OIC Journal - Issue 40 by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

May - August 2018

NumĂŠro Issue No. 40 37

The Rohingya Crisis Tops Priorities at 45 CFM in Bangladesh

International Ulama Conference on Peace and Stability in Afghanistan

About OIC

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secretary general. Dr. Yousef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen is the 11th Secretary General who assumed the office in November 2016. The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 40 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states. The Charter was amended to keep pace with the developments that have unraveled across the world. The present Charter of the OIC was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 to become the pillar of the OIC future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the 21st century. The Organization has the singular honor to galvanize the Ummah into a unified body and have actively represented the Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations. The Member States of the OIC face many challenges in the 21st century and to address those challenges, the third extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down the blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action. It has successfully concluded with the close of 2015. A successor programme for the next decade (2016-2025) has been adopted. The new programme OIC-2025 is anchored in the provisions of the OIC Charter and focuses on 18 priority areas with 107 goals. The priority areas include issues of Peace and Security, Palestine and Al-Quds, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-terrorism, Investment and Finance, Food Security, Science and Technology, Climate Change and Sustainability, Moderation, Culture and Interfaith Harmony, Empowerment of Women, Joint Islamic Humanitarian Action, Human Rights and Good Governance, among others. Among the OICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key bodies: the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee and three permanent committees concerned with science and technology, economy and trade, and information and culture. There are also specialized organs under the banner of the OIC including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as subsidiary and affiliate organs that play a vital role in boosting cooperation in various fields among the OIC member states.

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

OIC - OCI

OUR MESSAGE A Step towards National Reconciliation in Afghanistan

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

The King sent a message of hope and optimism to the Afghan people that the efforts of the distinguished scholars will help turn the page of the past and open up a new page of security and stability

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n a strong message to the Afghan people and to all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, over a hundred Muslim scholars from around the world gathered in Makkah Al-Mukarramah to condemn terrorist acts and intra-Muslim killings, and to reaffirm that the blood, property and honor of Muslims are sacrosanct and inviolable, as stipulated in the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s Tradition. This message confirms that the Muslim World, represented through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which convened this conference, stands with the Government and people of Afghanistan in their quest for peace and stability and their rejection of violence, extremism and killings which have claimed many lives and ravaged the country for four decades. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, known for its positions in support of Afghanistan’s political, humanitarian and economic interests, hosted the “International Ulama Conference on Peace and Security in Afghanistan” on July 10-11, 2018 in Jeddah and Makkah. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said in his statement when he received the scholars participating in the conference that Saudi Arabia has stood by the Afghan people in their suffering since the beginning of the crisis in Afghanistan. The King sent a message of hope and optimism to the Afghan people that the efforts of the distinguished scholars will help turn the page of the past and open up a new page of security and stability. I spoke with the Afghan scholars on the sidelines of the conference, and I felt their sincere intentions, that they are deeply concerned about the stability of their country. In fact, each and every one of them has suffered the pain of losing a relative who fell victim to explosions and terrorist acts. I was deeply moved, like all those present, by the words and tears of Sheikh Shafiq Samim, Vice-President of Afghanistan’s Ulama Council, who lost his brother in a Daesh suicide-bomb attack against a meeting of the Afghan Ulama Council that had issued a Fatwa (religious edict) prohibiting suicide attacks. No one can believe that those suicide bombers are driven by religious awareness and a genuine understanding of the religious texts that categorically prohibit such terrorist acts. Far removed from the true essence of Islam, they perpetrate these massacres while being subject to the vilest forms of psychological and financial exploitation. Amid this reality, Muslim scholars have a significant influential role to play in raising awareness and understanding among the Afghan people, so that they firmly stand in the face of extremist thought, and so that Islam, the religion of mercy and tolerance, will not be associated with terrorism and extremism. In the Makkah Declaration, the scholars called on all parties to the conflict to abide by Allah’s injunction, by ceasing hostilities and opting for reconciliation. They also called on Afghanistan’s Government and the Taliban Movement to observe the truce and the ceasefire, and to launch direct negotiations. The scholars emphasized that national dialogue is the optimal path to end the conflict between the Afghan Government and the Taliban Movement, and that the solution to the problem of Afghanistan must necessarily go through mutual understanding and direct peaceful negotiations. We appeal to all parties in Afghanistan to adopt this sincere initiative in order to put an end to the bloodshed, heal the wounds of the valiant Afghan people, and join efforts to build a bright future. When a truce was declared during Eid el-Fitr between the Afghan Government and the Taliban Movement, we saw an immense joy in the eyes of all. Don’t the Afghans deserve a lasting joy, peace and prosperity throughout their country? This conference sends two important messages to the world : first, that the solution in Afghanistan is achieved through the involvement of the Afghans themselves in the political process, not through terrorist acts and military actions; and second, that the Muslim world is capable, with the help of Allah and with the strong resolve of Muslim scholars, of solving by itself its own problems, by opting for dialogue and mutual understanding, and delegitimizing terrorist acts and the misinterpretation of Jihad. A crucial fact needs to be reaffirmed: that military action alone can never provide a real, sustainable solution. We have to adopt a comprehensive approach that emanates from within the Afghan society itself, one that involves all its components and addresses various political, cultural, economic and social aspects. We, at the OIC pledge our full support to all regional and international efforts to help Afghanistan find its way toward coexistence and prosperity.

