIC Executive Committee at the ministerial level and the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf on the situation in the Republic of Yemen held in Jeddah on 16 June 2015. We are also committed to the resolutions of the 26th Arab Summit, the Riyadh Declaration, and to the conclusion of the political process in accordance with the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanisms, the outcomes of the national dialogue and Security Council resolution (2216) and all relevant resolutions. Our priority as Gulf, Arab and Islamic states is to arrive at a robust national vision for the resumption of the political process, building a federal state and reorganizing its regional and international relations in a manner that would meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people for building a federal, democratic and modern state based on justice and equal citizenship for every Yemeni.

In order to save Yemen and preserve its security and stability, all parties must adhere to legitimacy, reject the coup and end its consequences in terms of not recognising and rejecting the legitimacy of the so-called constitutional declaration, extending state authority throughout the Yemeni territory, stopping the aggression of the rebel forces and saving Yemen from becoming a haven and fertile ground for violent groups and terrorist organisations.

• The Palestinian issue remains present in OIC CFM meetings as the principal issue.

www.oic-oci.org

The Kuwait meeting supported a new draft resolution be tabled again at the Security Council to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and find a lasting solution for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. What are the terms of this new draft?

We reiterate our full support for the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Ash-Shareef. We also stress that just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region is contingent upon full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, including the Arab Syrian Golan, the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the finding of a just solution to the question of Palestinian refugees in accordance with relevant internationally legitimate resolutions and the Arab peace initiative.

We believe that a new draft resolution must be presented at the Security Council to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

We believe in finding a final solution to the establishment of an independent state of Palestine, especially in the light of the arrogant policies of the Israeli government through its siege on the Gaza Strip, building of settlements on Palestinian lands, expansion of segregation wall and the judaization of Arab Al-Quds and its efforts to make it a Jewish state.

In the light of this and given its chairmanship of the Arab summit and of the follow up committee of the Arab peace initiative, Kuwait renews its call to all signatories of the Fourth Geneva Conventions to hold an international conference as a matter of urgency to protect the Palestinian civilians.

In view of its humanitarian role and sense of responsibility to its brothers, Kuwait announced the donation of US$200 million as contribution towards the reconstruction of Gaza. This would be followed up by the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development in accordance with the plan prepared by the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction.

• The State of Kuwait is playing a leading role in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Syria. It has hosted three donors’ conferences in that regard. The humanitarian situation in Syria is in crisis while the killing continues. Excellency, do you see a way out of this crisis in the near future?

The international community, especially the Security Council, over the past five years has

Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah of Kuwait

not been able to find a lasting solution to this conflict. The Security Council, especially the permanent members are called upon to come up with a solution that would end the destructive conflict, bring back security and stability to brotherly Syria, and stop the massive violations of human rights being committed by all parties.

The developments in Syria are disturbing to all of us and place on us responsibility when we see the shedding of Arab blood and displacement of a people who are dear to all of us. The Government and people of Kuwait did not spare any effort in providing humanitarian assistance to the brotherly people of Syria since the beginning of the conflict through official and grass root institutions. Since its first, second and third international conferences (to support the humanitarian situation in Syria), the State of Kuwait has devoted efforts and pursued all means and channels to lessen the suffering of the brotherly Syrian people. The 3rd donors’ conference held on 31 March 2015, with the participation of 78 countries, 40 international organisations and more than 100 NGOs and its outcome, has demonstrated that we, as an international community, are capable for the third time, to unite efforts and work continuously to provide basic humanitarian needs for the brothers in Syria.

Syria’s neighbouring countries are also suffering directly from the consequences of this crisis. We must develop a format that would ensure the adoption of the desired political solution to Syrian crisis, in accordance with the Geneva I communiqué. We must call on the Security Council to assume its responsibility towards the implementation of resolution 2165 of 14 July 2014 on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 19

WORLD AFFAIRS OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Holds Extraordinary Meeting on Yemen in Jeddah

An International Humanitarian Relief Conference and an OIC Contact Group on Yemen

From right: OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and President of Yemen Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi

JEDDAH: The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held a special ministerial level meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on June 16, 2015 at the request of the Republic of Yemen to discuss developments within the country.

Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the current president the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, chaired the meeting. In attendance was also Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Participants agreed to hold an international humanitarian relief conference for Yemen, which is undergoing a humanitarian crisis since Houthi rebels launched a coup against the country’s legitimate government. They also approved the establishment of a Ministerial Contact Group on Yemen.

In their final communique, the Council of Foreign Ministers reiterated its support for Yemen’s legitimate government represented by President Hadi, efforts to realize security and political and economic stability within the country and the resumption of the political process.

The ministers also called on the United Nations Security Council to pressure the Houthis to unconditionally implement Security Council Resolution 2216, emphasizing support to the outcome of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference held in January 2014 and approved by all sides, within the framework of the Gulf Coopera-

20 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

tion Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism.

They also gave their support to the call by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the various Yemeni factions to reconcile and reach an agreement to build a modern state, establish peace and dialogue, and achieve security and stability within the country.

The statement also called on all OIC Member States to act positively in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which calls on rebels—under Chapter VII— to withdraw from all areas they have seized and bans supplying them with weapons.

The Foreign Ministers also strongly condemned the intervention of regional powers, outside the bounds of legitimacy, in the internal affairs of Yemen and the triggering of sectarianism which is fueling the conflict.

They also strongly condemned the Houthis for not complying with the demands contained in UNSC Resolution 2216, breach of UN-declared humanitarian truce, impeding humanitarian relief efforts, blocking aid from reaching civilians, confiscating food and medical aid, preventing the recovery of the bodies of those killed and the evacuation of the wounded.

The Foreign Ministers also stressed that they rejected the unilateral measures and violence undertaken by the Houthis who are supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, their coup against Yemen’s

legitimate government and their undermining of the transitional political process.

The Houthis, its militia and Saleh carry the full responsibility for stalling previous talks between Yemen’s various political sides and exhausting all peaceful means to address the Yemeni crisis, which has been caused by their intransigence and seizure of power by force.

While welcoming Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope, the Foreign Ministers said that attacking the military capabilities of the Houthis and their allies was aimed at bringing security and stability to Yemen and to stand up to attempts to compromise the peace and security of the country and the nearby region.

The statement also strongly condemned the military action undertaken along the Yemen-Saudi border by the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh and the bombing of installations and citizens inside Saudi territories, including the use of missiles. These actions were described as blatant aggression against Saudi territories and a threat to regional security, peace and stability.

The Ministers also welcomed the Riyadh Conference that was held under the title, “Saving Yemen and Building the Federal State,” and the Riyadh Declaration which supports Yemen’s constitutional legitimacy, rejects the Houthi coup, calls for reconstructing Yemeni state institutions, and reiterating the solidarity and support of all OIC Member States for Yemen in its ongoing war against terrorism.

In relation to the humanitarian issue within the country, the statement appealed to OIC Member States, regional and international organizations and OIC bodies active in the humanitarian field to urgently coordinate relief and humanitarian efforts and provide medical aid, first aid, food and shelter to the affected people.

The Foreign Ministers also praised the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action that has been established to coordinate relief work within Yemen; they further expressed their gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz for donating $274 million for relief work. They also paid tribute to Kuwait for donating $100 million to humanitarian

www.oic-oci.org

WORLD AFFAIRS work in the country and donations made by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and others.

The statement also praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts to evacuate the expatriates and the officials of regional and international bodies such as the UN. Djibouti was also praised for hosting Yemeni refugees, expatriates and the staff of regional and international bodies.

In his speech, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlSabah said that Yemen is still witnessing a series of painful events that are destabilizing it that led to the Houthi coup against the country’s legitimate president and state institutions. He said that these events directly threaten the security and stability of both Yemen and the region as a whole, along with international peace and security.

He stressed that the Houthi militia and its allies have not limited themselves to attacking Yemen’s legitimate government, but also attacked Saudi Arabia and threatened the Kingdom’s security, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. In light of these developments, Saudi Arabia has taken a series of measures to protect its borders and ensure its citizens’ safety.

He added that we can only reiterate our complete support for the efforts of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the actions it has taken to defend itself, which was in response to the requests submitted by Yemen’s President to activate Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, Article II of the Joint Arab Defense Treaty, Article VI of the Charter of the League of Arab States, and Articles 2 and 3 of the Joint Defense Agreement of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

H.E. President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi said that the Houthis and their allies in Yemen and abroad want to use Yemen to create turmoil within the region and threaten international peace and security.

He added that the militias are addicted to violence and destruction, and have led a bloody aggression by invading the governorates of Taiz, Lahj, Dalea, Shabwa, Abyan, Sa’ada, Amran, Al-Bayda, Marib Al-Jawf and Hodeidah, and also the city of Aden.

He said that the militants have killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, ruined buildings, bombed hospitals, blown up safe houses, wreaked havoc and targeted the country’s security and stability.

He, on behalf of Yemen, thanked OIC Member States for showing solidarity with Yemen’s people and supporting its legitimate

www.oic-oci.org

President of Yemen Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi

government. He said this is confirmed today by their attending this event held during the blessed days before Ramadan.

The meeting was also addressed by OIC Secretary-General Iyad Ameen Madani who said that the meeting comes at a time when the Ummah is facing a rift in its edifice, a tear in its fabric, a crack in its body and a wound from which its capabilities are seeping out. Our peoples, communities and elites are, he said, looking at our inability to resolve the problem and that the world is either looking at us with pity at the fact that we are unable to heal our wounds or acknowledging that the OIC like other international blocs is able to take the lead on its own issues.

Madani called on the meeting to support Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity. He added that this can be achieved by implementing the GCC initiative, applying the outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference which ended in January 2014, adopting the “Riyadh Declaration”, adhering to the principle of national partnership, rebuilding Yemeni state institutions, launching a comprehensive national reconciliation process and being fully committed to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

The OIC Secretary-General called for national reconciliation through resuming the political process with the participation of all of Yemen’s parties and political forces

within the framework of a comprehensive national dialogue conference, the Riyadh Declaration and what would be agreed on during the Geneva talks held under the auspices of the UN. He also called for a new political paradigm to cope with crises and conflicts in the region for realizing peace, stability and cooperation.

He also said that the humanitarian situation in Yemen requires urgent action and appealed to regional and international organizations to provide assistance. He added that he hopes OIC Member States will allocate a portion of their aid to Yemen through the OIC. He further proposed holding a humanitarian donor conference to mobilize necessary and urgent resources to meet the humanitarian catastrophe in the country, expressing the readiness of the OIC to organize this conference in coordination with Yemen and in collaboration with its partners from regional and international bodies, especially the UN and its various organs.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that Saudi Arabia is an advocate of peace and supports efforts to end the crisis according to the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution 2216. He also warned against external players interfering within Yemen without the permission of Yemen’s legitimate government.

He added that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states have, as good neighbors, shouldered a huge responsibility in accordance with the principles of the Arab League, the OIC and the UN to contain the conflict and avoid Yemeni blood from being shed.

Al-Jubeir pointed out that Gulf Arab states submitted the Gulf Initiative which laid out the process of political transition and national dialogue, but the Houthi coup carried out with the support of Ali Abdullah Saleh exacerbated the crisis causing it to reach its present state.

He explained that in light of these serious developments, there was nothing that Saudi Arabia and the nine OIC states could do except respond to Hadi’s call to save Yemen and return its legitimate rule by launching Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope.

The Saudi Foreign Minister said that the Islamic Ummah is concerned about the continuing and increasing suffering of the people of Yemen as a result of the Houthi coup which was carried out with the support of Saleh and external powers.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 21

WORLD AFFAIRS OIC welcomes the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali by the Coordination Movements of Azawad assured of the OIC’s commitment in the implementation of the peace deal. That ceremony was attended by eleven heads of states, one Vice President two heads of parliament, several Ministers and several regional and international organizations as well as key partners of Mali.

On the other hand, terrorist attacks continued in Mali, which were condemned by the OIC. A terrorist attack on 2 July 2015 on UN peacekeepers in Mali killed five Burkinabe soldiers and wounded many other soldiers.

The OIC Secretary General called on the armed groups in the conflict in northern Mali to Mali’s Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad Bilal Ag Cherif at the signing of the agreement in Bamako, Mali (epa) immediately end the violence and keep the higher interest of he Secretary General of the Organi- on the road to durable peace, stability and Mali above all considerations. zation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), sustainable development. He urged the par- Madani stressed the need for all parties Iyad Ameen Madani, welcomed the ties to now fully commit to its faithful im- to remain committed to the cease-fire of signing on 20 June 2015 in Bamako of the plementation including the respect for the 23May, 2014, the declaration for cessaAgreement for Peace and Reconciliation by ceasefire. The Secretary General reiterated tion of hostilities of 24 July 2014, the cease the Coordination Movements of Azawad, the determination of the OIC as a member fire reached during the Algiers Process, the which had already been signed by the Plat- of the international mediation team to sup- statement of 19 February 2015 and the latform coalition and the Government of Mali port the Malian parties in the critical phase est security arrangements signed in Algiers on 15 May 2015. He commended the Al- of the implementation of the agreement. by the parties on 5 June 2015. gerian-led international mediation for their The Special Envoy of the Secretary General The Secretary General reaffirmed that the successful endeavors to bring on board the for Mali and the Sahel, Djibril Bassole rep- success of the peace process rests on the Coordination as an important party in the resented the OIC at the occasion as well as implementation of the peace and reconciliAlgiers peace process. the 15 May occasion where he signed the ation accord signed in Bamako on 20 June Madani noted with satisfaction that with accord on behalf of the OIC along with oth- 2015; and that it is the primary responsithe signature by the Coordination Move- er members of the mediation. In his state- bility of all Malian parties to restore secument, which completes the signing process ment, Bassole pledged the solidarity and rity, reduce tensions and provocations that of the Algiers Peace Accord, Mali is firmly support of the Muslim world for Mali and could undermine the peace process.

T

T

General and regional elections in Guyana

he Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, congratulated the people of the Republic of Guyana on the success of the general and regional elections held on 11 May 2015. Madani noted that the OIC dispatched an observation mission to monitor the elections in Guyana.

He commended the massive and enthusiastic participation of electorate in the process,

22 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

being a clear demonstration of their abiding faith in democratic governance.

The Secretary General also expressed his appreciation to the Government of Guyana and Guyana Elections Commission for their remarkable and responsible approach to conducting the elections.

Guyana’s multiracial opposition coalition has won the national election, breaking the ruling Indo-Guyanese party’s 23-year-old

grip on power, the election board said, signaling a new era in the ethnically divided South American country.

The Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change coalition, led by former army brigadier David Granger, won 206,817 votes versus 201,457 for president Donald Ramotar’s People’s Progressive party (PPP), the authorities said after all votes were counted.

www.oic-oci.org

WORLD AFFAIRS OIC delegation visits Libya on fact-finding mission

Libya ready to accept reconciliation under OIC supervision TRIPOLI: An OIC delegation visited Libya on April 27-30 as part of a fact-finding mission and to meet government officials, tribal leaders and representatives of civil society.

The visit was undertaken to emphasize the OIC’s support for unity in Libya, in addition to maintaining the country’s security, stability and territorial integrity. The delegation included representatives from the Islamic Solidarity Fund and the Islamic Fiqh Academy.

As part of the visit, the group met Abdullah Al-Thini, the internationally-recognized prime minister of Libya, and highlighted the OIC’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Libyan crisis through national dialogue that ensures the unity of Libya’s territory and people as established since the Senussi era.

The delegation also emphasized the negative aspects of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and the current situation in the country.

Al-Thini spoke about the social situation in Libya, which has worsened as a result of the political instability and said that, in spite of its wealth, Libya’s current budget is in deficit and that staff have not been paid for several months.

He added that political differences have resulted in the emergence of terrorist organizations in cities across the country, including

the so-called Islamic State, which has set up base in Derna, Ansar Al-Shariah, which has appeared in Benghazi, and Boko Haram in the south.

He also said that to restore stability Libya is in need of Muslim countries taking a strong and united position, adding that Libyans would accept the decision of an Arab or Islamic organization.

Ambassador Habib Kaabachi, director at the OIC’s Political Affairs Department who headed the delegation, spoke about the OIC’s role in supporting the Libyan revolution since its inception through its condemnation of excessive force against unarmed members of the Libyan public and participating in meetings of the Friends of Libya group in support of international and regional efforts to end the suffering of the Libyan people.

He also highlighted the OIC’s role as observer in the parliamentary elections that were held in June 2014 and that the OIC issued a statement thereafter paying tribute to the elections, which were described as transparent and full of integrity. He further emphasized the OIC’s role in supporting national unity in Libya, ensuring its security and stability and working to find a peaceful solution to the present crisis.

The Libyan prime minister concluded the meeting by underscoring the need to form an inclusive, national unity government, end foreign intervention, enable Libya to protect its southern border and allow the Libyan army weapons to fight terrorists; he also stressed that Libya was prepared to accept reconciliation efforts overseen by the OIC. The delegation also held meetings with Dr. Hasan Sagir, undersecretary of the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the chairman and members of the constitution drafting committee, a delegation of leading individuals from the Jebal Akhdar tribes and representatives of civil society from the eastern part of the country. All who met the delegation welcomed and expressed support for OIC efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis that Libya is presently experiencing.

The delegation was also scheduled to visit Tobruk, home to the Libyan parliament, and meet the House of Representatives there.

The Libyan authorities were, however, unable to guarantee the group’s safety from Tobruk to Al-Bayda and back. Instead, the delegation met leading individuals from Jebel Akhdar and representatives from the University of Muhammad bin Ali Al-Sennusi in Al-Bayda.

The initialing by the Libyan parties of the Libyan political agreement in Skhirat

Libyan stakeholders initial the Libyan Political Agreement in Skhirat, Morocco on 11 July 2015.

Source: UNSMIL

T

he General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the initialing by the Libyan parties of the peace and reconciliation agreement in Skhirat, Kingdom of Morocco on 11 July 2015. The OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani expressed satisfaction with this signing, calling it an important step on the road towards a comprehensive and lasting peace in the country.

Madani stressed that peace in Libya remains the responsibility of the Libyans themselves, noting that the Libyan people can now

www.oic-oci.org

hope for a new future of prosperity and progress. He called on the Libyan parties that have not yet signed to do so at the earliest to achieve security and stability in Libya.

The Secretary General congratulated the mediators on the culminated success of their efforts and in particular the efforts of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya Bernardino Leon. He added that the OIC is ready to harness all its capabilities to mobilize support for the agreement and to contribute to the efforts for the return of stability in Libya - a member state of the OIC. Madani also expressed his appreciation for the important role played by the Kingdom of Morocco which hosted the negotiations until the agreement has been reached.

The agreement’s initialing is the result of ongoing UN-facilitated consultations between various Libyan parties and comes amid sporadic fighting across the North African country.

The fighting in Libya has sparked a growing displacement crisis within the country with the number of people displaced almost doubling from an estimated 230,000 last September to more than 434,000, the UN’s refugee agency recently reported.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 23

WORLD AFFAIRS

Mobilizing Efforts for Political and Human

Rohingya refugees on a boat in South East Asia (epa)

T

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) mobilized its resources to address the political and humanitarian aspects of the crisis in May that faced the boat people in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca adrift on the high seas, as part of its long standing campaign in support of the persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar.

Following closely this human tragedy, the OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, has reached out to some Foreign Ministers of Member States in the region to review the possible ways of OIC’s assistance. He instructed the OIC offices in Geneva and New York to actively coordinate with the relevant international agencies and organizations to contribute to humanitarian efforts regardless of the background or status of the victim. The OIC Special Envoy for Myanmar, Tan Sri Datuk Syed Hamid Albar, has been fully active on the ground as well working with local NGOs and contacting officials.

The OIC has also communicated with its network of humanitarian NGO’s to create a comprehensive action plan to address this current crisis. In addition, it is also preparing to launch a media awareness and fund raising campaign throughout its Member States.

The issue was at the top of the agenda of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuwait on 27 May 2015 through the OIC

24 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, where a joint plan of action was discussed for adoption.

During the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Rohingya, the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in their Myanmar homeland on crowded unseaworthy boats with many having perished on the perilous journey and thousands remain trapped on turbulent seas. This initial grant of $200,000 will be provided through local humanitarian NGOs working in the countries hosting the Rohingya refugees, under the supervision of the ISF. At the OIC Ministerial Conference in Kuwait, the OIC Special Envoy for Myanmar, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar raised the plight of the Rohingya during his address. He called for urgent search and rescue operations to save Rohingya refugees as well as Bangladeshi migrants at sea that are at risk of death and abuse. Minister Albar reiterated the OIC call to the governments and peoples of the region to provide immediate relief and shelter to the refugees. He further reiterated the OIC Secretary General’s call to address the root causes of the crisis through poverty reduction and inclusive development in Rakhine State, Myanmar and in Bangladesh as part of a comprehensive

long-term solution.

It is the OIC’s firm position that the main cause for the current crisis is the dire situation facing the Rohingya of Myanmar.

Since 2012, the deteriorating conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for the Rohingya Muslims has caused as many as 100,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state on unseaworthy boats due to oppression, fearing abuse and killings. This has often put them and other migrants in the hands of vicious human traffickers. To comprehensively address this untenable situation, the international community must press the Myanmar Government to stop violating the basic human rights of the Rohingya and recognize them as full-fledged citizens of Myanmar; and allow all refugees to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, the OIC participated in a conference in Oslo, Norway on “Ending the Systematic Persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar” on 26 May 2015. Ms. Dina Madani delivered a statement on behalf of the OIC Special Envoy to Myanmar at the High Level Opening Session along with Former Norwegian Prime Minister, Khell Bondevik, Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, and Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomas Quintana.

The Oslo conference addressed the situation on the ground in IDP camps and Rohingya villages in Rakhine State as well as the humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya boat people in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca. The statement of the OIC Special Envoy emphasized that the argument that the Rohingya are not indigenous people but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh is unacceptable. The Rohingya are an indigenous community of Myanmar who have been there for generations and were excluded from the ethnic minority list in the 1982 Citizenship Act. The OIC has repeatedly called upon the Government of Myanmar to have an inclusive transparent policy towards ethnic and religious minorities, including the Rohingya Muslims, as an integral part of this process and treat them as an ethnic minority in accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 238/64.

www.oic-oci.org

WORLD AFFAIRS

itarian Assistance to Rohingya Refugees While the OIC engages in wide ranging efforts to alleviate the plight of the refugees in the current crisis, it urges the Government of Myanmar to abide by its obligations under international law and human rights cov-

enants and take all necessary measures to stop the violence and discrimination against Rohingya Muslims and provide protection for their life, dignity and property.

The OIC has been concerned with the plight

of the Rohingya for the past years and has actively supported their struggle to regain citizenship of Myanmar, which was revoked by the government in 1982 and to stop the violence and discrimination against them.

OIC-Proposed Resolution on Human Rights of Rohingya gets adopted by UNHRC

A

resolution proposed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Myanmar titled “ Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar� (A/ HRC/29/L.30) was adopted by consensus at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 3 July 2015. The adoption of this resolution without a vote conveys the strong support of the international community, particularly the member states of the HRC, to the content of this important resolution.

The resolution, proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, condemns the systematic gross violations of human rights and abuses committed in Rakhine State, in particular against Rohingya Muslims; and calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure the protection of human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including of Rohingya Muslims. It also calls upon the Government of Myanmar to take the necessary measures to address the spread of discrimination and prejudice against Muslims and members of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities across the country, and to put an

end to the incitement of hatred against Muslims by publicly condemning such acts.

The resolution calls upon the Government of Myanmar to take all necessary measures to ensure accountability and to end impunity for all violations of human rights, including in particular against Muslims, by undertaking a full, transparent and independent investigation into reports of all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. It also urges the Government of Myanmar to take all necessary measures to prevent the discrimination and exploitation, including through trafficking, of Rohingya Muslims and others by addressing the root causes compelling them to be more vulnerable and exposed to such acts; and urges the Government of Myanmar to protect places of worship belonging to all religions.

The resolution further calls upon the Government of Myanmar, in conjunction with the international community and in accordance with international law, to ensure the return of all refugees and persons displaced from their homes, including Muslims. Furthermore, it urges the Government of Myanmar to grant full citizenship rights, in keeping within a transparent due process, to Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, including by reviewing the 1982 Citizenship Law. And finally, the resolution calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure full cooperation with all parties and to allow full access of humanitarian assistance to affected persons and communities, and in this regard urges the Government to implement the various cooperation agreements not yet implemented made between the authorities of Myanmar and the international community for the distribution of humanitarian aid to all affected areas, including Rakhine State, without any discrimination.

The OIC sincerely hopes that the Government of Myanmar will take the necessary measures to implement the resolution and alleviate the suffering of the Rohingya.

OIC continues efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees

T

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Special Envoy for Myanmar Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar supervised providing humanitarian help to alleviate the suffering of displaced Rohingya Muslims as a continuation of OIC efforts in this regard.

In the run up to Ramadan, the OIC arranged for aid packages to be distributed to over 1,500 Rohingya refugees in Kajang, Malaysia. The distribution of the packages was

www.oic-oci.org

carried out by Humaniti Malaysia and began on June 11 as part of continued OIC efforts to assist Rohingya refugees across Southeast Asia. There are over 40,000 registered Rohingya refugees in Malaysia alone.

During the 42nd Council of Foreign Ministers in Kuwait that the Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia announced that they had accepted the Rohingya boat migrants as refugees in their respective countries and

would provide them with temporary shelter. Other OIC Member States also pledged support for the refugees. Qatar donated $50 million while Turkey announced that it would give $1 million and would send a Turkish naval ship with aid workers to assist the migrants. Pakistan made a special grant of $5 million in food aid to be distributed to Rohingya refugees in Myanmar as well as those in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 25

WORLD AFFAIRS

T

OIC condemns the holding of the so-called “Parliamentary Elections” in Occupied Nagorno-Karabakh

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iyad Ameen Madani condemned the “elections” held in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 3 May 2015. He stated that these elections are illegal and in contravention of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Similarly, the OIC Secretary General called on the international commu-

nity to condemn this process and deem it illegitimate.

The Secretary General reiterated the constant principled position of the OIC supporting the efforts made by the Republic of Azerbaijan towards a peaceful solution to the territorial conflict in the frame of the relevant international resolutions and on the basis of respect for the principles of territorial integrity of states and inviolability of internationally recognized borders.

Electors in Nagorno-Karabakh region have

casted their votes for the presidential candidates of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, despite the international community objection.

A conflict took place between 1988 and 1994 which resulted in Nagorno-Karabakh, with Armenian support, becoming de facto independent from Azerbaijan, and announced it in 1991. However it has not been internationally recognized and Azerbaijan still claims the area as part of its state.

Devastating earthquake in Nepal

T

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Iyad Ameen Madani expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation caused by earthquake in Nepal. He also conveyed his deep sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families. The Secretary General expressed hope that the brave and resilient people of Nepal would be able to come out of this situation quickly.

While expressing his solidarity with the Government and People of Nepal, Secretary General Madani stated that the OIC stands ready to assist in whichever way possible to support the relief and rehabilitations efforts.

He also appealed to all OIC Member States to extend all possible help to the Government of Nepal in this hour of need.

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake, which

occurred at a magnitude of 7.9 Mw and at a depth of 15 km, , killed around 9,000 people and injured more than 23,000, making it the worst natural disaster to attack Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. The disaster left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, many villages across the country flattened, and ancient UNESCO World Heritage sites destroyed in Kathmandu Valley.

OIC supports Central African Republic in holding successful Bangui National Forum

T

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani congratulated the people of the Central African Republic (CAR) for the successful outcome of the Bangui National Forum in Bangui, which was held with the financial support of the OIC on May 4-11, 2015.

Madani particularly commended the participants for the adoption of the inclusive outcome document, the Republican for Peace, National Reconciliation and Reconstructions, which reflects the aspirations and

26 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

vision of all communities for a new Central African society. He also paid tribute to the Transitional authorities and the armed groups for signing an agreement on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in the spirit of the Forum.

The Secretary General pledged continued support of the OIC, which was represented at the Forum by its Special Envoy for CAR, Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, to contribute to the implementation of the recommendations contained in the outcome document of the Forum.

The Secretary General appealed to all parties to abide by their signatures and commit to a complete cessation of hostilities and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.

The Forum was attended by almost 600 participants from around the country, including civil society actors, government representatives, and armed groups, as the agreement also included ending recruitment of child soldiers and liberating children associated with the conflict from arm groups ranks.

www.oic-oci.org

WORLD AFFAIRS OIC mourns the death of Prince Saud Al-Faisal

W

ith deep sorrow and grief the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) mourned on July 9 2015 the death of His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal, former Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs who dedicated a lifetime serving his country and Arab and Islamic causes.

The Secretary General of the OIC, Iyad Ameen Madani, expressing his deep sadness at the passing away of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, said that for four decades, Prince Saud was the flagship of Saudi diplomacy and always in the front lines defending and promoting Arab and Muslim interests. His wisdom, clear vision, thorough understanding and full grasp of the issues will be sorely missed, he added The Secretary General added that the world will forever remember

Prince Saud served during four Saudi Kings’ eras, and succeeded in advancing the kingdom’s foreign policy throughout four decades.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal as a towering figure of modern diplomacy; and as a leader who fought for the belief and principles of his country, for Arab and Muslim convictions and for peace, stability, understanding and tolerance in the world.

Madani offered his heartfelt condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the royal family, Prince Saud’s family and to the people of Saudi Arabia at their loss.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who was appointed foreign minister in 1975 until his retirement in April 2015, replacing him the then ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, was the world’s longest serving foreign minister.

OIC hopes for peace in region following agreement on Iran’s nuclear file

Figures from Iran and six major world powers reached the nuclear deal in Vienna (epa)

T

he General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its hope that in the agreement that has been reached on 14 July 2015 between the six major powers (5 +1) and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Iranian nuclear file, and in adhering to its provisions, there would be a pathway to the security and stability of the region.

The Secretary General of the OIC, Iyad Ameen Madani, conveyed his hopes that the momentum of the Agreement would move forward a new political paradigm in the region in place of strife and unrest that has become a major threat to the peace and security of the region and the world.

He underlined OIC’s continued efforts to be a platform for such a paradigm.

Madani also stressed the priority of address-

www.oic-oci.org

ing economic integration and fostering the necessary environment for sustainable development in the region, releasing the energies of its people towards construction and creation, away from sectarianism and division; emphasizing the keenness of the OIC to strengthen economic and trade activity between the Member States in accordance with the agreements, economic programs and instruments adopted by the organization.

The Secretary General also reiterated the OIC’s stand on the need to respect the inalienable right of developing countries for conducting research on nuclear energy, its production and use for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Madani called on the international community to pursue with the same diligence and zest, that resulted in the Agreement, to obliging Israel to join the NPT and put its nuclear arsenal under the full and comprehensive supervision of the United Nations; and towards the establishment of a nuclearfree zone in the Middle East for the sake of peace, security and stability in the region and the world.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is the nuclear program of Iran signed in Vienna, requested the International Atomic Energy Agency to undertake verification and monitoring of Iran’s compliance, and reaffirmed that Iran should cooperate fully to resolve all outstanding issues.

The agreement stated that Iran, among other commitments, shall eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut down low-enriched uranium by 98%, and reduce by two-thirds the number of centrifuges for at least fifteen years. During that period, Iran agreed as well not to enrich uranium over 3.67% or build any new uranium-enriching or heavy-water facilities.

In return for abiding by the agreement, Iran will receive relief from U.S., European Union, and United Nations Security Council nuclear-related sanctions.

The P5+1 countries and Iran will also cooperate in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and engage in mutually determined civil nuclear cooperation projects.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 27

WORLD AFFAIRS Friday, 26 June: Three terrorist attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia, and France

F

riday, 26 June 2015, witnessed 3 terrorist attacks that targeted the Kuwaiti Capital, Sousse city in Tunisia, and the city of Lyon in southeastern France. The OIC strongly condemned all three terrorist acts.

A Suicide bomber blew himself up in the Imam Al-Sadiq mosque in Al-Sawaber area in Kuwait. The bombing resulted in the killing of 27 people, and other 227 injured during the Friday Prayer. The criminal attack was claimed by Daesh. The OIC stated that this abhorrent crime targeted the security and stability of Kuwait and the cohesive fabric of its society.

OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, emphasized that no Muslim would target worshippers in a mosque, on a blessed Friday in the holy month of Ramadan because this negates every tenet of Islam. The terrorist group that committed this evil act, he added, is simply a gang of criminals who put no value to human life, and are devoid of any values, morality and religious belief; and aim at defaming Islam and Muslims.

He reiterated the OIC’s firm and principled stand that condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; stressing on the need for the consolidated efforts of all the member states to extract this malaise based on the resolutions issued by the OIC in this regard.

Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack, the first of its kind at a Shia mosque in Kuwait. Daesh identified the bomber on their social media accounts to be Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid, while the Ministry of Interior released a statement, two days after, identifying the perpetrator as Fahd Suleiman al-Qabba; a Saudi citizen, who arrived from the Kingdom to Kuwait the day of the bombing.

The Secretary General also condemned strongly the bloody terrorist attack that targeted a hotel in the city of Sousse, Tunisia, resulting in the death and injury of many Tunisians and foreign tourists.

The attack was also claimed by Daesh. On its Twitter account, Daesh mentioned that the attacker is known as “Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani”, a 23-year-old electrical engineering student who according to the Tunisian authorities his real name is Seifiddine Rezgui, born in Siliana Governorate in northwestern Tunisia.

Tunisian officials said that the attacker appeared as one of the tourists, while he had his gun concealed in a beach umbrella, then fired at the tourists on the beach, continuing as he entered the hotel where he was shot dead by security forces during an exchange of fire. The Secretary General expressed the full solidarity of the OIC with the people and government of Tunisia in confronting terrorism, which aims to destabilize Tunisia’s security and its political and economic stability.

The OIC also denounced the terrorist attack on a US-owned gas factory near the city of Lyon in southeastern France on 26 June 2015.

OIC stands by Egypt in confronting terrorism

T

he frequency of terrorist acts in Egypt, especially the attacks in Sinai, has been increasing. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned these acts and expressed its full solidarity with the Egyptian government and people in facing up to terrorism.

Iyad Ameen Madani, the OIC Secretary General, expressed his confidence that such terrorist acts would only consolidate the determination of the Egyptian government and people to stand together and unite in the fight against terrorism and for peace

and stability.

The OIC particularly condemned in the strongest terms the assassination of Egypt’s public prosecutor Hisham Barakat and a number of his guard on 29 June 2015; describing the murder as a terrorist act targeting Egypt’s security and stability.

Madani stressed the OIC’s full commitment to continue to work through constant consultation with Member States and the OIC organs and institutions to confront the scourge of terrorism effectively within the framework of the OIC adopted resolutions.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives condemns terrorist acts The Committee of Permanent Representatives of OIC Member States held a meeting on 6 July 2015, at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah.

The meeting was held to follow up on the implementation of the resolutions of the 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Kuwait at the end of May.

28 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

The Permanent Representatives strongly condemned the recent terrorist acts in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Tunisia, Egypt, Chad, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, among other Member States, as well as the terrorist attack on the convoy of the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

The representatives maintained that these

heinous terrorist operations prove that terrorism has no religion nor nationality and that it strives to undermine the security and stability of Member States and global peace, hence the need to step up efforts and intensify cooperation within the framework of the OIC and at the international level to uproot this dangerous phenomenon.

www.oic-oci.org

WORLD AFFAIRS Palmyra (left) situated northeast of Damascus and the Umayyad Mosque (right) in Damascus

Daesh Plunders Heritage Sites in Syria to Finance Militias ISTANBUL (dpa): At a location in one of the forgotten oases in the Syrian Desert northeast of Damascus lie the traces of the Kingdom of Tadamur, known as Palmyra in Latin, which once competed with the Roman Empire in the olden days. It is one of the most important heritage sites in Syria and its most important and attractive tourist destinations before the outbreak four years ago of the armed conflict that destroyed most of the heritage sites.

For almost four years, Syria has been suffering from a devastating civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead, injured and detained. Several millions more have become displaced or refugees.

As a result, arts experts have warned that Daesh militias may have exploited this situation to begin a systematic looting of the invaluable collections of the heritage sites in order to finance its armed activities.

It is well known that Syria has six heritage sites which UNESCO has announced among its list of World Heritage Sites. The situation in Palmyra is not different from that of Aleppo or other important heritage sites that have been ravaged by destruction due to the armed conflict which affected places that, throughout history, have seen signs of Greek, Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations. Today, the remnants of these civilizations are being plundered and looted.

The destruction has affected a large part of the Aleppo fortress, its big Umayyad mosque, which dates back to the 12th century, and the city’s old bazaar. Of this situation, a Syrian cultural activist, Adnan Haddad, said: “All we have now is destruction, even if there are a few shops left there are no longer buyers or sellers, especially when the battalions of the Free Army fighting the regime occupied a part of the market and transformed it into one of their camps.”

He continued: “No one can estimate the size of the damage done to the heritage of the region. Some of them only have doors and some staircases left, with the doors being used by the Free Army as shields for their trenches.”

According to United Nations reports, more than 300 heritage and historic sites have been plundered since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011. Four years after, the plunder has continued

www.oic-oci.org

with more than 200,000 persons killed and millions injured and displaced. What makes the matter worse is that five of the six categorized as part of human heritage have been severely damaged and their contents looted.

Eduardo Blanch, one of UNESCO’s artifacts anti-smuggling officials, said that “the guards at the heritage sites no longer do their jobs because their salaries have been stopped.” He concedes that it is practically impossible to control this criminal activity in the areas under the control of Daesh, where smuggling of artifacts is widespread.

In February 2015, UNESCO published a report banning trafficking of antiquities stolen from Syria, as part of measures adopted by the international community to dry up the sources of financing terrorism practiced by extremist jihad groups. In this regard, Blanch said: “anyone who contributes to smuggling of Syrian artifacts contributes to funding terror activities.”

According to a BBC report, Syrian antiquities smugglers began their activities by trading in pieces of gold artifacts and stonework, transferred through Lebanon and Turkey to Europe. In Europe, investigations revealed that Daesh receives commission estimated at 20% of the sale value for each deal.

The BBC report exposes the smuggling root of a mosaic item from Syria through the Lebanese border. The report author said that he was in a shop in Beirut and, within 10 minutes, they offered him this piece of antiquity. The journalist explained that in front of the shop were many highly valued items displayed for sale with some priced at US$1.1 million. Other pieces were wrapped to be shipped abroad directly upon buyer’s request.

This is why trafficking of artifacts and cultural properties are among the major sources of financing jihadist activities bringing profits in millions, thereby complicating the problems of smuggling of Syrian artifacts amid worsening conflict.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 29

OPINION The Triple Axis of Terror: Daesh, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram

Is there a role for the OIC to stave them off ?

A

ccording to the geopolitical map of terrorism, the most notorious terror groups of the present era are found in the Islamic world. While Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Daesh has made northern Iraq and Syria its center from which it branches into North Africa. Boko Haram is based in northern Nigeria and is stretching into Niger and Chad.

Meanwhile, Shabab is creating problems in Somalia and striking Uganda from the rear.

There are also terrorist cells in northern Mali and the deserts of Algeria and Mauritania, such as AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad fi Gharb Afriqiyya, Al-Murabitun, Al-Muqi’un bi Al-Dima and Jama’ah Ansar Al-Din.