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OIC Journal Issued by The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Chief Editor & General Supervisor Maha Mostafa Akeel Editor Bashir Sa’ad Abdullahi Layout & Design Mohammed Abdelqader Qalaba Advisory Board Amb. Tareg Bakheet 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 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 2018 1-2 Oct.: Seminar on mechanism and measures to reject Human rights Council resolution No. 27/32 on «Human Rights, Sexual orientation and Gender Identity» – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2 Oct.: 51st Meeting Governing Board of IIUM – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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

14-16 Oct.: 4th session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water Affairs – Cairo, Egypt

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

28-29 Nov.: Extraordinary Islamic Conference of Cultural Ministers (ICCM) co-organized with ISESCO – Manama, Bahrain

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.

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17-18 Oct.: Annual Seminar/ Workshop of IPHRC – Istanbul, Turkey 19 Oct.: OIC-Switzerland Bilateral Consultations – Berne, Switzerland 14 Nov.: 5th Meeting of the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) on Polio – OIC Headquarters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 21-22 Nov.: First Meeting of Heads of National Drug Authorities from OIC Member States on Promoting Effective Drug Regulation – Jakarta, Indonesia 26-29 Nov.: 34th Session of the COMCEC – Istanbul, Turkey

28-29 Nov.: 7th Session of the Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of OIC Member States – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 2-6 Dec.: 14th Regular Session of the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) – IPHRC Headquarters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 10-11 Dec.: Workshop on the Specific Measures and Indicators for the Achievements of SDG from Family Perspective in the OIC Member States – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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CONTENTS Palestine File: 9:

OIC Counters Israeli Attempts to Alter Legal Status of Al-Quds

World Affairs: 15: Al-Othaimeen: Calls for Unhindered Access to Humanitarian Relief in all Areas in Syria

King Salman Calls for Reconciliation in Afghanistan

Islamic Summit Calls for an International Protection Force for the Palestinian Population

The 45th Session of CFM in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Palestine, Rohingya Crises Top the Priority Issues

Al-Othaimeen Calls for Accelerated Implementation of OIC Youth and Sports Strategies

The 11th Session on the COMIAC

16: Passage of New Autonomy Bill in Southern Philippines

OIC News: 27: OIC Condemns Mass Blinding of Kashmiri Youth through Pallet Guns 29: Promoting OIC-UN Cooperation in Political, Economic, and Cultural Matters

Humanitarian: 33: OIC-UNHCR: A Shared Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy

HUMAN RIGHTS: 34: IPHRC: Reinforcing the Rights of Children in OIC Member States

Family Affairs: 46: Developing Policies and Action Plan on the Well-being of the Elderly in the Islamic World

HEALTH: 52: Al-Othaimeen: Tackling Cancer Burden Demands Immediate and Coordinated Action

Opinion Articles: 17: Has the time not come for the believersâ&#x20AC;Ś! 26: The tragedy of Rohingya Muslims: A genocide unprecedented in the history of Mankind 41: The month of peace, tolerance and civilization building 53: Cancer - a disease in the West, a death sentence in Africa

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IN FOCUS

King Salman Calls for Reconciliation in Afghanistan The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at Al-Salam palace on 11 July 2018 the delegation of scholars participating in the International Conference of Muslim Scholars on Peace and Stability in the Republic of Afghanistan. King Salman said in a statement released by the Royal Cabinet that he was pleased with and supports as a blessed step the Afghanistan-Taliban ceasefire, expressing his wish that it would be renewed and extended for a longer period to allow for all parties to work together to achieve peace for the people of Afghanistan. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques sounded optimistic that the Afghanistan peace initiative of Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would open a new page of security and stability in the war-torn country. “Today, we are optimistic that your efforts would contribute to closing the page of the past and opening a new page in Afghanistan that would achieve the aspirations of the Afghan people for security and stability, and this re-