Dr. Yacoub Aloueimine Legal Affairs Department

Some studies suggest that these movements—many of which take their cue from Daesh—have begun to form a “belt” across Africa with Libya at the center. This belt includes Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Chad and Niger.

As a result, terrorism is oft linked to Islam and the Muslim world, and Islamic countries experience high levels of terrorism. In light of the failure of international state-level initiatives to eliminate terrorism, hope is pinned on regional Islamic cooperation in stopping the problem from spreading.

In light of the failure of international state-level initiatives to eliminate terrorism, hope is pinned on regional Islamic cooperation in stopping the problem from spreading.

Perhaps the most important achievement of the United Nations (UN) is its success in developing international agreements; such as on global trade, climate and energy. However, in spite of the global consensus against terrorism, there is still no comprehensive international agreement that contains a definition of terrorism and defines the principles and mechanisms of collaboration to combat the problem.

Aside from some unproven conspiracy theories that surround these terrorist groups and their acts, it is certain that one of the reasons why the international community is unable to effectively respond to terrorism is its neglect of remedying the foundation of terrorist ideology. Instead, they focus on violence and criminal prosecutions without realizing that the War on Terror is entirely different to conventional warfare; terrorism is fundamentally different from other crimes and terrorists do not consider themselves criminals but commit crimes to draw close to God. Suppression, therefore, increases their determination.

Faced with the unsuitability of traditional crime fighting methods to counter terrorism, there is hope in other methods where the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is perhaps better situated to play a bigger role.

The OIC has made the fight against terrorism a priority in its Charter and Ten Year Program of Action for 2005-2015 and 2016-2025. In practical terms, the presence of prominent terrorist organizations in OIC countries could help develop a plan that is easily applicable by virtue of countries sharing the same problems and challenges.

That plan is based on two elements: firstly, a joint legal framework which would be an agreement to combat the problem; and the second developing an Islamic strategy to combat terrorism by remedying ideological, social and economic imbalances rather than focusing on security with the latter being complementary and only resorted to in exceptional circumstances. There is no doubt that this strategy would be more acceptable in Member States and abroad if done within the OIC framework due to its widespread acceptance in Muslim societies.

In sum, terrorism is an important concern of the OIC on account of its challenges to the stability and economy of OIC countries. This interest is reflected through the OIC’s Secretary-General personally following up on this issue, leading him to visit volatile regions such as northern Nigeria, Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, Mali and Afghanistan etc, and his calling for an emergency meeting of the OIC’s Executive Committee to combat terrorism.

However, the OIC’s work in the fight against terrorism will not bear fruit unless there is an availability of abundant political will from Member States to engage in the fight against terrorism despite the cost.

There is also a need for resources, both physical and otherwise, to combat the root causes of terrorism through well-rounded economic, social and media strategies that reform educational curricula and fight ignorance, extremism and youth unemployment.

30 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

www.oic-oci.org

OIC NEWS China home to 21 million Muslims with 35,000 mosque, 50,000 preachers and 500 Islamic associations

Positive Results in First Round of Political Consultations between China and OIC

T

he first round of political discussions between the People’s Republic of China and the OIC led to positive results with both sides agreeing on the importance of developing relations in politics, economy and culture.

The developments came to light following an official visit to China by a high-level OIC delegation headed by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Abdullah ibn Abdul Rahman Alim from April 18 to 26.

The visit—the first round of political consultations between the two sides—involved a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and meetings with Islamic leaders in Beijing and areas in the country with large Muslim populations.

The visit followed an agreement that was reached between the OIC and China to hold bilateral political consultations to deepen mutual trust and improve relations.

Alim said the consultations addressed the issue of dialogue in view of the importance that the OIC attaches to inter-civilization and interreligious dialogue, something that encourages peace and tolerance and combats incorrect perceptions.

He also stressed the OIC’s commitment to promoting cooperation with the Chinese government, and emphasized both sides’ opposition to terrorism and separatism, as well as violent extremism. He added that the OIC, however, remains concerned with the situation of Muslims across the world without interfering in the internal affairs of states.

Alim said that OIC officials are convinced that Muslim minorities throughout the world can act as intermediaries between their states and the OIC and its Member States by demonstrating genuine values of tolerance and citizenship and highlighting noble Islamic values.

Chinese officials said that Muslims play a significant role in China’s economic and civilization progress, especially since Islam reached China around 650 AD. According to official statistics, China is home to 21 million Muslims belonging to 10 different ethnic groups with some 35,000 mosques, 50,000 preachers and around 500 Islamic associations.

As part of the visit, the delegation visited Ox Street Mosque in Beijing and offices and mosques that come under the Islamic Association of Beijing. In the province of Xingxiang, the delegation saw firsthand the situation of Muslims there and visited Aid Khah Mosque in the city of Kashgar. They also visited the city of Urumqi and a number of cultural centers.

The OIC delegation also met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming who mentioned the positive relations between China and Muslim countries, and expressed appreciation for the OIC’s contribution in promoting Sino-Islamic relations. He also pointed out that China is ready to continue working with the OIC in deepening mutual trust, supporting the OIC and expanding dialogue among civilizations. This includes working together to find a political solution to the Palestinian issue and other issues of concern.

Alim said the OIC attaches great importance to developing relations

www.oic-oci.org

OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Alim (centre) in China

with China, is proud of the excellent Sino-Islamic relations and is willing to continue its role as a bridge to push relations between the two sides to a higher level. He added that the OIC would like to thank the Chinese side for its continuous just position on Palestine and other issues of concern.

Alim and Ambassador Chen Xiaodong, Director General of the Department of West Asia and North Africa, presided over consultations between China and the OIC at a manager-level meeting at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry. The two sides exchanged in depth views on Sino-Islamic relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

The delegation also met officials from China’s Religious Affairs Administration in Beijing for in-depth talks over the situation of Muslims in China, and also senior government officials in the city of Urumqi in the autonomous Xingxiang region.

The delegation further met Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xingxiang region, and senior government officials in the region. The two sides discussed the situation of Muslims in Xingxiang, which is home to the largest concentration of Muslims in China, estimated at around 8 million.

The two sides agreed on the need to continue communicating and developing relations between the OIC and local authorities with the aim of finding the best means to bolster human and economic resources in the region.

In the capital Beijing, the delegation met Sheikh Hilal-addein, head of the Chinese Islamic Society. It also visited Yanhan Mosque in the city of Urumqi and the permanent exhibition for combating terrorism at the Public Security Administration of Xingxiang.

In addition to that, the OIC delegation visited the city of Kashgar in Xingxiang to see Muslims there and met Mai Mayamin Bakri, governor of Kashgar.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 31

OIC NEWS The Peace Agreement on the Southern Philippines

Tops the Agenda of the Visit to Malaysia and the Philippines

Madani with the Prime Minister of Malaysia

OIC Secretary General meets President of the Philippines

Madani holds talks with Foreign Minister of Malaysia

A meeting with representatives of Philippines government

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, made his first official visits to Malaysia and the Philippines in mid-April 2015 where his top agenda item was the peace agreement on the Southern Philippines.

On April 15, the Secretary General met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia H.E. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak at the latter’s office in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia. The Secretary General congratulated the Prime Minister on the leading role played by Malaysia as Chairman of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) for 2015 and its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The two sides discussed the status of the peace agreement on the Southern Philippines. Secretary General Madani stressed the need for all parties in the Philippines to commit to the peace agreement and welcomed the role of Malaysia as third party facilitator.

The Secretary General and the Prime Minister discussed other issues of mutual concern and examined the humanitarian crisis affecting Muslim minorities in the region, particularly in Myanmar. Views were also exchanged on issues relating to economy, education and Islamophobia where cooperation and solidarity were emphasized as grounds for addressing these issues effec-

tively.

The Secretary General also made a courtesy call on Dato’ Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department concerned with religious affairs.

The following day, Madani met with the Foreign Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Anifah Hj. Aman. The two sides discussed further the peace agreement on the Southern Philippines, developments in the Middle East, and the means for confronting extremism and sectarian violence.

The Secretary General also had an engaging meeting with the Minister of Education Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh where they talked about student exchange programs and university scholarships. He also delivered a keynote lecture at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (STAC) in the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) titled “Overview of the OIC and its activities” under IIUM Global Forum to a large audience of students and faculty.

During the second day of his official visit to Malaysia, the Secretary General had a chance to visit the Chemical Company of Malaysia, whose pharmaceutical products are all Halal licensed.

32 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

President Aquino reiterates his commitment to the success of the peace agreement Secretary General Madani met with HE President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino on 20 April 2015, at the Presidential Palace in

the capital Manila. The President reiterated his commitment to the success of the peace process in Southern Philippines and reaffirmed his support for the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which outlines the autonomy rule in the south. The Secretary General on his part stressed OIC’s position in support of the peace process and the BBL while respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines.

He also emphasized the OIC’s commitment to the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) as the mechanism for discussion and exchange of information between the MNLF and MILF. The meeting also covered various regional issues and developments in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day the Secretary General met with the Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who also assured their support for the peace agreement and the BBL. They welcomed the timely visit of the Secretary General, which conveyed the commitment of the 57-member body to the peace process in the south.

Extensive meetings with Philippine Government Officials and the Two Moro Fronts On arriving in Manila, the Secretary General held continuous back-to-back meetings during his four-day visit to the Philippines to express support for the Bangsamoro Basic Law bill that was being deliberated upon in the Congress and which would provide for the establishment of a new autonomous political entity in the Southern Philippines.

Madani urged all sides to continue to work for the cause of peace and encouraged the passage of the BBL without dilution.

Following recent tragic incidents that have delayed the peace process, the visit of the Secretary General to the Philippines at that critical time was appreciated and welcomed by all parties. The Foreign Affairs Secretary, Albert del Rosario, said in his meeting with Madani on 17 April 2015, that the Philippine Government appreciates the role of the OIC in bringing peace to Southern Philippines. The same sentiment was echoed in the meetings with the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles, the House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and several Senators and Congressmen.

The Secretary General also reviewed the

www.oic-oci.org

OIC NEWS

Joint meeting with MNLF and MILF

situation of the peace process with the Ambassadors of OIC Member States posted in Manila.

On 18 April, the Secretary General flew to Davao in Southern Philippines, the first visit by an OIC Secretary General to the region, to meet with the two main Muslim groups

B

leading the struggle for autonomy during the past five decades, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). His visit to Mindanao was highly appreciated by the two groups who came from different parts of the region to meet him.

Brunei Darussalam signs two OIC agreements

runei Darussalam signed two OIC Agreements, namely, the General Agreement on Economic, Technical and Commercial Cooperation among Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Framework Agreement on Trade Preferential System among the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Mokti Bin Hj Mohd Daud, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Permanent Representative of the Brunei Darussalam to the OIC General

www.oic-oci.org

The Secretary General met with each group first separately and then jointly to bring the views and expectations of the two sides closer together. The Secretary General stressed on the need for unity, agreement and consideration of the role and importance of each group to achieve peace and prosperity in the region. Madani then chaired the meeting of the Bangsamoro Coordinating Forum (BCF), which was activated last year and provides a venue for the two Moro fronts to work together. Both sides agreed that the Forum is the best mechanism for discussion and exchange of information, and they agreed to continue to exert their efforts for the benefit of the peace process. The Secretary General invited the BCF members to hold the next meeting of the BCF on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Kuwait on 27 May 2015.

Secretariat signed these agreements on behalf of the Government of Brunei Darussalam at the OIC Headquarters on 20 May 2015.

With the signing of these two agreements by Brunei Darussalam, the number of signatories to the General Agreement on Economic, Technical and Commercial Cooperation has now risen to 48, while that of the Framework Agreement on Trade Preferential System now stands at 40 signatories. The above-mentioned agreements entered into force on 28th April 1981 and 14th February 2002 respectively.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 33

OIC NEWS OIC Secretary General Attends UN High Level Event on Strengthening Cooperation between the UN and Regional and Sub-Regional Organizations

NEW YORK: The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani visited New York for a series of engagements with the United Nations and its agencies. He attended a retreat meeting organized by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the heads of regional and sub-regional international organizations on 1-2 May 2015. The meeting enabled intensive and informal exchange of views on the most important challenges faced by the international community, ways of creating synergy and increased engagement among and between UN and regional and sub-regional organizations to tackle these challenges.

On the sidelines of the retreat, Secretary General Madani had a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. They discussed mutually important peace and security issues and expressed their determination to further develop the ties of cooperation between the two organizations. They exchanged views and highlighted opportunities of cooperation to contribute to peace and security in Mali, Central African Republic, Philippines and Yemen, among other issues.

Also on the sidelines of the retreat, Secretary General Madani met with the Secretary General of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Mr. Le Luong Minh. The two Secretaries-General discussed issues of mutual cooperation with particular reference to Myanmar, Southern Thailand and the Philippines.

Following the retreat, the Chief of the UN World Humanitarian Summit, Dr. Jemilah Mahmood called on the Secretary General at the Permanent Observer Mission of the OIC to the United Nations and expressed her gratitude for the OIC General Secretariat’s strong support to the preparation process of the Summit to be held in Istanbul in 2016. Furthermore, she emphasized complementary and significant role of the OIC member states in complex humanitarian assistance efforts, and stressed the importance of the OIC’s role in contributing to the development of global humanitarian work with new ideas and its emergence as a leader in the area of humanitarian reform, in particular humanitarian financing.

34 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

The OIC Secretary General also met with the UN Secretary General’s newly appointed Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. The special envoy marked the OIC’s importance in Yemen and stated that he would closely cooperate with the OIC while fulfilling his mandate. He requested an increased humanitarian role from the OIC and its member states in Yemen. Both sides expressed their commitment to national dialogue in Yemen.

On 4 May 2015, Secretary General Madani attended and delivered a statement at the plenary session of the UN General Assembly’s high level thematic debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, which was organized at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly Sam Kutesa.

The high level meeting was addressed by the President of the UN General Assembly, UN Secretary General, President of Uganda as well as heads of regional and sub-regional organizations.

In his statement at the session, OIC Secretary General said: There is no alternative to working together, to enlarging the network of cooperation and deepening the spirit of joint endeavor among the community of nations. A community that has organized itself in the form of international, regional, sub regional, local organizations and civil society groups and networks of activists.

Madani added, “If these various organizational expressions are to work together, to pool resources, to build capacities, to share outlooks, to benefit from the comparative advantage of each, we need to strengthen the way these organizations relate, to widen the networking, the sharing and the common roadmaping. Not in a vertical manner, not in a pyramid like set up, but more in the manner of a horizontal, spacious and interrelated complementarity.”

He also stressed, “The world community should not be tied up to the interests, the outlook, the value scale of one nation, no matter how powerful and no matter how rich. There should be an override mechanism where collective will overcome a unilateral position.”

The Secretary General pointed to the OIC General Secretariat sustained efforts to create the apparatus and build up capacity, so that it can contribute more to the maintenance of peace and security, conflict prevention and conflict resolution. A peace, security and mediation unit; a center for the development of women; an independent human rights commission and an international cooperation and humanitarian affairs department were established. All these underline the OIC’s conviction of the importance of economic opportunities, of socio-economic development, human rights and humanitarian assistance in promoting peace and security; and with the firm belief that no conflict can be resolved by military means.

However, the Secretary General stressed that “no amount of mediation would produce substantive results until and unless that approach is supported by the major powers having stakes in the conflict.”

The high-level thematic debate underlined and supported the ongoing efforts to strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations, within their respective mandates, towards a more effective, efficient and coherent partnership.

www.oic-oci.org

OIC NEWS Madani visits Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan

I

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani with President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov (left) and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Adham Ilkhamovich Ikramov (right)

n a series of visits that underscore the importance of Central Asia and OIC-Central Asia relations as a whole, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani visited Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan at the beginning of June where he met with state, business and religious leaders, and attended two important conferences.

On the first leg of his tour, Madani paid a two-day visit to Tashkent on June 7-8. The visit was on the invitation of the Republic of Uzbekistan. There he met President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, Deputy Prime Minister Adham Ilkhamovich Ikramov and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

During the meetings, both sides discussed various regional and international issues of mutual concern and interest. They also reviewed ways and means of expanding bilateral relations, and discussed preparations for the forthcoming OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting that is to be hosted by Uzbekistan next year. Discussions centered on how to ensure the meeting’s success.

Madani also met with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Elyor Ganiev. The two discussed economic relations and cooperation between Uzbekistan and the OIC and its related institutions. He further called on Head of the Committee on Religious Affairs Ortiq Yusupov and the Ambassadors of OIC Member States in Tashkent.

Following his visit to Uzbekistan, Madani attended and delivered a statement at the opening session of the 5th Congress of World and Traditional Religions that was held on June 10 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The congress was opened by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and attended by senior dignitaries and over 200 delegates representing numerous faith communities. Participants at the event—held under the theme of “Dialogue of Religious Leaders and Politicians for the Sake of Peace and Development”—came together to discuss ways of promoting global dialogue among traditional religions.

During his speech, Madani highlighted the contemporary challenges faced by the international community vis-à-vis the rising trend of extreme violence that aims to undermine the multicultural character of societies and because of which interracial and interreligious tension has been on the increase.

www.oic-oci.org

To confront the problem, the OIC Secretary General called on religious and political leaders to better understand contexts and work together to address the root causes of terrorism and extremism. He further assured participants that domination is the common enemy in the struggle to defeat the problem.

The OIC Secretary General also emphasized that the OIC has always been at the forefront of condemning terrorism, as well as denouncing the ideology of terrorist groups which use religion and beliefs to acquire cultural superiority.

While in Astana, the Secretary General also met Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov. The two discussed a wide range of regional and international issues as well as new initiatives on advancing bilateral relations.

After the conference, Madani headed to Moscow to participate in a meeting of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia and the Islamic World” that was held in the Russian capital on June 11-12. The OIC Secretary General delivered a speech at the opening session of the meeting in which he emphasized the need to advance cooperation between the Islamic world and the Russian Federation. The meeting was also attended by religious scholars and politicians, both from Russia and Muslim countries.

In his speech Madani reviewed the historic relations between Russia and the Muslim world and highlighted major areas of cooperation between the two sides. The Secretary General further reiterated that strengthening relations between the OIC and Russia is necessary to not only address common challenges but also create hope and promising opportunities for people.

He separately met President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnihanov on the sidelines of the conference, as well as with a core group of Muslim leaders from across Russia; discussions centered around issues relating to Muslims in the country. Madani also met in Moscow Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. During the meeting, both sides discussed crucial regional and international challenges. They further pledged their continued cooperation and coordination in addressing issues of mutual concern and interest.

The Strategic Vision Group was established in 2006 following Russia›s accession as an observer at the OIC in 2005.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 35

OIC NEWS OIC delegation holds bilateral talks with United Kingdom

A

n OIC delegation held a three day visit to the United Kingdom end of April 2015 as part of ongoing OIC-UK bilateral talks on a number of regional and international issues of common concern. The five member OIC delegation led by Ambassador Tarig Bakhit, Director in the Political Affairs Department, held extensive discussions with UK officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department of International Development (DFID), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

During the bilateral exchanges topics covered a variety of issues related to political and economic affairs, science, technology and educational development as well as humanitarian aid, disaster relief and water resource management. Discussions also took place on human rights, combatting extremism and intolerance, Islamophobia, inter-faith dialogue and the conditions of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC member countries.

Both sides resolved to remain engaged and strengthen bilateral ties through regular exchanges. Such consultations between the OIC General Secretariat and the relevant departments of the United

Director of the OIC Political Affairs Department Ambassador Tarig Bakhit (centre) during the three-day visit

Kingdom Government provide useful opportunities for information sharing and improved coordination to facilitate more effective cooperation on issues of critical concern.

4th expert level meeting of regional, sub-regional and international organizations in Brussels Co-organized by the UN, EU, OIC and OSCE and hosted by the EU, the 4th expert level meeting of regional, sub-regional and other international organizations was held in Brussels, Belgium on 6 May 2015. A three member OIC delegation led by Amb. Tarig Bakheet, Director in the Department of Political Affairs, attended the twoday meeting, which focused on exploring possible practical steps to promote the complementarity, coordination and coherence of peace mediation efforts.

In his inaugural statement, Amb Bakheet stressed on strengthening the way these organizations relate to each other as well as widening the networking, sharing and the common road-mapping in order

to work together for mutually benefitting from their comparative advantages. He also underlined the OIC’s significant contributions to the work of the United Nations and the relevant regional and sub-regional organizations in the fields of conflict prevention, crisis management, mediation, and sustainable development.

The first day of the meeting dealt with conflict cases and lessons learnt for mediation focusing on inter alia Central African Republic, North Africa and Middle East, South Sudan, Georgia and Ukraine.

The concluding day concentrated further on the elaboration of the discussions of the first day and on natural resources challenges in mediation.

OIC and Sudan discuss Joint Islamic Action President of Sudan Omar Hasan El-Bashir

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, received on May 11, 2015 at the OIC Headquarters Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan, Mr. Ali Ahmad Karti.

36 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

Karti delivered to the Secretary General an invitation to attend the swearing in ceremony of President Omar Hasan El-Bashir which was held in Khartoum on 2 June 2015.

Worth noting that the OIC had dispatched a team of observers from the OIC General Secretariat to monitor the legislative and presidential elections in the Republic of the Sudan, that took place on 13 to 16 April 2015. The members of the team conducted extensive field visits to many polling stations and monitored all voting stages, which took place in a peaceful environment free from any violations and breaches that affect the progress and results of the election process.

The incumbent President, Omar al-Bashir,

will continue his rule after winning 94% of the vote of the first elections since South Sudan seceded in 2011.

The meeting of the OIC Secretary General with the Foreign Minister of Sudan was an occasion for the two sides to review the regional situation, ways of improving joint Islamic action and the preparations for the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuwait on 27 and 28 May 2015 and the Islamic summit on the situation in Palestine.

Both sides underscored the importance of intensifying efforts to confront terrorism, extremism, sectarian feud and hate speech.

www.oic-oci.org

OIC NEWS President Issoufou of Niger and OIC Secretary General Discuss developments in the Muslim World

T

he visiting President of the Republic of Niger, HE Mr. Mahamadou Issoufou and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, discussed on 13th May 2015 in Jeddah, during a lunch hosted by the OIC in the President’s honor, NigerOIC bilateral relations and the latest developments in the Muslim world.

During the talks, President Issoufou and Mr. Madani reviewed a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern as well as

joint Islamic actions. They raised the issues of prevailing situations in Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Mali and the Sahel. In the same vein, discussions focused on combating violent extremism and terrorism by groups that continue to smear the good name and image of Islam and destabilize some OIC Member States.

Madani further briefed the President on the activities and initiatives of the OIC in various domains including the planned Extraordinary Summit on Palestine, the Science and

Technology Summit, the emergency Ministerial meeting on Yemen, and the forthcoming Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Kuwait at the end of the month.

The President Issoufou expressed satisfaction with the various peace endeavors of the OIC and assured him of Niger’s unflinching support. The meeting was attended by the accompanying entourage of the President which include several ministers including the Foreign Minister. High level officials of the OIC were also in attendance.

OIC meets with European People’s Party in Brussels to discuss ways of strengthening political and intercultural dialogue

O

ver 30 ambassadors to the EU from OIC countries met on May 13 with members of the European People’s Party (EPP) at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss ways of strengthening political and intercultural dialogue.

Participants spoke on how people of different religions can live together and expressed concern at Daesh. The OIC ambassadors highlighted that people of different faiths have to live together and that attacks on minorities cannot be tolerated.

The meeting, a working lunch, was opened by Antonio Tajani, first vice-president of the European Parliament and responsible for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue.

He said there is an urgent need to address religious extremism and violence. “Military operations and security measures are not sufficient by themselves to solve these problems, rather it is necessary to promote an inclusive society that protects the cultures and freedoms of its members as well as its minorities”, he said.

He added that the EU and the OIC share common fundamental values in addition to common objectives such as eliminating racial discrimination, strengthening world peace and security in accordance with the rule of law, and promoting understanding and cooperation between countries.

www.oic-oci.org

The OIC’s representative to the EU spoke of turmoil in the Middle East, and tensions in Africa, the Far East and in regions close to the EU such as Ukraine and Macedonia. He called for further meetings and discussions to recognize similarities and make a difference.

OIC ambassadors spoke about the need to fight terrorism, Daesh, misrepresentations of Islam, how violence is usually political or economical and not due to religion, and how freedom of expression comes with responsibilities.

Jan Olbrycht, a member of the European Parliament and co-chairman of the EPP Working Group on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue, said that Islamic countries are facing extremism that is seeking to destroy them from within and that the EU is also seeing a rising tide of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant beliefs spread in part and not exclusively by populist anti-European political parties.

The EPP is a political party founded in 1976 and includes parties from across EU Member States from the centre-right political perspective, except the UK. It is the largest party in the European Parliament since 1999 and in the European Council since 2002. It is also the largest party in the current European Commission.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 37

OIC NEWS

T

OIC lends support to Qatar in the face of tendentious campaigns on hosting 2022 World Cup

he General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) monitored with concern the western media’s tendentious campaigns targeting the state of Qatar, an OIC Member, casting doubt on its right to host the World Cup for football in 2022.

The General Secretariat emphasized that organizing the 2022 World Cup in the State of Qatar represents an achievement for OIC Member States and renewed its call to the institutions of the Joint Islamic Action and to media institutions in Member States to stress the right of the State of Qatar to organize the 2022 World Cup, which has been acknowledged and affirmed by all OIC Member States in relevant resolutions adopted at the 42nd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held on 27-28 May 2015 in Kuwait, particularly Resolution No. 2/10-INF on “Internal and External Media Action in Partnership with OIC Member States and International Media Institutions” issued at the OIC Tenth Conference of Information and Communication Ministers, which was held on 3-4 December 2014 in Tehran, where paragraph 5 states: Condemns biased Western media campaigns against the

T

State of Qatar, which question the latter’s eligibility to organize the 2022 World Cup, and some Western media’s insistence on spreading false and prejudiced information aimed at questioning its eligibility to organize the 2022 World Cup, despite Qatar’s bid winning the organization of the mondial through fair and transparent competition. It underlines that holding 2022 World Cup in the State of Qatar, an OIC Member State, is in itself an achievement of all OIC countries and a right of all the peoples of the Muslim world. It therefore invites joint Islamic action institutions and mass media in OIC Member States to support the State

The Secretary General and Somali Foreign Minister discuss ways to enhance OIC engagement in Somalia

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani met on 17th June 2015, at the General Secretariat, the visiting Foreign Minister of Somalia, Abdusalam Hadliye Omar. The two sides discussed wide ranging areas of cooperation and explored ways and means to further strengthen bilateral relations between Somalia and the OIC as well as joint Islamic action.

The Minister briefed the Secretary General on the latest political and security situation in Somalia and the efforts of his government to advance the process of institution and peace building in his country. He also elaborated on the implementation of the six pillar policy and the Vision 2016 political agenda. He implored the OIC to take the lead in the reconstruction of Somalia.

Madani, on his part, reviewed the various contributions of the OIC for the stabilization of Somalia and assured the Minister of the determination of the OIC to step up its engagement with the country through the expanded mission and mandate of OIC Office in Mogadishu to support the return of sustainable peace, stability and development in Somalia.

38 OIC Journal

of Qatar in refuting disinformation and incitement by some Western media in this regard.

While reiterating its full support for the State of Qatar to host this important sports event, as the first Muslim state ever to play host to such a world event, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stresses its support to the State of Qatar and to all that would ensure its success in hosting the World Cup, as well as to its efforts towards optimal preparations for the event. It applauds the level of progress reached in the preparations and welcomes Qatar’s continued preparations to host the 2022 World Cup. The General Secretariat also wishes to stress in this regard the role played by sports in consolidating peace, solidarity, mutuality and social and economic development, as well to the worldwide popularity of the football game as a building block in rapproching peoples, boosting development and peace and building interfaith and intercultural bridges.

May - July 2015

Foreign Minister of Somalia Abdusalam Hadliye Omar

www.oic-oci.org

OIC NEWS OIC organizes roundtable discussion on role of civil society in electoral processes

I

n collaboration with the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD), the OIC General Secretariat organized a “Roundtable Discussion on the Role of Civil Society and Domestic Observer Groups in Enhancing the Integrity of Electoral Processes” on July 27-29.

Besides UNEAD experts and OIC staff, election experts from the League of Arab States (LAS), the National Democratic institute (NDI), the Organization of American States (OAS) and civil society organizations involved with elections from Indonesia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Tunisia, Colombia and the Philippines participated in the three-day event.

Participants also shared experiences on the issue. Speakers and attendees were also given the opportunity to discuss and analyze electoral processes followed in different parts of the world from different perspectives. Participants received an in depth view of the entire electoral process which would be useful for future OIC Election Observation Missions.

T

OIC launches the new website of its office in Geneva ment installed the system and provided training to the office staff on how to use it.

This comes as part of the plan for the development of the infrastructure of the OIC and its offices abroad in the field of Information and Communication Technologies and electronic archiving which is being implemented by the Information Technology Department following the instructions of the Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani.

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) launched the new website of its Geneva Office on Friday 12 June 2015. The website contains all information and activities of the OIC Office in Geneva in relation with the UN Geneva Office.

In the same vein, the OIC Office was linked to the electronic archiving system based in the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah with a view to facilitating electronic exchange of documents. Engineer Mohamed El-Bouseifi from the OIC Information Technology Depart-

OIC Secretary General gives audience to Libyan Foreign Minister

O

IC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, received in his office on 17 June 2015, Mohammed Al-Dairi, Foreign Minister of the State of Libya.

During the audience the Secretary General reasserted the OIC’s stand in support for Libya’s unity, security and stability and in support of the regional and international efforts in favor of a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis.

On his part, the Libyan minister expressed his appreciation for the OIC’s and its Secretary General’s support for the Libyan legitimacy, and underlined the particular importance which his country accords to the OIC’s undertakings and its consistent support for

www.oic-oci.org

the prevalence of security and stability and the establishment of the state-of-law institutions in Libya.

The Libyan minister further renewed his appreciation to the Secretary General for his positive role in this connection. Libya, with a population of over 6 million has been a member of the OIC since 1969.

Foreign Minister of Libya Mohammed Al-Dairi

OIC Journal May - July 2015 39

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Issue of accessing people affected by armed conflicts needs addressing Third International Forum for Humanitarian Action Confirms Deterioration of Situation on Ground

Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the OIC Ambassador Hisham Youssef (inset)

DOHA: Participants at the Third International Forum for Humanitarian Action that was held in Doha, Qatar on May 19-20 recommended the need to encourage humanitarian organizations in the region to integrate policies pertaining to risk management within their work and allocate the necessary resources to do so.

The calls follow immense concerns over the safety of humanitarian workers operating in conflict zones, a subject that was the focus of several sessions at the forum.

The final statement issued at the end of the event praised humanitarian organizations in the region for adhering to normal procedures while executing projects, but also urged them to enhance their work by working in tangent with organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, as well as urging them to publicize their procedures and policies.

The Third International Forum for Humanitarian action was organized by the OIC in cooperation with Qatar Charity, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Islamic Relief Organization and a number of research centers. Over 140 individuals from around 20 countries and representing over 60 different organizations attended the event.

The forum—entitled “Towards a more effective and safer humanitarian action”—delivered a series of recommendations at the end.

The recommendations called on humanitarian organizations in the region to exchange information and experiences, and coordinate humanitarian action when operating in armed conflicts, especially with the UN’s Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The suggestions were made to promote safe access to those in need.

The final statement also called for the preparation of an academic study on policies and principles in the delivery of humanitarian work and ways to apply these principles within the region. It was also recommended that the study highlights values and principles from an Arab-Islamic perspective to allow for the findings to be adopted by humanitarian organizations operating within the region.

The Qatar Charity expressed willingness to finance the study.

The recommendations also called for the need for special training programs on how to safely access victims of armed conflicts. It further stressed the importance of increasing cooperation between humanitarian organizations in managing risks when operating in conflict zones. The International Center for Research expressed willingness to submit a proposal in this regard.

40 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

The recommendations also included ensuring the participation of other GCC humanitarian organizations that did not participate in previous meetings.

The forum was held amid warnings from the OIC about the increased worsening of the humanitarian situation in many Muslims countries, the dire need for aid and the growing number of refugees and displaced people in many countries, something that is causing state institutions in many of these countries to collapse.

During his opening speech, Ambassador Hisham Youssef, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the OIC, said that humanitarian work has today become more difficult and that the world is more volatile.

“Yemen is suffering from a chronic political crisis and is in a more difficult and critical position,” said Youssef, adding that 16 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance in light of a severe shortage of food, water, medical supplies and other basic services.

Youssef described the humanitarian situation in Syria as worsening and said that the number of displaced people and refugees is on the rise. He further drew attendees’ attention to the pressure experienced by countries neighboring Syria, which has reached a critical point. Youssef also drew attention to the increasing numbers of displaced people in Iraq and the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli blockade that has been ongoing for several years.

The humanitarian situation in Libya, said Youssef, is worsening, while thousands of Muslims in Myanmar have been forced to flee in boats of death. He also said that the situation in Sudan, Chad, Central Africa, Somalia and other countries is also worsening.

Despite the bleak picture, Youssef highlighted improvements in the fight against Ebola in West Africa.

Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, executive director of the Department for International Development at the Qatar Charity, concurred by saying that the humanitarian situation is getting worse, adding that the number of refugees worldwide increased in 2014, reaching more than 16 million.

He also said that there are some 33 million internally displaced people in addition to 1.2 million asylum seekers. The number of refugees in the Muslim world, he added, accounts for 70 percent of the total number of the world’s refugees.

Speaking about relief workers, Al-Ghamdi said that last year 155 humanitarian workers were killed, 51 injured and 134 kidnapped.

Sessions during the first day of the forum discussed a number of issues surrounding humanitarian codes of conduct and safe access to victims of armed conflicts.

Numerous research papers were submitted at the forum on several topics, including how humanitarian organizations can remain neutral and independent in their work, not involve themselves in conflicts, managing risks during humanitarian intervention, and the need to protect civilians, medical teams and workers in armed conflicts.

www.oic-oci.org

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OIC and USAID sign new Joint Plan of Action on humanitarian activities

A

delegation from the OIC Department of Humanitarian Affairs held talks in Washington on 1st June 2015 with USAID and the State Department on the best ways and means of furthering cooperation between the two institutions in the humanitarian domain. The OIC delegation was led by Ambassador Hesham Youssef, the ASG for Humanitarian Affairs and the US team was headed by Mr. Thomas H. Staal, the Acting Assistant Administrator at USAID. The talks between the two delegations were held in a constructive and fruitful atmosphere. The discussions focused on the implementation of the OIC-US AID Plan of Action, the revised OIC-US AID Memorandum of Understanding, the ongoing preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit, the reform of the global humanitarian architecture and the Forum for Humanitarian Aid Effectiveness. They also discussed the June 18th NGOs Forum in Geneva that will be held on the margins of the ECOSOC, as well as capacity building schedule and the future collaboration between the OIC and US AID. Further discussions were also held on a range of humanitarian crises in Africa (Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, West Africa & Ebola), the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine) and other crises in Asia including the humanitarian situation in Myanmar.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two heads of delegations signed the new OICUS AID Joint Plan of Action covering the years 2015 and 2016 which will govern their humanitarian activities on capacity building, partnership missions, cooperation on the World Humanitarian Summit Process, training on sphere standards, exchange of information, engagement with broad donor groups and policy dialogue among other activities.

OIC Participates in the High Level Meeting of The Good Humanitarian Donorship and ALNAP Global Forum for Improving Humanitarian Action The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) participated on 3rd June 2015 in New York in a meeting of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) group. The OIC delegation was led by Ambassador Hesham Youssef, the Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs.

The GHD is an initiative that has been in existence for 12 years. It was launched by

www.oic-oci.org

Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the OIC Ambassador Hisham Youssef (right) with Acting Assistant Administrator at USAID Thomas H. Staal (left)

16 donor countries at its inception and its total membership stands now at 41 and its main aim is to further coordination among its members and develop good humanitarian practices and principles.

The head of the OIC delegation shared a panel with the World Bank and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to discuss whether the good humanitarian donor principles are good for everyone. Further sessions were held on humanitarian financing, the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), managing risk and crisis coordination, reporting and information needs, communications and outreach, and finally an interactive discussion was held with IASC representatives on key topics such as financing and the WHS. At the close of the one-day meeting, the new UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Humanitarian Relief Coordinator, Mr. Stephen Obrien took the floor to express his gratitude to the international community for its constant support to humanitarian work despite the growing challenges due to the increasing number of crises and explained to the audience the salient points of his programme.

The OIC delegation also participated in the ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance) Global Forum for Improving Humanitarian Action, which was held on 5th June 2015 in New York. This important humanitarian meeting gathered over 200 participants working in different humanitarian fields and saw the participation of USAID, the OIC, the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat, and the League of Arab States.

Several topics dealing with humanitarian issues such as protracted crises in low-income countries, conflict situation in middle-

income country, recurrent crises in low and middle-income countries, rapid onset natural disasters, urban and mega disasters were discussed.

Ambassador Hesham Youssef, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, welcomed the participants and formulated in his statement the 10 findings that are hampering the good performance of humanitarian action globally.

Further discussions were held on financing humanitarian operations, staffing and skills, programme design and approaches, governance and decision making, knowledge sharing and information management as well as the roles to be played by different stakeholders in face of a fast changing and growing humanitarian landscape which is becoming more and more complex.

Several recommendations aimed at reforming the global humanitarian architecture and facilitating the work of different actors were adopted by the Forum in preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit, which will take place in Istanbul on 2526 May 2016.

The UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Stephen Obrien concluded the meeting by expressing his thanks to all participants. He reiterated his full readiness to work closely with all stakeholders to make the Istanbul Summit a real success since it constitutes an ideal opportunity for the whole world to open a new chapter in humanitarian work, and called on governments and non-governmental actors to be fully involved in the different processes leading to the Summit.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 41

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS The Secretary General lauds the launching of the King Salman ibn Abdulaziz Releif and Humanitarian Work Centre by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

T

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, welcomed the launching by the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz of the King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz Relief and Humanitarian Action Centre in Riyadh as a continuation of the King’s humanitarian initiatives towards societies affected disasters or crises. He noted that the announcement by the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz to allocate $1 billion for relief and humanitarian work for the

centre, in addition to previous allocations in response to humanitarian and relief needs of the Yemeni people, is aimed at lifting the plight of peoples, communities and states facing disasters and crises.

The OIC is following with deep concern the consequences of the ongoing events in Yemen in terms of the collapse of basic services, notably healthcare and the lack of food and drinking water in a chronic humanitarian disaster. In this context the OIC will through its office in Yemen continue to deliver emergency humanitarian aid.

OIC delegation visits Mogadishu to improve support for the development process in Somalia

A

delegation from the OIC Department of Humanitarian Affairs headed by Ambassador Hesham Youssef, the ASG for Humanitarian Affairs, visited Mogadishu, the Somali Capital, on May 23 to 25.

The Delegation met the Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud; the Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke; Somali Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Maids.

President Hassan Sheikh said that the OIC can contribute effectively to the humanitarian situation in Somalia, pointing out that accomplished projects, whether minor or significant, could have an impact on the Somali people, explaining that Somalia can become a “food basket” for the Gulf countries.