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quires adopting an approach of dialogue, reconciliation and tolerance as dictated by our Islamic religion,” King Salman told the visiting scholars and dignitaries. King Salman affirmed that the Kingdom experienced with the Afghan people their suffering since the beginning of the Afghan crisis and its resulting civil war, whereas the Kingdom has provided humanitarian and economic assistance and exerted continuous political efforts to eliminate division and differences among the factions of the Afghan people. The Secretary General of the OIC had the honor to deliver the message of the scholars who took part in the International Conference of Ulamas on Peace and Stability in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan during the visit to the King. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen offered his deep thanks and gratitude to the King for directing to host the conference in the Kingdom in pursuit of the wise leadership of the King and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to achieve security and peace in Afghani-

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stan. The ceremony was also attended by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah Region and Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif, and several ministers and senior officials. The International Ulama Conference for Peace and Security: The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen, has called on Afghanistan’s government, and all Afghani community, to engage in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ call for the Afghans to reconcile and bond together for a safe and stable future for the country. Speaking at the opening session of the International Ulama Conference on Peace and Stability in Afghanistan held on 10 and 11 July 2018 in Jeddah and Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Secretary General expressed grateful appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,

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IN FOCUS King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for the tremendous effort put in to so admirably organize the very important event. “Military operation is not the way out of war in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that “OIC is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in attaining peace.” In addition, Dr. Al-Othaimeen pointed out that the conference’s objective is to ensure peace and stability prevail in Afghanistan, explaining that it is a condemnation of terrorism and violent extremism in all forms and manifestations. He also said he was confident the conference will help facilitate national reconciliation and put an end to all terrorist and extremist acts, which are contrary to the teachings of Islam. He went on to describe the Conference as a platform bringing together Muslim scholars to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Afghanistan, one of the founding countries of OIC, is crying out and calling on all to stand with it and support it to achieve security and stability in the region, the Secretary General added. Dr. Al-Othaimeen said the International Ulama Conference comes at a pivotal time, where the Afghan people are looking forward to turning the page of the past and to opening a new one, based on reunion, tolerance and non-violence, in compliance with the teachings of Islam. Speakers at the conference included Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz AlSheikh. He pointed out to the keen interest and commitment by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to see Afghanistan a peaceful, secure and stable country. To this end, he stressed, Muslim scholars have the responsibility to correct misconceptions, help mend fences and sensitize the entire Afghan community to the importance of obeying and assisting their rulers and governors and eschewing strife. For his part, Afghanistan’s Ulama Council Chief Sheikhul Hadith Mawlawi Qiamuddin Kashaf conveyed thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Saudi Arabia’s longstanding support to the Afghani people, expressing hope the conference will help bring the country back to peace, security and stability. The opening session also featured a statement by the Imam of the Grand Mosque

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and Advisor in the Royal Court Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Humaid. Speaking on behalf of the Ulama in attendance, he said the convening of the event in Saudi Arabia is part of the interest the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Crown Prince accord to promoting peace and security across the Muslim Ummah. Muslim scholars have the duty to foster tolerance and cohabitation among Muslims, he stressed, expressing hope that discussions during the Conference will be conducive to peace and security in Afghanistan. More than 200 representatives from 57 countries and 108 Ulama members from 32 countries attended the Conference. The Conference made a clarion call to the government and people of Afghanistan to turn the page of the past and open a new page of unity, tolerance and renunciation of violence in compliance with the sublime values of the religion of Islam. The Conference featured two plenary sessions, one on “Reconciliation in Islam: Role of Ulama in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan” and the other under the theme of “Islam’s position on terrorism and violent extremism”. Makkah Declaration The two-day Ulama Conference, ended with the adoption of the ‘Makkah Declaration‘ which the OIC chief Al-Othaimeen said it represents a legitimate roadmap for finding peaceful resolution of the Afghan crisis. The Declaration called on all the Afghan factions to agree for a ceasefire and start direct peace talks on the basis of the sublime Islamic values of eschewing violence, sedition and division and achieve reconciliation. The Conference lauded the initiative of the Afghani government to start a direct and peaceful negotiations without preconditions and recognize Taliban as a political party with agendas to share in developing the country and its rehabilitation. The Conference called on Taliban movement to respond positively to the call of the Afghani government to evade violence, stop fighting and sit at a negotiating table to discuss peace and security of the country without pre-conditions. The Ulamas also expressed their condemnation of the killings among Muslims and the suicide attacks are all acts that are prohibited in Islam. They called on Muslim states, organizations and elites to join efforts and

pull their weight towards the establishment of peace and security in Afghanistan, and called on the scholars among them in particular, to persist in their firm stand against the advocates of violence and extremism, in defense of their religion and in preservation of their Islamic Ummah’s unity. The participants thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, for hosting the conference and making the initiative a success.