The OIC delegation met some ambassadors from the OIC Member States in Somalia to discuss their countries’ vision about the

political, developmental, and humanitarian situation in Somalia as well as their role in supporting the Somali government and people through providing humanitarian aid, supporting the reconstruction and development projects in Somalia. The meeting was attended by ambassadors from Turkey, Iran, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan.

The Delegation convened a meeting with the humanitarian organizations working in Somalia at the OIC office in Mogadishu, discussed the organizations humanitarian and developmental efforts, the obstacles it encounters in this regard, and the means to develop cooperation between these organizations and the OIC. The delegation also met with the different international organizations in Somalia headed by Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in order to discuss the

UN organizations and OIC humanitarian efforts and the developmental programs, as the delegation stressed that Somalia is in urgent need for support from the international society, and reminding it with Somalia’s crises. The meeting also discussed the importance of enhancing coordination mechanisms between the OIC and UN organizations in the fields of relief and development. The meeting also emphasized the necessity to urge donor countries to Somalia to continue supporting it.

The delegation viewed the progress of some of the development projects funded by the Saudi National Campaign for the Relief of Somali People and supervised by the OIC office in Somalia. It visited Yasin Osman primary school and the department of Tuberculosis and Tuberculosis drug-resistant at Forlanini Hospital.

OIC assists 30,000 people in CAR during its second Ramadan and Eid El-Fitr Campaign

T

OIC Special Envoy to CAR Cheikh Tidiane Gadio (right) meets a member of the CAR government

he OIC has concluded its 2015 Ramadan and Eid El-Fitr Campaign, which was launched on 10 July 2015 to express solidarity and support to the needy and vulnerable people of the Central Afri-

42 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

can Republic (CAR).

This Ramadan Campaign, which was conducted for the second year, was led by the OIC Special Envoy to CAR, Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, and the OIC Hu-

manitarian Assistance Department. Minister Gadio also met during his mission with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of CAR while in the capital Bangui.

Food and non-food items were distributed during this Campaign to over 30,000 people in Bangui and its outskirts as well as in the provincial city of Yalloke. Demobilized soldiers were also extended assistance including people in various Bangui mosques and to inmates at Ngaragba prison.

It is worth mentioning that Eid El-Fitr was celebrated nationwide in CAR on Friday, 17 July 2015, and the Interim President has declared the day a national holiday for the first time since the country became independent in 1960 to fulfil a long-standing request made over the years by its Muslim community.

www.oic-oci.org

HUMAN RIGHTS 7th Session of OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission Reaffirms the Importance of Family as the Natural and Fundamental Unit of Society

Chairperson of the IPHRC Ambassador Ilham Ibrahim (left) with Executive Director of IPHRC Marghoob Saleem Butt

JEDDAH: The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held its 7th Session in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 19-23 April 2015 under the theme Protecting Family Values in which it reaffirmed the fundamental definition of family as a long-term consensual relationship between a man and a woman who are bound by the reciprocal rights and responsibilities enshrined in Islamic teachings.

In her opening remarks, the newly elected Chairperson of IPHRC, Ambassador Ilham Ibrahim, gave an overview of the activities carried out by the Commission in 2014 as well as dwelt on the progress made by IPHRC on various mandates given to it by the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM).

Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the OIC, also addressed the meeting and stressed the importance of the independence of the Commission’s work, including intellectual independence in discussions and decision-making, and expressed the full moral, logistical and financial support of the General Secretariat for the IPHRC’s work. Referring to the thematic focus of the session, the Secretary General stated that the topic of “Protection of Family Values” was of utmost importance to the OIC, which must be protected and promoted in accordance with the Islamic values and teachings that were also in line with the universal human rights standards. He recommended holding a special conference of the OIC on the subject that could look into definition as well as measures needed to address various challenges by this fundamental unit of society and its members in different contexts and situations.

He welcomed the participation of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in the debate and urged to build bridges of communications between the two institutions with a view to incorporating Islamic perspective on the interrelated subjects and projecting unified views and positions. Welcoming the progress made on a number of important subjects, he underscored the need for IPHRC to work on establishing a yardstick on Islamic human rights against which Member States could measure their relevant policies and progress.

The debate on “Protection of Family Values” reiterated not only the importance of Family as the natural and fundamental unit of society, which is entitled to protection from society and State, but also addressed various challenges faced both by the institution of family as well as its members in different contexts. The meeting reaffirmed the fundamental definition of the family as a long-term consensual relationship between a man and a woman who are bound by the reciprocal rights and responsibilities enshrined in Islamic teachings.

It also condemned the growing trend of confusing the definition of family with new and controversial notions of LGBT families based on sexual orientation that were neither universal nor recognized by

www.oic-oci.org

international human rights standards.

On other issues, the Commission expressed strong concern on the plight of migrants from Africa to Europe, in particular recent reports of their drowning in thousands before they arrived European shores. It called upon relevant UN and European authorities to take all possible measures to address the subject in a comprehensive manner. Expressing solidarity with the victims of terrorist acts, the Commission reiterated that extremist ideologies, radicalism, intolerance and terrorism by such groups as Al-Shabab, Daesh and Boko Haram have nothing to do with Islam, which is a religion of peace and promotes moderation and balance in its teachings.

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; specific mandates given to it by the CFM as well as procedural issues relating to its working methods and establishment of a mechanism for interaction with NGOs and broader civil society. The Commission also interacted with the representative of the OIC Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir dispute on the human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) and decided that its Standing Mechanism on monitoring the human rights violations in IoK will closely collaborate with the OIC General Secretariat on the subject. The Commission also called upon Myanmar authorities to ensure protection of the right to life and wellbeing of its Rohingya population; bring to justice those responsible for inciting hatred and violence as well as take steps to ensure non-discrimination on any grounds in laws and practice including denial of citizenship to Rohingya Muslims.

On the issue of human rights violations in Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Commission urged Palestine to file cases against Israeli violations of their human rights in relevant international courts to seek justice. It also urged the international community to play its due role in making requisite efforts to pave the way for the long awaited just and peaceful settlement of this dispute.

In the area of human rights of women and children, the Commission delved in detail on issues related to gender equality, violence against women and children. It was decided that the Commission would prepare studies on specific areas of rights of women and girls the right of inheritance in Islam.

The Chairperson announced that the Commission intends to strengthen research and writing reports/position papers on rights of minorities in Islam; Combating extremism; promoting/upholding human rights while combating terrorism; importance of cultural and religious diversity while promoting human rights; freedom of expression and hate speech; issue of sexual orientation as well as the need to reviewing the existing OIC human rights instruments.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 43

ISLAMOPHOBIA

Is

ISLAMOPHOBIA in the West becoming violent?

R

eports published in May and June 2015 created anxiety over a growing trend of Islamophobia in the West which is manifesting itself into increasingly violent forms. Islamophobia is no longer simply a thought or a feeling, but has been transforming into a violent shape. The dislike sentiments against Muslims in the West is also now escalating in sync with the continuous violent conflicts in the Middle East, particularly those related to the activities of Daesh.

Islamic organizations and media monitoring bodies in the US reported an escalation of hostile rhetoric against Islam and Muslims, and Islamophobia-related incidents involving firearms.

They warned of a new wave of hate campaigns that feed on the fears of Daesh— something that has been exploited by the far-right in the run up to next year’s elections. They added that the targeting of Muslims is partly a right-wing strategy to make national security a public issue for the forthcoming elections.

According to Rebecca Lenn, director of outreach at Media Matters for America, the goal is to portray Muslims as promoters of violence and Islam as a violent religion.

Media Matters for America, she added, has seen an increase in this type of rhetoric as a reaction to DAESH, something that Fox News and anti-Islam groups are using to portray all Muslims as evil. Lenn says that Islamophobia in the US has become violent, proven by the tragic murder of three Muslim students in North Carolina last February.

The Washington-based Center for Ameri-

44 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

can Progress (CAP) recently released its second report on the Islamophobia Network.

According to the report, the Network has annual funds totaling $57 million.

The report was published during the hype following the Chapel Hill massacre. There was hardly any coverage of the report in the US media. It followed a previous report on the same subject in 2011 when CAP revealed that the Islamophobia Network was fueling anti-Islam hate in the US with funds amounting to $42 million.

The violent nature of Islamophobia in the US is exemplified by a recent demonstration involving around 200 people, some armed and others carrying cartoons depicting the Prophet (pbuh), outside a mosque in Arizona. The demonstrators, many of them neoNazis, shouted anti-Islam slogans. Many were armed and dressed in military combat gear. The organizer of the demonstration, an Iraq War veteran John Ritzheimer, wrote on his Facebook page that the demonstration was held in response to a recent attack in Texas. He also urged participants to carry weapons. With prudence, the community did not react and the demonstration later dispersed without any incident.

In the UK, the Liverpool Echo published a report that racism, including Islamophobia, had increased in Merseyside. According to the report, hate crimes mentioning Muslims or of an Islamophobic nature were recorded as three in January 2015 compared to zero in January 2014 and 2013. Overall across the UK, hate crimes involving elements of religious hate or Islamophobia had risen to more than a third.

In almost the same period, US media reported how Tahera Ahmad, a director of interfaith agreement at Northwestern University, suffered discrimination while on a United Airlines flight. Ahmad recounted on Facebook how she was on a flight and asked for an unopened can of Diet Coke which the attendant refused to provide due to the airline’s apparent policy. Ahmad then noticed the same attendant giving an unopened can of beer to someone else and confronted her. The attendant told her that she is “unauthorized to give unopened cans to people because they may use it as a weapon on the plane.” She then gave her an open can of Diet Coke. When Ahmad turned to her fellow passengers to ask if they had witnessed the discrimination, a passenger referred to her Muslim faith, swore at her and ordered her to be silent.

In France and Belgium, some 30 schoolgirls wearing long skirts have been prevented from going to school with the school board in one case, according to Le Monde newspaper, considering the long skirts to be an “ostentatious sign” of their faith.

According to France’s National Observatory for the Fight Against Islamophobia, more than 100 similar cases were recorded in 2014, and several schools had, at the beginning of last April, asked about 20 students to change their dress on the grounds of incompatibility with the state’s secularism. In a statement broadcast on France’s RMC radio station, Abdallah Zekria, head of the Observatory, explained that Muslims and Islam in France had begun to turn into mass hysteria.

www.oic-oci.org

religion The 5th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan

Adopts Astana Declaration and Reiterates the Significant Role of Religion in Spreading the Culture of Mutual Respect

ASTANA: The 5th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions proceedings began on the 10th of June 2015, in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, under the theme “Dialogue of Religious Leaders and Politicians in the Name of Peace and Development”, to discuss means of enhancing dialogue between the traditional religions across the world.

The opening session was chaired by Kazakhstan’s president, H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev, in the presence of more than 200 attendees representing a number of religious groups, in addition to political leaders and international organization officials. Among the prominent attendees was King Abdullah II, the King of Jordan; Mr. Sauli Niinisto; the President of the Republic of Finland; Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations; and Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), along with other international and regional organizations officials, academics, scientists, and cultural figures interested in interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilization dialogues.

The OIC Secretary General highlighted in his speech the challenge facing the international society, represented in the increase of violent extremism, which strives to destroy the nature of multiculturalism in societies, causing noticeable growth in religious and ethnic tensions.

To address this issue, the OIC Secretary General called upon the religious and political leaders to comprehend the present context, to work on joint action to tackle the root causes for extremism and terrorism, and to understand the circumstances and the reality of domination, marginalization, and exclusion which is providing the soil for the growth of those movements and trends.

Madani also reiterated that the OIC has always condemned all forms of terrorism and denounced terrorist groups’ ideologies that use religious claims and cultural and ethnic superiority as a tool.

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the ISESCO Director, delivered a speech in the second opening session of the conference, in which he said at its outset “the current international situation proves the incapability of the international society in its efforts to end wars and conflicts, as well as the waves of hatred and racism; necessitating religious leaders to carry on their duties religiously and morally,

www.oic-oci.org

to reduce the excessiveness of violence and extremism, and enhance the value of peace and tolerance.”

The ISESCO Director explained that the crises destabilizing societies has augmented, and that the international efforts thus far, whether in the United Nations framework or the regional initiatives or the benevolent efforts by some parties, did not succeed in extinguishing the ember of wars and conflicts breaking out in some parts of the world, threatening international peace and security. He also emphasized that the religious leaders gathered in this Congress bear a great responsibility in spreading the culture of religious coexistence and global peace, for the strong influence they have in directing thoughts towards morality, which protects from the pitfall of deviation and extremism, causing harm to human beings, and violation of human rights and dignity.

At the conclusion of the 5th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, the participants stressed on the importance of the roles of the global and traditional religious leaders in advancing human civilizations through spreading spiritual ideals and values, and stressed the important role for religion in spreading the culture of mutual respect, strengthening family values, and moral education for the youth. They also adopted Astana Declaration, which called for supporting dialogue of religious leaders with political leaders, international organizations, and the civil society to ensure stability and security, avoiding conflicts, and resolving them.

The Declaration also called upon political leaders of major countries to stop the growing gap of distrust in the modern world and end mutual sanctions, as well as adopting mechanisms of the United Nations and other international organizations for settlement of disputes and the restoration of peace and security in accordance with international laws.

The Declaration commanded ensuring equal respect towards global and traditional religions, sanctuaries, and religious sentiments, and reassuring abidance to not divide the human right in the freedom of choice of belief, opinion, and expression. It also called for respect of religious diversity along with advancing dialogue between the global and traditional religions, and supporting the efforts to combat extremism and terrorism.

The Declaration stressed the need to improve youth education and religious teachings, besides the upbringing on the values of tolerance and respecting family values. It also called on media outlets’ owners and publishers to stop using traditional and new media to ignite religious and sectarian strife, and participate in spreading the culture of peace, reconciliation, respect, and coexistence among religions followers, nations, and people of the world.

The Declaration recommended uniting the efforts of religion and political leaders on the international level to resolve urgent matters, such as poverty, famine, epidemics, unemployment, and combating natural and industrial disasters. It also welcomed Kazakhstan’s initiative about holding the regional Congress in Astana to combat armed extremism, and the 6th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2018 in Astana.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 45

CULTURE Madani participates in 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku

Holds meetings with President of Azerbaijan and senior officials

I

yad Ameen Madani, the OIC Secretary General, participated in the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan on 18-19 May 2015 under the theme “Culture and Sustainable Development in the Post-2015 Development Agenda”. The Forum is an initiative of His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and is held in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

In his speech at the opening ceremony of the Forum, Madani stressed that the OIC was totally committed to the process of dialogue, the process of sharing with others, the process of being a partner with other organizations, other entities to reach together a common understanding. He said that it was most urgent to continue developing new approaches towards intercultural dialogue because the challenge has been how to bring these ideas to areas of conflicts, to areas where people differ, to areas where cultures clash.

“If our century is a century of identity, it

should be an identity that is tolerant, that recognizes the other, and that is willing not only to tolerate but also to live with the other, and not only to live but to share, not only to share but to partner with the other,” he said. On the sidelines of the event, the Secretary General met a number of dignitaries and high officials including the President of the Republic.

In his Meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, the Secretary General Praised the leadership of Azerbaijan for its pro-active role in the

If our century is a century of identity, it should be an identity that is tolerant OIC. He pointed out that radicalism and extremism, as well as combating Islamophobia were among major challenges ahead of the OIC, which need collective endeavors from the Ummah to tackle them.

The President on his part commended the statement of the Secretary General at the Forum, and expressed his concern over dangerous and growing extremism against Muslims and Islamophobic acts in the West,

stressing that Azerbaijan, as member of Council of Europe and Eastern Partnership Programme of Europe, would raise this issue in relevant international arena and would cooperate with the OIC in this regard.

The Secretary General also met Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He commended the active role of the First Lady in the area of social, family and women protection, and suggested to discover ways for close cooperation with the OIC and organizing possible joint activities in this area, which she welcomed.

The meeting with Abulfas Qarayev, Minister of Culture and Tourism, focused more on preparations for the Islamic Solidarity Games, including discussions on how to incorporate cultural events on the sidelines.

The Secretary General also had a meeting with Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs who commended the principal stand of the OIC and its continued support to Azerbaijan on the conflict with Armenia. He also praised the significant role of the OIC in addressing the conflicts in the Middle East, particularly the just cause of Palestine. The Secretary General discussed with him the issue of Yemen, Muslim minorities, violent extremism and terrorism.

OIC and KAICIID join hands in the promotion of Inter-Religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue ation and partnership in the area of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. The agreement was signed by the OIC Secretary General, Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, and the Secretary General of KAICIID, Mr. Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muaammar.

T

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani (right) with Secretary General of KAICIID Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muaammar at the signing ceremony

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) signed on June 3, 2015 a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooper-

46 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

The background of this MoU is the current global challenges that require more attention and action by all concerned entities, to ensure peaceful coexistence, harmony and interaction among peoples of different societies, through the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Both institutions have common interests in this regard while they share the belief that dialogue is a major tool in conflict prevention and resolution, sustainable peace, and social cohesion. Therefore, through this MoU, the two organizations decided to join hands in order to achieve maximal engagement in this field by implementing a series of programmes and activities to promote interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilizational dialogues around the world.

It may be mentioned that the OIC and KAICIID have been collaborating in many projects in several countries through convening meetings to promote dialogue, tolerance, reconciliation and capacity building in these countries.

www.oic-oci.org

T

he name Cotonou means “by the river of death” in the Fon language. The city accordingly derives its name from its location on the coastal strip between Lake Nokoué and the Atlantic Ocean in Benin. This geographical advantage is put to good use by the country’s authorities by developing communication infrastructures in Cotonou, thus making it a hub of the sub-regional trade.

Cotonou is also known for its many plazas, which commemorate outstanding events in the country’s history. The Etoile Rouge (Red Star), the largest among them, lies at the heart of an immense roundabout of several main roads of Cotonou.

History of the city: Cotonou, formerly Koutonou, was originally a fishermen-peopled marshy area under control of the Kingdom of Abomey. Given its strategic location between Ouidah (slavery port) and Porto-Novo (the rival Kingdom), the kings of Abomey, particularly Glèlè, used to post their representatives there to monitor trade with Europeans. Following the abolition of slavery in the midnineteenth century, it served as a clandestine alternative slave-shipping point to the thenceforth-monitored Port of Ouidah.

Cotonou then witnessed a remarkable bloom with the arrival of the French. By virtue of a treaty signed with King Glèlè in May 1668, the city was ceded to France for 20,000 francs a year. The French created the first roads and dug a waterway in 1885 dividing the city in two.

When King Glèlè died, his son Béhanzin, challenged the agreement with the French.

Between 1891 and 1893 France declared war on the young king and built a wharf

www.oic-oci.org

Cotonou 2015 Islamic Culture Capital for the African Region to facilitate the landing of the troops of General Dodds, appointed to the High Command of the French settlements on the Slave Coast. The Wharf was a metal walkway stretching from the coast to the area beyond the wave zone (relics of the work are still visible on the beach in Cotonou).

Despite fierce resistance from the troops of King Béhanzin, France ultimately won the war and annexed the Kingdom of Abomey and all the northern and southern territories which were under its control. The colony of Dahomey was then created in 1894 and placed under the authority of Governor Victor Ballot.

The city has witnessed a rapid growth. Its population evolved from 70000 in 1960 to over 1 million in 2013. However, aggregated with Abomey, Cotonou’s population already exceeded 1 million in 2002, and is estimated at around 2.2 million today.

Culture: Cotonou is a representative sample of the entire country. Visiting this major city is to some extent like exploring the whole country, which inevitably involves the discovery of the specificity of this city.

Indeed, besides its economic and administrative importance, Cotonou is home to

many institutional and private cultural venues such as the Biennale des Arts, the Zinsou Foundation, and the Olympic Museum of Benin.

The city of Cotonou, and Benin in general, is also characterized by the emergence of activities related to the promotion of various sectors of culture, including cinema, literature, music, painting, sculpture and photography.

Islam in Benin: Initially introduced to Benin by marabouts from Mali and Nigeria, Islam has grown among the Beninese population. According to the figures of the General Census of Population, Muslims in Benin accounted for 7% of the population in 1962, 20% in 1992 and between 30% and 45% in 2000.

The majority of Muslims in Benin belong to the ethnic groups of Peul, Nago, Kotokoli, Dendi, Ani, Hausa and Yoruba.

Though the presence of Islam in Benin dates back to ages, it was only with the democratic transition of the 1990s, particularly with its subsequent social and economic positive record, that the Muslim community of Benin has begun to have an active presence, such as through the construction of several mosques, and the launch of Islamic newspapers like “La Lumière de l’Islam”, the most recent monthly “Al-Oumma AlIslamia” and the radio station “Voix de l’Islam”.

The peaceful coexistence among Christians and Muslims is epitomized by the remarkable presence of their respective places of worship. A shining example of this coexistence is the juxtaposition of Cotonou’s Cathedral and Grand Mosque.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 47

CULTURE Bardo Museum Earns its Fight against Terrorism with its Treasures

TUNISIA (dpa): In the lobby of the Bardo National Museum, Wasel Bouzaid, the tourist guide, walked in with two French Journalists, and stood in front of a marble memorial monument of the deadly attack victims on 18th March 2015, where 22 people, amongst tourists and a policeman, were killed.

Wasel showed his two friends the victim tourists’ names who were in his company on the day of the attack; still astonished by the death he narrowly escaped. Surviving is the only consolation to Wasel, who is now on the brink of unemployment just like thousands of workers in the tourism sector. “There are no more tourists coming; cruises were canceled after the attack, tourist guides are mostly facing compulsory unemployment,” said Wasel to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) Unlike the cruises, however, the museum had a strong boost after the terrorist attack, as this cultural landmark was visited by many presidents and global figures, including the French President Francois Hollande, the German President, the Italian President, and the Palestinian President, declaring their support to Tunisia and encouraging tourists to visit this beautiful tourism country.

The museum manager, Munsif Musa, said to dpa, “the number of visitors decreased, which is logical because of the halted tourists’ cruises heading to Tunisia, but in general that has not exceeded 10% so far.”

The manager explained that “during the first three weeks after the attack, many tourists came not only for support to Tunisia, but also out of curiosity in regards to the painful events witnessed in the museum halls.”

Many of the museum halls still have traces of gunshots by the attackers that affected some of the art work on display, which the museum management preferred to leave for the visitors to see. This has brought more thrill to visiting the museum.

The museum was founded in 1882 by the French colonists, a year after invading Tunisia, and inaugurated in 1888 under the name Alawi Museum after Ali Bey who ruled from 1882 to 1908. However, on 1956, the year of Tunisia’s independence, the museum’s name was changed to Bardo National Museum, and was declared as a historical monument in 1985.

The museum is 4 km away from the capital’s downtown and is adjacent to Bardo Palace, which was built in 1574 as a sovereign headquarters during the period of the Ottomans byes and kings,

48 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

before it turned into a Parliament headquarter after independence.

The museum is considered the largest in north Africa and the second worldwide for Mosaic art after Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Turkey, for its displayed collection of precious Romanian paintings.

Sousse Mosaic is one of its prominent paintings and one of the largest in the world, depicting the victory legend of Neptune, the god of water and protector of Sousse city 3rd century AC, besides a large painting of Jupiter, and Dionysus, the god of wine.

Bardo Museum is not only famous for Mosaic art, as it also displays many of the ancient treasures that followed in Tunisia, such as Carthage, Rome, and the Islamic civilization and other civilizations bordering the Mediterranean basin.

The Statue of Baal-Hammon, the chief god of Carthage and deity of sky and vegetation, which dates back to the 6th century BC, is the most prominent in the Punic civilization wing, which represented the peak of the Carthage ruling in Tunisia and Mediterranean basin between the years 814 BC and 146 BC. “Most of the pieces were brought from Carthage City,” said the guide to dpa as he pointed to another corner of the gallery, “in addition to many of the antiques, pots, and sculptures that were discovered in other temples and archaeological sites in Sousse, Mahdia, Kélibia, Makthar, the Ancient city of Dougga in Beja, and the town of Bir Bourguiba.”

Bardo Museum owes its popularity mainly to the Carthage civilization; but, the museum has an advantage in combining the Roman and Greek heritage; a combination that established the Mediterranean dimension of this cultural landmark.

In the wing of Mahdia, a coastal city in Tunisia that was the capital of the Fatimid state before it moved to Cairo, stands a statue of the god Hermes, and displayed in another corner are antiques, tools, pottery models, and Greek antiques, discovered by sailors between the years 1907 and 1911 when they discovered the wreckage of a Roman ship off the coast of the city.

The terrorist attack has unexpectedly allowed Bardo Museum to be repositioned on the global map, which officials believe would provide opportunities and other horizons for international cultural cooperation.

The Museum manager, Munsif Mustafa, said that “the museum received wide support from different museums around the globe; from Tokyo to Los Angeles, and we have signed many cooperation agreements.”

www.oic-oci.org

CULTURE

COMIAC:

President of Senegal Macky Sall

DAKAR: A number of ministers of information and culture from OIC Member States gathered in Dakar, Senegal, on April 2829 to attend the 10th Session of the OIC Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC).

The event—held under the theme, “Role of the Youth and Media for Peace and Stability in the Muslim World”—was inaugurated by President of Senegal Macky Sall, who is also Chairman of the COMIAC. During his opening speech, Sall spoke about the difficulties that the Muslim Ummah is presently experiencing, which he attributed to a small group acting in the name of Islam in a manner that is negatively impacting the image of Muslims in general.

He added that holding the 10th COMIAC Session amid the growing challenges facing the Muslim world brings to the fore the important role that the youth needs to play as the future of the Ummah. He also emphasized the need to give the youth opportunities to play a positive and constructive role in society and in the Ummah, and called for a coalition of youths to spread peace and project the true image of Islam.

Citing examples from Islamic history when Muslims were at the forefront of cultural and academic exchanges, Sall touched on Baghdad’s Bayt Al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) during the Abbasid period and spoke about prominent Muslim scientists who enriched mankind’s understanding of the world, such as Al-Khawarzimi, Avicenna, Averroes and Al-Ghazali.

These individuals and their achievements, he said, should be given the media attention they deserve. He also spoke about some contemporary positive achievements within the Muslim Ummah, such as the UAE’s hosting of the EXPO 2020 and Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup. On his part, OIC Secretary General Iyad

www.oic-oci.org

Social media key to highlight Israeli violations in Occupied Territories Ameen Madani thanked the Senegalese President for injecting a new spirit into the COMIAC. He said that the Muslim world is at present facing a number of threats, including Islamophobia and the media overkill on violence within the Muslim world. He also cited the harm that is being caused by the so-called Islamic State, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda.

Madani said that various tools and platforms need to be used to confront these challenges. He named COMIAC as one such platform, and called for the Islamic Broadcasting Union (IBU) and the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) to play a more significant role.

The Secretary General further stressed that the resolutions reached at the Dakar meeting must be translated into tangible actions to effectively counter Islamophobia and sectarianism within the Muslim world.

He cited a number of resolutions that were considered at the session, including resolutions on Palestine. He further renewed his call for the wider Muslim Ummah to support the people of Al-Quds and their struggle against Israeli Occupation by visiting AlAqsa Mosque. He said that the OIC is also in the process of establishing an office in Ramallah in relation to this.

The two-day meeting resulted in the adoption of the Dakar Declaration, which emphasizes the importance of spreading Islam’s universal message of peace and solidarity through appropriate channels.

The declaration also underscores the need for efforts to responsibly use new media in achieving this.

Other resolutions included supporting dialogue efforts between people of different civilizations and cultures, supporting the OIC and its affiliated organs in this, and countering stereotypes about Islam and Muslims.

Similarly, the meeting also led to calls for activating a Council of Ambassadors of Member States residing in Europe and the Americas to organize cultural and artistic events to shed light on the true image of Islam and disseminate information about Islamic culture to reduce Islamophobia.

In relation to Palestine, the Member States were called on to direct their media to carry out media campaigns about Al-Quds from various political, economic, cultural, social and tourism angles, especially since the city has been named the Capital of Islamic Tourism of the Year.

The importance of the media in supporting Al-Quds and Palestine was also highlighted, and journalists from OIC Member States were called on to use the social media to highlight the Palestinian cause and the brutality of Israeli Occupation.

With the goal of revamping the COMIAC and strengthening its role, the meeting called on Member States and relevant bodies to support the body. Participants also expressed their appreciation over the concept paper prepared by the Department of Information at the OIC on the establishment of a taskforce to revamp the COMIAC. The session also urged the COMIAC office to coordinate the development of programs and activities for dialogue among cultures and civilizations, and establish links with prominent organizations that operate in this area, including the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Group of Friends and the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. There were also calls for the COMIAC to launch initiatives to enhance its image and set up an Internet presence by establishing a website.

The meeting also led to support for a resolution to launch an OIC Channel on the Internet.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 49

Media

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai

The Secretary General speaks about the realities of the Muslim world at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai

T

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, spoke at the opening session of the Arab Media Forum in Dubai about the realities of the Muslim world at this critical stage of its history. In his speech he stressed that Muslims are in need more than ever to form a new mechanism for predicting political crises before they occur and inflate. He also stressed that Muslims need to know each other more and not be mollified with rhetoric of belonging to the same identity and civilization.

The Secretary General gave a broad overview of the different activities and fields of interest of the OIC including the Palestinian issue, various political issues, humanitarian aid, economic programs, advocating women’s rights and human rights based on Islamic principles as well as promoting intercultural dialogue. Madani went on to say that the Muslim world is facing major challenges some of which originate from inside, pointing to the importance of identifying the roots and background that led to the stereotyping of Muslims. He added that Muslims share a common identity and civilization but this cultural reservoir is being subjected today to destruction. Madani

also stressed on the importance of having a discourse on human rights from an Islamic perspective, and that freedom of expression does not mean mocking a religion, rather there should be clear boundaries that guarantee a reasonable definition for freedom of expression.

Madani said that marginalizing groups on their race, religion or any other basis leads to violence, and he called on Muslim societies to open the doors and windows of hope for the new generation so that they don’t fall victims to terrorism. He said that giving attention to the youth should be through raising the value of education and knowledge and employing advanced technology, which will be the topic of the Islamic Summit for Science and Technology to be held this year.

During the dialogue session with the Secretary General, following the opening session, and held under the title “Stereotypes: Islam and Muslims”, Madani dismissed undermining the role of the media and said that it is not a game but a form of political capabilities. He refused the use of religion or sect as a tool for expansion and interference in the affairs of another country. Madani said that the region needs a new paradigm that

removes the reasons for discord among its countries and search for commonalities and consider common interests. He called for avoiding the fall into believing the stereotype drawn by the West of the Muslim world as stagnant and to refute this image, especially that Muslims are a people of civilization and their societies are rich with ideas and initiatives. He also called to not limit the Muslim world to one region.

The Arab Media Forum in its 14th edition was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on 12 May 2015, with the attendance of Councilor Adli Mansour, former president of Egypt, His Excellency Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Qirqawy, Minister of the Council of Ministers Affairs of UAE, Sheikh Salman Sobah Alsalem Alhamoud Al Sobah, Minister of Information and Youth Affairs of Kuwait, and a large gathering of Arab and international media leaders and personalities. During the two days of forum, which was titled “New prospective”, several sessions and workshops were held addressing the new media, covering events in the region and the new prospective of the media as well as many other issues.

OIC, IINA Sign MOU: Join hands to counter Islamophobia JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) have agreed to join hands in combating terrorism and countering Islamophobia.

Maha Mustafa Akeel, Director of the OIC Department of Information, and Ali Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, Director General of IINA, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard at a ceremony held at the OIC headquarters on July 9.

50 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

The MoU aims at strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual concern as well as implementing resolutions adopted by the Conference of Information Ministers of OIC Member States. Under the agreement, IINA will undertake text, image and video coverage of the activities of the OIC General Secretariat and send them to news agencies across the Islamic world.

Both parties will organize workshops and training sessions for staff members as well

as for journalists from the Islamic world.

The agreement also stipulates holding joint projects and programs aimed at creating awareness about issues concerning the Islamic Ummah, especially countering Islamophobia and combating extremism and terrorism.

IINA is a specialized organ of the OIC. It is based in Jeddah and was established in 1972 by a resolution adopted at the Third Conference of OIC Foreign Ministers.

www.oic-oci.org

FAMILY

AFFAirs

Resolution by OIC on Protecting the Family receives majority vote at the UNHRC

A

resolution on Protection of the Family that warns of the “increasing vulnerabilities” facing the family unit was adopted on 3 July 2015 at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The resolution was sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and was voted for by the majority of the HRC member states. It reaffirms that the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Focusing on the importance of the family, the resolution urges Member States to create a conducive environment to strengthen and support all families, recognizing that equality between women and men and respect for all the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all family members are essential to family well-being and to society

at large. It addresses the rights of the child and children and persons with disabilities; and notes that single-headed households, child-headed households and intergenerational households are particularly vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion, and resolves to pay particular attention to family units headed by women and children.

The resolution stresses on the equality between women and men, women’s equal participation in employment and shared parental responsibility; and regrets that women’s social and economic contributions to the welfare of the family and the social significance of maternity and paternity continue to be inadequately addressed and emphasizes the need to consistently address such imbalances.

Furthermore, the resolution urges States, in accordance with their respective obligations

under international human rights law, to provide the family, as the natural and fundamental group unit of the society, with effective protection and assistance. It encourages States in this regard to take measures including creating family-friendly policies; designing, implementing and promoting family-sensitive policies in the field of housing, work, health, social security and education; analysing policies and programmes in the economy sectors with respect to their impact on family well-being and conditions; addressing the causes and mitigating the consequences of family disintegration; working towards reducing poverty; and strengthening or, if necessary, establishing relevant national agencies or governmental bodies responsible for the implementation and monitoring of family policies.

OIC activities in the area of youth

In OIC Member States, the high youth demography provides tremendous potential for development. While youth percentages in much of the developed world continue to decline, recent statistics show that the annual percentage growth of youth between 17-25 years in OIC Member States is expected to increase to 34 percent by 2050.

This growth, however, will eventually lead to major challenges, particularly in the fields of development and social security. Statistics also show that the majority of youth in OIC countries are predominantly inactive, with unemployment rates steadily increasing, making this group vulnerable to social and psychological problems including radicalization. This speaks of a clear need to strategize and prioritize in the field of youth empowerment, as well as to develop a comprehensive strategy for youth development, finding solutions for emerging youth issues, and collaborating with regional and international organizations.

According to OIC research reports of 2015, youth populations in institutes of education in OIC countries have witnessed an increase in the period of 2000-2013, something that also highlights the

www.oic-oci.org

need to merge the educational system in Member States with the needs of both society and the labor market to ensure effective and sustainable response of education to the growing challenges and demands of the labor market.

Among the OIC priorities is to enhance youth participation in development, develop youth professional skills, further expand their capacities so that they can meet arising challenges and address security challenges. It is with this objective of advancing youth groups in OIC Member States that the OIC is working closely with youth institutions. For instance, the General Secretariat has participated in many seminars, conferences and workshops on youth issues.

The OIC has also held two ministerial conferences on youth and sports in Jeddah in May 2007 and March 2014. A third ministerial conference to be held in Turkey in 2016 is expected to outline the OIC’s strategy on empowering youth between 2016 and 2025. This conference will represent the implementation of an earlier decision to involve the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in the drafting of a strategy for youth.

Moreover, in recognition of its mandate, the OIC General Secretariat established a branch in the Department of Cultural, Social and Family Affairs solely concerned with youth-related issues. Institutions concerned with youth such as the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), the International Union of Muslim Scouts, and ISESCO also share the responsibility of building a better future for our youth. On the side-lines of the 42nd Council of Foreign Ministers, OIC Secretary General lyad Ameen Madani invited these organizations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance coordination. Among the priorities of the memorandum was to initiate a joint committee on youth issues and challenges which will also assess the role of stakeholders involved in the second Ten-Year Program of 2016-2025.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 51

Family

AFFAIRS

Marriage at 14 The Stolen Childhood of Cameroon Girls YAOUNDÉ (dpa): Emmanuel Ocasses’s childhood came to an end at the age of 14; after being raped and getting pregnant, her aunt forced her into marrying a 30-year-old man.

Two decades has passed since then, Ocasses now says she “never loved this man, and would have never married him, but because I had a child to take care of I had no other option.”

This is not an individual case in Cameroon; in fact, one out of every three young girls is forced into marriage. According to the United Nations Population Fund data, this is a very common phenomenon, especially in poor rural areas in the country.

Those girls do not only lose their childhood, but also 80 percent of them are denied the right to education, according to a UN study,

Cameroon’s Minister of the Advancement of Women and Family Marie Therese Abena Ondoa

52 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

not to mention many other unfortunate experiences they go through.

Certainly, this comes along with forcing these underage wives to have sexual intercourse, exposing them to the risk of AIDS infection, as a misconception prevails among the uneducated circles of the population that marrying an underage virgin girl prevents infection with the virus. Moreover, those girls are vulnerable to other sexually transmitted diseases, due to the lack of adequate awareness and care.

One of the main reasons behind the prevalence of underage marriage is polygamy, which is common in the Cameroon. Young girls could also become pregnant, even when their bodies are not ready to tolerate the hardships of pregnancy, as observed by the United Nations Organization Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

A huge percentage of the girls face the risk of maternal death or complications during pregnancy that leads to death, which, at the same time, increases the chances of their offspring not surviving or to struggle without a family in the future even if they survived.

Francesca Moneti, a UNICEF official, elaborates by saying “it is a double tragedy; the girls have to face many kinds of violence and abuse that is not only limited to sexual abuse, but also no self protection methods are available for them financially or livelihood.”

According to official UN statistics, two out of five underage girls (below 18) are forcibly married in middle and west Africa, with Niger holding the highest percentage on

the global level within this framework, at 75 percent, Chad at 72 percent and Guinea at 63 percent.

However, as it is the case in many of the region’s countries, much more could be done to protect underage girls. Also, according to the law, marriage is not allowed under the age 15 for females and 18 for males and there should be consent by both sides, but this law is not paid attention.

Women’s Empowerment and the Family Minister, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, considers “selling girls as if they are personal property is unethical.” Nevertheless, despite her efforts, she has not succeeded in convincing the government with raising the legal age of marriage. There could be other reasons for the spread of this phenomenon, including the economic situation of Cameroon and level of education. According to the UN, one third of this African country’s population, which is around 22 million people, lives under the poverty line; hence, marrying off their daughters is considered in some cases a strategy to enhance their socio-economic situation.

The Ocasses’ story is similar to that, as her aunt received quite a good “gratuity” from the man she forced Ocasses to marry, and after three years of marriage she had two kids. After her husband’s death, she was left alone with an infant and two children unable to support them. However, with the help of a non-governmental organization, and after several months of struggling for a living, she managed to open her own stall in an attempt to recover what she lost of her life.

www.oic-oci.org

OPINION OIC Member States and the Fight against Child Labor

T Dr. Fadila Grine Director of Family and Social Affairs at the OIC

Education as a protective factor against child labor represents a critical area for OIC member states, which have made significant success in terms of literacy, school enrolment and completion rates since the 1990s

www.oic-oci.org

he International Labor Organization (ILO) defines Child Labor as ‘the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend a school that is mentally physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful.” In the last decade, the global efforts of the International Community towards improving children welfare and fighting against child labor has resulted in a drop by the third of the number of children workers worldwide. Child labor is prohibited in the majority of OIC member states who have adopted related legislations with severe restrictions on child labor; this however, does not dismiss the fact that serious conditions of poverty continue to exist in member states, and in spite of current efforts, millions of children are likely to continue being pushed into the vicious cycle of child labor.