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PALESTINE FILE

Islamic Summit Calls for an International Protection Force for the Palestinian Population Istanbul – Providing international protection to the Palestinian people has become an urgent need in light of the repeated Israeli violations, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen has affirmed, calling for non-leniency with any country supporting the Israeli claims on Jerusalem. Al-Othaimeen made the remarks in his speech during the 7th Extraordinary Summit of the OIC on Palestine in the Turkish city of Istanbul on 18-19 May 2018. The summit discussed the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem as well as the Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza strip. The OIC chief said the international community has the responsibility to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli violations according to the Fourth Geneva Convention Relating to the Protection of Civilian Persons. In this regard, he expressed his support for Kuwait’s efforts in the UN Security Council to put forward a special draft resolution on the provision of international protection to the Palestinian people. Al-Othaimeen said that Israel killed and wounded hundreds of Palestinians in cold blood while celebrating the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. He added that Israel has deliberately increased the pace of its provocation and brutal military aggression against the defenseless Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

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The Secretary General pointed out that the repeated impunity enjoyed by Israel has encouraged it to persist in its colonial policies. He added that “the UN Security Council’s failure to issue a statement condemning the Israeli massacre is a shame on our civilized world.” Al-Othaimeen termed the US relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem as “a violation of international law”, adding that “this move has led to the aggravation of the situation, as we warned earlier on various occasions.” He affirmed the OIC General Secretariat’s support for conducting an independent investigation into the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians by the Israeli occupation forces and renewed the OIC’s support for a resolution by the Human Rights Council in Geneva to establish an international commission of inquiry into Israeli crimes and prosecute and punish those responsible for them. The Secretary General extended his sincere condolences to the Palestinian leadership and people following the death of dozens and the wounding of hundreds of Palestinians, praying Allah the Almighty to forgive the martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending their right and the city of Al-Quds, wishing the wounded speedy recovery. ‘Thuggery, State Terror’ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his side described the Israeli killings of the Palestinians as “thuggery, atrocity, and state

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terror.” In his opening address at the 7th OIC Extraordinary Summit, Erdogan said: “I clearly say: what Israel did is thuggery, atrocity, and state terror.” He said Israel must be held accountable for the innocent people it slaughtered before international justice. Turkish president pointed out that condemnation, which never stopped, would not end the occupation and persecution in Palestine. “No one will give us a silver platter until Muslims claim their rights,” added Erdogan. King Abdullah II of Jordan who headed his country’s delegation at the extraordinary meeting affirmed that the region “will never enjoy comprehensive peace unless the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved according to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.” He stressed that Jerusalem is the key to peace and harmony, adding that “the sole path to peace is through ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution.” At the end of the extraordinary summit, the Kings and Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), issued the Istanbul Declaration, which emphasized that the central mission and raison d’être of the OIC

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PALESTINE FILE

is protecting the City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, its historic and legal status, its spiritual place, and to take all necessary measures to put an end to the violations committed by Israel and any party that supports this regime and its colonial and racist policies. The Summit condemned in the strongest terms the criminal actions of Israeli forces against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where unarmed Palestinian civilians were exercising their legitimate right of peaceful protest against the inhumane and absolutely illegal occupation; and hold Israel, the occupying Power, fully accountable for the grave atrocities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the episode of willful murder of at least 60 civilians, and injuring of nearly 2700 others on 14 May, 2018. The Summit declared that the acts constitute savage crimes committed by the Israeli forces with the backing of the U.S. Administration, including through shielding the Israeli occupation in the UN Security Council from accountability. It also noted that the crimes have been committed against the backdrop of the illegal decision by the U.S. Administration to officially move its embassy from Israel to the occupied City of Jerusalem, which has further emboldened the Israeli government in its reckless behavior towards civilian Palestinian population. The meeting called for the international protection of the Palestinian population in-