Recent reports by UNICEF estimate a number of 106 million children ages 5-14 who are engaged in child labor. The Global child labor figure is 13.9%, but OIC member states had a prevalence of 13.5%.

Child labor rates are particularly high in OIC member states of the African Sub-Saharan region. Cameroon, for instance, has a percentage of 41.7, as well as Somalia (49%), Burkina Faso (39.2%), and Guinea-Bissau (38%). There are however, other OIC member states that are not located in the African Sub-Saharan region, where Child Labor could be found such as Jordan (1.6%), Lebanon (1.9%), Tunisia (2.1%) and Kazakhstan (2.2%). Overall, prevalence of child labor was above 20% in 15 OIC countries whereas this ratio is below 10% in 18 OIC countries.

Globally speaking, OIC member states are characterized by the youngest demographic distribution and are under huge demand for health care, schooling, food and nutrition, recreation, social protection and welfare services. Now more than ever, member states are under the pressure of investing in these critical areas of development, and establishing proper policies and implementation mechanisms to battle poverty and ultimately eradicate child labor.

The Response of the OIC Education as a protective factor against child labor represents a critical area for OIC member states, which have made significant success in terms of literacy, school enrolment and completion rates since the 1990s. However, member states have a long road ahead before reaching the desired education status. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has always dedicated extensive efforts to promote childcare and protection of children’s rights and well-being in the world in pursuance of the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the 1989 Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, the OIC Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam (adopted in the 32nd Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, Yemen), the Ten Year Program of Action (2005-2015); and the Tenth Islamic Summit decision’s on children. ISESCO as OIC’s subsidiary organ has also organized four Islamic Conferences of Ministers in-charge of Childhood in (Rabat, 2005), (Khartoum, 2009), (Tripoli, 2011) and (Baku, 2013). The Department of Social and Family Affairs, established in the year of 2010, was assigned with the responsibility of working towards safeguarding the wellbeing of children and addressing global issues such as child labor.

The 5th upcoming Ministerial Conference for Childhood will be held this year in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The conference will discuss important strategies in the fight against child labor which include moving children workers back to classroom through flexible learning programs, providing opportunities for children left behind in education, and safeguarding children from dropping out of school by way of improving the quality of education and integrating life skills and livelihood components. The conference will also encourage participating member states on the vital need for a rigorous enforcement of laws and regulations against child labor as well as follow up with the Member States to acquire the required quorum for the ratification of the Child Charter.

The OIC encourages civil societies and media in member states to continue their work and dedication to further curb the percentage of child labor through educational and awareness programs that would help the public correct their views and attitudes on the detrimental effects of child labor on society and its future. Today, the OIC continues to assume its role of coordination and building cooperation, and works closely with related ministries and institutions in the development of an integrated response to the problem of child labor.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 53

HEALTH

Calls for OIC Member States to

Continue Controlling and Eliminating Malaria

JEDDAH: In the run up to World Malaria Day, which is annually commemorated on April 25, leaders from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership organized a town hall meeting and photo exhibition at the IDB headquarters in Jeddah on April 23 to raise awareness about malaria in OIC countries.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani called on OIC Member States to continue to give attention to controlling and eliminating malaria. In his speech, delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Naim Khan, Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, Madani further highlighted the centrality of health to overall socio-economic and human development.

Health is a priority issue on the OIC agenda with disease prevention and control one of the six major thrusts of the OIC Strategic Health Program of Action. Madani reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to further strengthening its ongoing collaboration with RBM and the Global Fund.

He also appealed to donor countries, organizations and philanthropists in the OIC region to increase their contributions for efforts to control and eliminate malaria.

Leveraging the importance of World Malaria Day under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), participants highlighted the progress made against preventable and treatable diseases over the past 15 years. They also called for increased and collective action to advance efforts towards malaria elimination, particularly in OIC countries.

IDB President Ahmad Mohamed Ali said that human development is the cornerstone of the IDB’s developmental activities, which can only be achieved by completely eradicating diseases like malaria which has become a health challenge in member countries.

“We must work together to ensure that malaria is consigned to the dustbin of history. We cannot talk about development without hav-

54 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

ing a healthy society. Malaria should be seen as a global problem that must be solved once and for all, and the IDB is committed to play its role,” he added.

Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, executive director of the RBM Partnership, spoke about the battle to eradicate malaria. “We have seen tremendous progress in recent years—including in some OIC countries—but much work remains as we transition to a new post-2015 development agenda and set our sights on ambitious elimination targets,” she said.

“Increased financing will be critical so we can continue saving lives and driving development efforts. I urge leaders from OIC member states—endemic and donor countries alike—to increase their commitment to malaria control and elimination efforts so communities in these countries might thrive,” she added.

During the meeting, the experiences of OIC countries were shared

by Senegal’s Minister of Health Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Turkey’s Minister of Health Mehmet Muezzeinoglu, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Health Abdulaziz bin Saeed and Indonesia’s Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health Dr. Mohamad Subuh.

Despite efforts, the World Health Organization estimates there are an estimated 198 million cases of malaria around the world each year, claiming the lives of approximately 584,000 people, nearly 80 percent of who are children under five.

With an estimated 131 million cases and 402,000 associated deaths each year, OIC countries account for more than half of all malaria cases globally. Roughly 85 percent of malaria cases occurring in OIC countries are in sub-Saharan African member states.

Today, 13 OIC countries are among the 23 most malaria-affected nations worldwide, making up nearly 80 percent of global cases.

These countries include Nigeria, Uganda, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Niger, Guinea, Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, Pakistan and Benin. In sub-Saharan Africa specifically, 12 OIC countries are included in the list of the 18 highest-burden

www.oic-oci.org

HEALTH malaria-endemic countries, which together accounted for 90 percent of malaria infections in the region in 2013.

With more than half of the world’s population at risk of infection, malaria presents an alarming threat to global development.

Each year, malaria costs the African continent—home to 23 OIC countries—an estimated minimum of $12 billion in lost productivity, and in some high-burden countries it can account for as much as 40 percent of public health expenditure.

With increased financing and greater coordination under the RBM Partnership, malaria mortality rates have decreased by 47 percent worldwide and 54 percent in Africa alone since 2000. Since 2001, it is estimated that more than 4 million malaria-related deaths have been averted.

Malaria has consistently proven to be one of the most cost-effective health interventions in history, with related interventions saving lives and advancing broader development efforts by reducing school absenteeism, fighting poverty, increas-

ing gender parity and improving maternal and child health, among others. Lives saved from malaria control interventions have been linked to a 20 percent of reduction in child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa since 2000, creating a healthier generation of youth and driving progress.

For OIC member states, strong political leadership and support from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has seen more than $4 billion for malaria control and elimination projects since 2002, including more than 210 million insecticidetreated nets distributed and millions of malaria cases treated in accordance with effective national guidelines.

Yet much work remains to overcome the disproportionate burden malaria continues to place on OIC communities around the world. Throughout the discussion in Jeddah, leaders called for stronger commitment by governments, philanthropists and non-governmental organizations, urging action to ensure all necessary measures are taken to eliminate malaria in OIC countries

by 2030.

Increased financing will be critical to further advancements, as current international and domestic financing for malaria of $2.5 billion in 2012 amounts to less than half of the $5.1 billion RBM estimates is needed annually through 2020 to achieve universal coverage of malaria control interventions.

OIC countries in Africa alone face a funding gap of an estimated $2.8 billion through 2017 for an adequate scale-up of malaria control and elimination interventions.

World Malaria Day was instituted by World Health Organization (WHO) Member States during the 2007 World Health Assembly and is celebrated on April 25 each year to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination. The theme for the 2013-2015 campaign is “Invest in the Future. Defeat malaria.” The RBM Partnership is the global framework for coordinated action against malaria. It was founded in 1998 by UNICEF, WHO, UNDP and the World Bank.

Progress towards self-reliance of vaccines in OIC region

T

he Second Meeting of the OIC Vaccine Manufacturers Group, held in Tunis on 12-13 May 2015, reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Plan of Action Towards Self-reliance of Vaccines in the OIC region.

The Meeting was hosted and chaired by Institut Pasteur de Tunis and was attended by representatives of the vaccine manufacturers from Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and Senegal. The Meeting was also attended by officials from the Ministries of Health of Malaysia and Turkey, and the representatives of OIC General Secretariat, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Global Alliance for Vaccine (GAVI).

The Meeting took note with appreciation of the ongoing collaboration between the various Group Members (BioFarma of Indonesia and Institut Pasteur of Tunis as well Chemical company (CCM) of Malaysia and Institut Pasteur of Tunis, and encouraged such efforts aimed at pooling resources between different companies to achieve common objectives.

The Meeting also observed some of the challenges facing the manufacturers ranging from inadequate resources to conduct the necessary research to the non-func-

www.oic-oci.org

tionality of National Regulatory Authorities (NRA) in their respective countries which is a pre-requisite for them to be pre-qualified

by WHO to manufacture Vaccines.

Consequently, the Meeting agreed on practical steps to promote joint research and production through the establishment of a

Centre of Excellence on Vaccines. Also, the issue of training and capacity building for the Group Members was highlighted during the deliberations and it was agreed that a number of training sessions would be conducted.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 55

environMent First Meeting of National Focal Points for OIC Water Vision

T

he First Meeting of National Focal Points for the OIC Water Vision was held in Istanbul, Turkey on 3-5 June 2015. The meeting was attended by the National Focal Points from OIC Member States, relevant OIC Institutions namely COMTECH, SESRIC, IDB and ISECO as well as observers. It addressed two issues: laying a foundation for future cooperation among the NFPs in implementation of the OIC Water Vision by providing a forum for networking, exchange of experiences and knowledge sharing; and to prepare for the 3rd session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers responsible for Water Affairs (ICMW) scheduled to be held in Istanbul, Turkey on 2-4 November 2015.

Regarding the first issue, The NFPs utilized the three-day Meeting to exchange information on water resources management in their respective countries. They also identified areas of possible collaboration and concrete offers were made by countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia and Uzbekistan to share success stories with their counterparts from other countries within the framework of OIC water Vision. The participants also agreed to expedite the completion of the questionnaire designed to assess the capabilities available to them and identify gaps to facilitate the process of matching the capacities with their needs and requested all other Member States not participating in the meeting to do so. The

Meeting further agreed to establish a database of Water experts in the OIC region who could be called upon to provide onsite training and any other technical support to Member States that may require.

As for preparation for the 3rd session of the ICMW, the Meeting considered the draft working documents and agreed that further virtual discussion through the web portal designed for that purpose, is still needed to finalize them. A roadmap with a clear allocation of responsibilities was drawn to ensure that all the documents will be submitted to a Meeting of Senior officials on 2nd November 2015 for review and submission to the Ministers for consideration and adoption.

New calculations to improve carbon dioxide monitoring from space: Report

London, (IINA) - How light of different colors is absorbed by carbon dioxide (CO2) can now be accurately predicted using new calculations developed by a University College London -led team of scientists. This will help climate scientists studying earth’s greenhouse gas emissions to better interpret data collected from satellites and ground stations measuring CO2, University College London reported.

By improving the understanding of how much radiation CO2 absorbs, uncertainties in modelling climate change will be

56 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

reduced and predictions that are more accurate can be made about how much earth is likely to warm over the next few decades.

Previous methods were only accurate to about 5 percent at best across all wavelengths, whereas the new calculations give an accuracy of 0.3 percent. This improvement will enable missions to achieve their goals, which demand an accuracy of 0.3-0.5 percent say the team of scientists.

The study, published in Physical Review Letters by researchers from UCL, the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA) and Nicolaus Copernicus University (Poland), shows how the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics can be used to predict precisely how light of different colors is absorbed by CO2.

This will help climate scientist’s work out how CO2 evolves in the atmosphere and pinpoint where it is being produced.

Supervising author, Professor Jonathan Tennyson, UCL Physics & Astronomy, said: “Billions of dollars are currently being spent on satellites that monitor what seems to be the inexorable growth of CO2 in our atmospheres.”

The team used calculations based on quantum mechanical equations to predict the chances of a CO2 molecule absorbing different colors of light, which have defined energies. These predictions, made using powerful computers, were verified using

highly precise measurements taken using an extremely sensitive technique called ‘cavity-ring down spectroscopy’. This method simulates the distances in space across which absorption measurements are taken, but in a sample length of 75 cm.

Lead author, Dr. Oleg Polyansky, UCL Physics & Astronomy, said: “We have long known the exact quantum mechanical equations obeyed by a molecule like CO2; however these equations are much too complicated to solve explicitly. But the combination of modern computers and novel treatments of the problem mean that we can now use quantum theory to calculate how strongly CO2 absorbs light at each wavelength.”

Dr. Joseph Hodges, from the National Institute of Science and Technology in Gaithersburg, USA who led the team measuring the spectrum of CO2 in the laboratory, said: “These measurements are very challenging so we could only make precise lab measurements at a few wavelengths.

Where we were able to make measurements, the agreement with the calculations is excellent which enables us to have full confidence in Dr. Polyansky’s calculations.”

The results will allow atmospheric scientists to monitor how CO2 evolves in Earth’s atmosphere, where is produced and moves to, all of which are key to understanding the atmosphere, monitoring human behavior and the future of our planet.

www.oic-oci.org

ECONOMY Lake Victoria the Main Source of the Nile is Dying Slowly

KAMPALA (dpa): Next to his empty boat, Joseph Kibuli sits contemplating by the quiet waters of Lake Victoria, “Three years ago, I used to catch 100 kg of fish per day,” he says, lamenting the past glory days.

Nowadays, this Ugandan fisherman’s outcome does not exceed 30 kg a day, while on other days he does not succeed in catching anything at all. “If none of the officials take action immediately, this water will turn into a desert,” he added.

Kibuli makes his living mostly on the shores of a town located 70 kilometers south Kampala, capital of Uganda; however, experts are warning that the second largest freshwater lake in the world might lose its capacity to support the millions currently dependent on.

Lake Victoria spreads over 69,000 square meters area in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, but the situation is most tragic in the first, where unregulated fishing practices and population census is increasing, as well as water pollution, which all led to a partial biological death of the ecosystem of the lake.

The director of NAPE environmental group, Frank Muramuzi, says “Nurseries for flowers are found along the lake on the Ugandan part, which pours chemicals in its water, causing the elimination of fish and the destruction of the environmental diversity.”

www.oic-oci.org

Similarly, there are several fish-based industries, but at the same time they cause water pollution, hence Muramuzi believes that “the Lake is slowly dying, and the environmental impacts resulting from this cannot be treated in any possible way.”

For her part, the spokeswoman of the Environmental Protection Agency, Naomi Namara, said that the waste and remains of factories pollute the lake drastically, and latest studies show that fishes such as tilapia are already not spawning on the Lake Victoria’s shores, because they are unclean and lack adequate oxygen, and added “they swim from one place to another leaving their eggs without fertilization.”

This happens while the growing number of people residing alongside the lake try to pursue a living through fishing; with more than a million Ugandans live in the region, the number is considered relatively high compared to the low number of fishes.

In 2007, Uganda produced almost 500 thousand tons of freshwater fishes, of which 223 thousand from Lake Victoria.

According to the National Institute for Statistics, this number has decreased six years later to become 193 thousand tons. For instance, between 2011 and 2012, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated a 6.8% drop; nevertheless, Uganda is still the largest producer of

freshwater fishes in Africa.

Among the main issues faced in Uganda are the prohibited fishing methods, such as using nets which could catch different sizes of fishes, and other types that are unauthorized. Not to mention throwing away old unusable nets in the water, causing an increase in environmental pollution rates, thus damaging its natural life cycle.

Fishing expert, Juma Isabirye, says “We Ugandans fish in all directions, while fishes are always on the run. The problem is that when the fish is anxious they do not lay eggs,” which explains the decrease in the current quantity of fish in Lake Victoria.

Revealing the difficulty of the situation was the decision by the government to send military personnel and crews to arrest those using unauthorized methods. Except that analysts claim that the authorities are being bribed to allow for the continuation of these wrong practices, while powerful politicians are not doing what it takes to save the life of Lake Victoria.

Meanwhile, ecologists believe in the need for a rest period every two or three months where fishing is prevented, to allow fishes to lay their eggs without annoyances. The main obstacle remains in the absence of guaranteeing the implementation of the procedure.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 57

ECONOMY 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of IDB

Development Projects worth $450 million approved Medium-term Sukuk Issuance Program raised to $25 billion selves from international markets.

Close collaboration between OIC and IDB

President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi (left) speaks in Maputo with IDBG President Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali (right) listening

MAPUTO: Development projects worth $450 million were approved during the 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDBG) held in Maputo, Mozambique on June 7-11.

Political and business leaders from Islamic countries across the world convened in Maputo for the yearly meeting, the first to be held in the southern most part of Africa.

The meeting also saw the current limit of the IDB’s medium-term Sukuk Issuance Program raised from $10 million to $25 billion.

Chaired by IDBG President Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, the board of executive directors meeting was also attended by President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi. A speech was also delivered on behalf of OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani by Assistant Secretary General for OIC Economic Affairs Ambassador Hameed A. Opeloyeru.

In his opening speech, Ali thanked President Nyusi for attending and hosting the conference. He further congratulated Mozambique on its 40th anniversary of freedom from colonialism, and praised the solid ties between Mozambique and the IDB since becoming a member in November 1995.

Ali mentioned that Mozambique is beaming with economic potential, especially with the discovery of more than 20 percent of

58 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

Africa’s total gas reserve in the country. As a result, he called on IDB member countries to seize business opportunities in the country.

“The Islamic Development Bank would be very pleased to facilitate the means for investors in the member countries who wish to renew contact with, invest and trade in Mozambique. This is the least that is required in the obligation to restore the links between the Muslim world and this precious land,” he said.

The raise in the Sukuk limit follows the ongoing success of the Sukuk Issuance Program since its launch in 2003. For over 12 consecutive years, the IDB has been rated AAA, the highest international credit rating available from the world’s three major international credit rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s.

The IDB is also designated as a “Zero-Risk Weighted” Multilateral Development Bank by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2004 and by the European Commission in 2007.

Funds raised as part of the IDB’s Sukuk program have been utilized to finance development programs in member countries, particularly infrastructure projects. This is at a cost much lower than that of beneficiary countries if they raised the funds them-

In his speech, Madani said the OIC is implementing a plan to develop microfinance institutions in Member States. He also called on the board to approve the implementation of a number of decisions issued at the 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. These resolutions include the mobilization of additional resources for the Islamic Solidarity Bank for Development (ISFD), the elaboration of a successor program to the Special Program for the Development of Africa (SPDA) as a way of consolidating on the gains realized under the first SPDA, the proposed convening of an OIC Stakeholders Forum on Unified Halal Food Standards and Procedures in creating a binding OIC Halal Food Standard, the execution of the DakarBamako-Sikasso-Bobo-Dioulasso railway segment of the OIC Dakar-Port Sudan Railway Project, the convening of a Workshop of Microfinance institutions of OIC member states, and proposed conferences on Islamic Social Finance, Sadaqa, Zakat, and Waqf.

He also spoke about the close collaboration between the OIC General Secretariat and the IDBG, which among others resulted in the convening of the First Investment Forum on Central Asia in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in October last year. The meeting led to a number of projects being identified, including a hydro-energy transmission project.

He further elaborated on OIC collaborating with the IDBG in the social and humanitarian fields, including the OIC Orphanage Project in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, as well emergency relief work in Syria, Yemen, the Central African Republic and the Philippines.

“Finally, I wish to place on record our appreciation of the excellent working relationship existing between the management of the IDB Group and the OIC General Secretariat,” said Madani.

“I am convinced that this fruitful collaboration will impact positively on our joint endeavor as we seek to advance the cause of rapid socio-economic development in our member states,” he added.

www.oic-oci.org

ECONOMY

$450 million worth of development projects The $450 million worth of development projects that the IDBG approved include a $200 million electricity project in Mozambique; $70 million to import agricultural equipment to Kazakhstan; two electricity projects worth $71.5 million in Senegal; $30 million in support of a micro-financing program in Benin; $28.5 million for the second phase of a rural development project in Cameroon; $20.7 million for a road construction project in Togo; $8.3 million for a project to upgrade a technical teacher training institute in Bangladesh; $8 million for

a sustainable housing project for low-income people in Bangladesh; $12 million to reconstruct an alternative 50 km expressway in the Kyrgyz Republic; $200,000 for a school owned by the Canadian Muslims League in Canada; $200,000 to a hospital expansion project in Kenya; $120,000 to a primary school in South Africa; and $259,000 to prepare a feasibility study for forest value chain projects in Cameroon.

The IDB Group has, since its inception, provided over the past 40 years financing worth $33 billion in Africa. The first project approved by the Bank was the Song Loulou Hydro-electric Dam project in Cameroon in October 1976 that cost $7 million.

The group has also financed a number of flagship development programs in Africa, including the Special Program for Development of Africa (SPDA) which was implemented during 2008-2012 with an investment of $12 billion to which the IDB Group contributed $5 billion.

Despite efforts of African countries and financing provided by development partners,

the African continent continues to face a number of challenges, particularly a high rate of poverty and low GDP per capita.

Huge financing gaps hinder much needed infrastructure development in Africa.

Aside from the Board of Governors meeting, four other meetings of the IDB Group’s General Assemblies took place in Maputo during the four days. These included the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Board of Governors of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the 8th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), the 15th General Assembly of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the 10th General Assembly of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

The IDB was established in 1973 by members of the OIC, and officially started operating in 1975. The bank aims to contribute to the social and economic development of member countries and Muslim communities individually in line with the principles of Islam. The bank has provided finance worth more than $104 billion to member countries in total since starting operations.

IDB and the Gates Foundation to raise $500 million to address poverty A high level event was also held on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting in which the IDB signed an agreement with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to raise $500 million over the next five years for a grant facility to address poverty and diseases in IDB member countries. The fund will be known as The Lives & Livelihoods Fund.

Each will contribute $100 million and the remaining $300 million will come from other donors and partners.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is one of the world’s largest private foundations with a $40 billion endowment, seeks to tackle disease and poverty in developing nations.

The IDB, the Gates Foundation and other donors will, through the fund, support over five years of poverty-focused programs worth $2.5 billion in primary healthcare, disease control, smallholder agriculture and basic rural infrastructure in IDB member countries, especially in low income countries.

“We hope to be able to commence opera-

www.oic-oci.org

tions in early 2016,» said Ali. Bill Gates said, “We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the quality of life for each

of the nearly 2 billion people living in the bank’s member countries. It is an honor to join you in this historic effort.”

OIC Journal May - July 2015 59

ECONOMY CIBAFI and the World Bank sign Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation on Islamic finance The General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI), the global umbrella of Islamic financial institutions, and the World Bank announced on July 9, 2015 in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will help foster the development of Islamic finance globally and expand its use as an effective tool for financing development worldwide, including in non-Muslim countries.

The MoU serves as the foundation for future cooperation in the areas of knowledge generation and dissemination; distilling and sharing lessons of experience; encouraging research and promoting awareness; and enhancing capacity in the Islamic financial services industry.

Abayomi Alawode, Head of Islamic Finance, Finance & Markets Global Practices, World Bank said: “This signing underscores the World Bank’s commitment to the development of the Islamic financial services industry. As the industry expands, it will inevitably impact the way global finance evolves to support real sector economic activity and contribute to addressing the challenges of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. We look forward to working closely with CIBAFI to strengthen the institutional foundations of Islamic finance, enhance regulatory and supervisory frameworks, and share sound practices and lessons of experience in the industry, including sound practices relating to business practices, risk management and market development” Abdelilah Belatik, Secretary General of CIBAFI, said: “CIBAFI is pleased to sign this MoU with the World Bank. This partnership will strengthen CIBAFI’s role as the ‘voice’ of the industry and advocate for the Islamic financial services industry with other international organizations, international standard-setting organizations and regulatory and supervisory authorities as well as support its strategic objectives.”

CIBAFI is an international organization established in 2001 and headquartered in Bahrain. It is affiliated with the OIC and has nearly 120 members. CIBAFI represents the Islamic financial services industry globally, advocating for Islamic financial institutions and promoting the role of Islamic finance.

IDB Pledges US$360 million for Post-Ebola Recovery in Guinea and Sierra Leone The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has pledged to provide financing worth $360 million in support of a sustainable Post Ebola recovery effort for Guinea and Sierra Leone. The announcement was made by Sayed Aqa, IDB’s Vice President for Cooperation and Capacity Development on the occasion of the International Ebola Recovery Conference held in New York, United States on 10 July 2015.

The Conference was organized by the UN in which the Presidents of the three affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone participated, along with large number of representatives of the international community.

Aqa, representing the IDB President, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, stated that out of the $360 million, Guinea would receive US$220 million, while Sierra Leone would benefit from US$140 million. As for Liberia, which is not a member country, IDB will strengthen its efforts through partnership with other development agencies such as the Arab Coordination Group to support the Post-Ebola recovery

60 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

effort in that country.

“IDB values partnership with a view to enhancing its operations in all spheres of socio economic development. In this context, IDB has fostered cooperation with all UN and international agencies, multilateral development agencies, public and private institutions, NonGovernmental and Civil Society Organizations, Foundations and Philanthropists,” added Aqa. Commending the efforts of the UN in convening the conference, he recalled that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the IDB held a similar international conference in Jeddah during November 2014 to mobilize resources for the Ebola affected countries.

In addition, US$35 million was donated through the IDB, by the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to support the Ebola affected countries.

Uganda Hosts the Meeting of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture The Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the Statutory Meetings and Technical Committee of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), and Round Table Meeting for the ICCIA Members and Business to Business Meetings (B2B) in Kampala, Republic of Uganda on 26-27 April 2015 under the patronage of H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda. The meetings were attended by the Presidents of the Member Chambers and a large number of the private sector and the General Secretariat of OIC. President Museveni inaugurated the meetings. In his address, highlighted the potentials for investment in Uganda and the incentives given to the private sector. He invited the participants to take advantage of the facilities provided for investors and underlined the need for the private sector from various OIC Member States to support each other and expand their business ties. He also referred to the conducive economic environment in the East African Region and the advantages offered to the investors and traders.

Olive Z. Kigongo, President of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), also addressed the meetings. She welcomed the participants and hoped that this would open greater opportunities for the business community to interact.

H.E. Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, President of Islamic Chamber, then addressed the meeting and put the agenda forward. He thanked President Museveni for giving his support to the Islamic Chamber and underlined the need for the private sector of the member countries to expand their business ties and explore investment opportunities. He deliberated on various issues prescribed in their respective agenda covering the Halal, Ethics and Quality, Excellence and Innovation Awards; Establishment of the International Islamic Arbitration Centre; Trade Exchange Forums and Training Programs. He emphasized that despite the potentials existing within the Islamic countries, the level of Intra Islamic Trade is less than 20%.

The Secretary General of OIC, H.E. Iyad Ameen Madani, sent a message to the meeting, in which he congratulated the Islamic Chamber on their activities particularly the ongoing proposal of a Commercial Arbitration Center and the adoption of a unified Halal Trade Mark Certificate. The statement then referred to the initiatives taken by the OIC in organizing the OIC Stakeholders Forum on unified Halal Food Standards and Procedures in Jeddah, at the end of 2015.

www.oic-oci.org

ECONOMY With the World’s Population Increasing to 9 Billion

Hunger is the New Challenge

BUENOS AIRES (dpa): If changes are not introduced in the current system of global food production, hunger and malnutrition are expected to increase globally when the world’s population rises to 9 billion, a figure that the UN’s Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) expects will be the case in 2050 and something that it estimates will increase the demand for food by 70 percent.

With 805 million people in the world presently suffering from hunger, how can the dilemma surrounding food shortage be resolved in the future? The Milan International Fair (Expo Milan), which opened in May and will continue until October 1, is being specially held with this theme in mind: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.” The event is an opportunity to analyze one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, something that many view with immense pessimism.

Soledad Barruti, an Argentine journalist and author of “Malcomidos: How the Argentine Food Industry is Killing Us,” is of the view that there is at present a two-tier system for food production that operates in a parallel fashion.

In her book, Barruti criticizes the first system in which edibles are produced as goods and not as food. She adds that in this system food is produced in large amounts and does not feed the hungry.

The system instead causes hunger, malnutrition, obesity and a depletion of resources. The second system, she says, produces actual food and not goods. The amounts produced in this system, however, are far too less.

Barruti feels that the system which considers food as goods has begun to decline; for the first time life expectancy in developing countries has declined and so awareness about what is consumed is being created. She adds that it is true that industrial consumer-led agriculture is continuing. However, counter voices—such as US First Lady Michelle Obama who has vigorously defended organic farming—are now beginning to emerge.

Carlos Vicente from GRAIN, an organization that supports small farmers and social movements in their struggle for communitycontrolled and biodiversity-based food systems, says that the green

www.oic-oci.org

revolution is not interested in feeding the world.

Vicente feels that more food is produced than needed, and that according to FAO around a third of the food produced in the world for human consumption, in other words 300 billion tons, goes to waste every year.

This means that the problem is not in production but in distribution, he says. Vicente explains that it was during the 1960s when the process of creating food as goods began and that, since then, industrial agriculture has not stopped using chemical and genetic methods of producing more from land. He, however, adds that the food that was produced is not all for human consumption. A large portion is allocated to feed animals and produce bio-fuels.

Vicente says that although farmers have only 24 percent of land, they produce 70 percent of food. He adds that for tens of thousands of years, farmers have diversified their production of food and that they are able to continue doing this.

He adds that greater diversity in production generates more opportunities than agriculture that just focuses on one particular product.

He is also of the view that one can produce food without using chemicals and in larger quantities.

Dr. Walter Alberto Pengue, an agricultural engineer, professor and researcher at the National University of General Samiento, Argentina, says that this would be useful for small and medium-sized farmers in light of studies that demonstrate that environmentally friendly agriculture is profitable.

Pengue adds that if the world thinks that the present model of industrial agriculture model should be followed in the medium term, then we will always remain at the edge of hunger. This is because the industry is run by 10 groups which set prices and supply, and this is dangerous.

The researcher mentioned the 2008 global food crisis when prices increased and that FAO estimates that there are 30 to 40 countries in the world since then that have below the required rates of food.

With the continuation of the system that produces large quantities, devours fertile land and pollutes water, sources will run out sooner or later. Vicente says that humanity is at a crossroads; this extreme consumption of resources is not sustainable.

Pengue believes that one of the keys to solve the problem is to return to local production and diversification in a way that respects nature. Vicente says that there are specific experiences that show that food can be produced in different ways. On her part, Barruti stresses the need to demand policies that support producers who want to do things in a different way. She adds that if this does not materialize then the outcome will be that some will eat well and the remaining majority will get the rest of the waste.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 61

occasions Daesh: Prof. Peter Neumann, Director of the International Centre

for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence at King’s College in London and an expert on foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, attended a roundtable discussion with the OIC Secretary General and senior staff in May. Neumann talked about westerners, including women, who join DAESH and said there are three groups among them: the disillusioned, the disturbed and the dangerous.

Workshop: A workshop was held at the General Secretariat

within the framework of cooperation between the OIC (ICHAD) and the EU (ECHO) in the area of humanitarian assistance on April 26-27 with the participation of a high-level delegation from the EU. The EU Delegation underlined the important role played by the OIC in the Middle East in the humanitarian field. It also looked forward to promoting the EU Commission relations with the OIC in this regard.

UN-OIC Cooperation:

Ambassador Ufuk Gokcen, Permanent Representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to the United Nations, had a roundtable discussion with directors and staff from various departments at the OIC on enhancing cooperation with NGOs, the United Nations and the OIC office in New York.

The discussion commenced with Amb. Ufuk’s in depth and informative introduction to the UN system, known unofficially as the “UN family.”

Iftar: OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, hosted a Rama-

dan Iftar in which he invited members of the diplomatic corps and consuls of OIC Member States in Jeddah. The event was attended by a large number of consuls, dignitaries and OIC staff. The attendees exchanged blessed Ramadan wishes, and prayed for peace and tranquility within the Muslim world and an end to conflicts and wars.

62 OIC Journal

May - July 2015

www.oic-oci.org

COUNTRY PROFILE Qatar

Location and geography: The Qatari peninsula lies halfway along the west coast of the Gulf; its sole land border is shared with Saudi Arabia, neighboring the United Arabian Emirate and Bahrain.

Some of its affiliated islands include Halul, Shraouh, and Al-Asshat. The land mainly consists of a flat rocky plain, covered with a range of low limestone outcroppings in Jebel Dukhan in the west and Jebel Fuyart in the north. This plain is mostly marked by its many inland seas (Khors), bays and basins called (al-Riyadh) over the northern and middle areas that are considered to be the most fertile lands housing different natural plants.

History during the Islamic Period: Qatar was described as a famous horse and camel breeding centre during the Umayyad period. In the 8th century, it started benefiting from its commercially strategic position in the Gulf and went on to become a center of pearl trading.

Substantial development in the pearling industry around the Qatari Peninsula occurred during the Abbasid era.

Ships voyaging from Basra to India and China would make stops in Qatar’s ports during this period.

Chinese porcelain, West African coins, and artifacts from Thailand have been discovered in Qatar, affirming commercial exchanges.

www.oic-oci.org

Official name: State of Qatar Capital: Doha Population (2015): 2,374,860 Area: 11,521 km2 Official language: Arabic Currency: Qatari Riyal (QR)

Culture:

Qatar’s culture is similar to other countries in Eastern Arabia. Its culture is significantly influenced by Islam. Qatar National Day, hosted annually on 18 December, is observed on in remembrance of Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani’s succession to the throne and his subsequent unification of the country.

Arts and museums: Several senior members of Qatar’s ruling Al Thani family are noted collectors of Islamic and contemporary art.

The Museum of Islamic Art:

Opened in 2008, the museum is regarded as one of the significant museums in the region. This, and several other Qatari museums, like the Arab Museum of Modern Art, falls under the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) which is led by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the daughter of the former Emir of the State of Qatar.

The museum houses a collection of works gathered between the 7th century and the 19th century, including books, manuscripts, textiles, pieces of ceramic, metal, glass, ivory, textiles, wood, gems, and coins made of silver, copper, and bronze.

It is one of the world’s most complete collections of Islamic artifacts, which represents the diversity of Islamic art, with items

originating in Spain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India, and Central Asia.

Souq Waqif: Souq Waqif offers the bustle and vitality of old traditional souq with perfectly replicated buildings featuring traditional architecture. There you will find handicrafts on display as well as traditional foods and spices, perfumes, fabrics and art. Young Qataris are being encouraged to set up businesses promoting old crafts and traditional wares.

Mosques: Traditional Qatari mosques were made of coral rock, mud, and wood, as opposed to the mosques from the 21st century built of brick and mortar. These materials now allow the construction of high domes, replacing the flat roofs composed of four layers.

Moreover, traditional mosques featured courtyards, which are rarely seen in modern mosques.

FANAR center: Qatar Islamic Culture Center & Mosque (commonly known as Fanar) is a mosque in the capital, Doha. It is located close to the corniche road and is a prominent landmark in Doha Bay. With its unique minaret design, it is currently the largest mosque in Qatar, making it an attraction to many Muslim personalities.

OIC Journal May - July 2015 63

VIEWPOINT The Rohingya…the forgotten people

Maha Mostafa Akeel Chief Editor

With several member states suffering from its horrific manifestations and destabilizing effects and others from its consequences in the form of refugees and insecurity, terrorism and violent extremism was discussed by the foreign ministers from various angles,

64 OIC Journal

The plight of the Rohingya forced itself on the conscious of the international community in May when thousands of them were left stranded and adrift in the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca while escaping persecution in their home country Myanmar, only to find themselves abandoned by human traffickers and helpless on the shores of neighboring countries.

This human tragedy of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, considered by the United Nations as the most persecuted minority group in the world, caught the attention of the world media and revived the call and pressure to address the root causes of the crisis: namely, the dire situation of the Rohingya in Rakhine State of Myanmar as internally displaced people living in miserable conditions, the revocation of their citizenship in 1982 causing them to be discriminated against and attacked, and their right to return to their homes.

Following the situation closely, the OIC took immediate action at the political and humanitarian levels as is reported in this issue of the OIC Journal. In addition to being at the top of the agenda of the 42nd Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Kuwait on May 27, the OIC stepped up its humanitarian aid on the ground, with the assistance and contribution of various member states, and its political efforts at international fora, particularly with the successful adoption of an OIC-proposed resolution on the human rights of the Rohingya by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Going back to the CFM, the issue of counter terrorism and violent extremism was under the spotlight as a priority and necessity. With several member states suffering from its horrific manifestations and destabilizing effects and others from its consequences in the form of refugees and insecurity, terrorism and violent extremism was discussed by the foreign ministers from various angles, and the different aspects of confronting it was debated in a special brainstorming session. This OIC Journal issue provides detailed coverage of the CFM and all its sessions, side events and resolutions in a special report as well as a special interview with HRH Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

Two other important meetings that took place after the CFM at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah are also covered in this issue. The first is the “5th Session of the Istanbul Process.” The OIC hosting and holding the meeting in Jeddah was significant in itself let alone the topic, considering the debate and different opinions on UNHRC Resolution 16/18 on combating religious intolerance, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against people due to their religion or beliefs; the “Istanbul Process” is the implementation process that ensued from adopting the resolution. However, the meeting witnessed an open and fruitful discussion by the 90-plus participants from UN member states, academics, UN officials, independent experts, legal practitioners, NGOs, and media and civil society representatives.

The second event was the extraordinary meeting of the CFM on the situation in Yemen. With recent developments in the deteriorating crisis in Yemen it was necessary to hold this meeting, which was held at the request of the Republic of Yemen. After hearing from the foreign ministers and the President of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, the meeting decided to hold an international humanitarian relief conference and establish an OIC contact group on Yemen.

As with every issue of the OIC Journal, there is a sumptuous variety of topics and information from headline world news and conferences to OIC activities and events in the economic, humanitarian and cultural fields. Noteworthy are the reports on Islamophobia, intercultural dialogue and the media, and how these three issues interact, affect each other and influence society. The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held its 7th Session under the theme “Protecting Family Values” in which it reaffirmed the importance of family as the natural and fundamental unit of society, and an OIC-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC on protecting the family was adopted by a majority vote.

There is also the attention given to controlling and eliminating malaria by the OIC and its specialized institution, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which together with the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership organized a town hall meeting and photo exhibition at the IDB headquarters in Jeddah to raise awareness about malaria in OIC countries; 13 OIC countries are among the 23 most malaria-affected nations worldwide, making up nearly 80 percent of global cases.

Finally, the IDB held its 40th annual meeting of its board of governors in Mozambique where development projects worth $450 million were approved. On the sidelines of the meeting, a high level event was held in which the IDB signed an agreement with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to raise $500 million over the next five years for a grant facility to address poverty and diseases in IDB member countries. This is a very important step towards fighting poverty in Muslim countries, a priority area for the OIC.

May - July 2015

www.oic-oci.org

Islamic Summit on Science & Technology

Nurturing the Thinking Mind

w u k f o e Stat

t i a

Of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Islamabad, Pakistan 9-11 November 2015