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cluding through dispatching of international protection force. It requested the OIC General Secretariat to act immediately to establish an international independent Committee of Experts to investigate the crimes and massacres committed by the Israeli forces against the peaceful and unarmed demonstrators in the Gaza Strip, to determine the culpability of the Israeli officials and communicate the findings to relevant international bodies. The Istanbul Declaration also called on the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretary General, UN Human Rights Council, the special rapporteurs and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to take necessary actions to form an international investigation committee into the recent atrocities in the Gaza Strip, and enable the committee to initiate field investigation, within a precise timeframe, and ensure a clear mechanism to determine the culpability of the Israeli officials with a view to ensuring justice for the victims and put an end to the impunity of the perpetrators. The Kings, Heads of States and Governments of the OIC Member States appreciated the role of the state of Kuwait as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for its immediate reaction to the bloody events in Gaza through its request to the Security Council for an emergency meeting on 15 May 2018. They welcomed the Kuwaiti steps of proposing a draft resolution on the protection of civilians

and regretted the block by the United States of the press statement in response to those unfortunate events. They reaffirmed the need to coordinate and work together with the international and regional organizations, including the Arab League, the European Union and the African Union on the issue. The meeting affirmed that countries running for international posts seeking the OICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for their candidature will be assessed based on their positions regarding the Palestine question, in particular on Jerusalem. The Istanbul Declaration requested Member States, the OIC General Secretariat and the OIC subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions to take the necessary measures to apply the economic restriction to countries, officials, parliaments, companies or individuals who recognize the annexation of Al-Quds by Israel, the occupying Power, and follow the decision of the US Administration to move its embassy to Al-Quds al-Sharif, or deal with any measures related to the consecration of Israeli colonization of the occupied Palestinian. It also called on Member States and the wider international community to ban the products of the illegal Israeli settlements from entering their markets, take measures against individuals and entities involved in or beneficiaries of the perpetuation of occupation and settlement regime.

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PALESTINE FILE OIC Condemns the Crimes of the Israeli Occupation in Palestine

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians in May, which led to the death of more than 52 martyrs and the injury of about 2,000 Palestinian citizens during their participation in peaceful protests on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, expressing their rejection of the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decision to transfer its embassy to occupied Quds. The Secretary General of the Organization, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, called on Israel, the occupying Power, to assume full responsibility for the consequences of these crimes and called on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to intervene in order to put immediately an end to this aggression. HE Dr. Othaimeen stressed the need for the international community to play its role towards finding a political solution to the Palestinian cause in accordance with international law, international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative. Statement of the OIC- 45th Council of Foreign Ministers Issued at the initiative of Chairs of the Islamic Summit, Turkey, and the Council of Foreign Ministers, Bangladesh, on the Deplorable Action of the U.S. to Open its Embassy in Jerusalem: On 14 May 2018, the US Administration un-

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lawfully opened its Embassy in Jerusalem, in clear violation of international law and legitimacy and in clear contempt to international community position regarding Jerusalem. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly rejects and condemns in the strongest terms this illegal decision by the US Administration and considers this action as an attack on the historical, legal, natural and national rights of the Palestinian people, which undermines the standing of the United Nations and rule of international law and thus represents an affront to international peace and security; as expressed at the Extraordinary OIC Islamic Summit held in Istanbul on 13th December 2017, and also by the international community at the UN General Assembly held on 21 December 2017. The OIC views such deplorable action by the US Administration as a clear violation of all existing international laws pertaining to the status of Al Quds Al Sharif and Palestine, in particular the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967), 252 (1968), 267 (1969), 298 (1971), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 465 (1980, 476 (1980) 478 (1980), 2334 (2016), United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/72/15 (2017). The OIC determines that the US Administration has contradicted its own commitments and expressed utter disdain and disrespect

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to Palestinian legitimate rights, and international law and has made very clear that it has no regard for the rights and religious sentiments of the Muslim Umah and concludes that the current US Administration has invalidated its role as a broker in any future peace efforts in Palestine. The specific status of Al Quds Al Sharif is central to the OIC, to the Muslim Ummah, and to other religions, which therefore requires the protection and preservation of its unique spiritual, religious and cultural dimensions, as foreseen in relevant UN resolutions. Hence, the final status of Al Quds Al Sharif should and must be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN Resolutions. The OIC determines that it will continue its efforts to defend the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinian people to selfdetermination and statehood by creating positive and irreversible political and legal realities, and lead efforts to formulate a multilateral and credible approach to end the conflict on the basis of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The OIC decides to pursue all available legal, political, and legislative avenues at the national and international levels to confront and stop the Israeli colonial settlement regime in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and adopt actions to ensure that companies and other actors that choose to benefit from the Israeli colonial regime are deprived of the opportunity of accessing OIC markets. The OIC calls upon all states to continue to fully implement UNSC Res. 476 and 478 of 1980 and in this regard urges all states to refrain from supporting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the so-called capital of Israel and not to relocate their diplomatic missions to Al Quds Al-Sharif and stresses that it shall apply political and economic restrictions to countries, officials, parliaments, companies, or individuals who recognize the annexation of Al Quds by Israel, the occupying power, or deal with any measures related to consecration of Israeli colonization of occupied Palestinian territory. The OIC attaches great importance to a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution with al-Quds al-Sharif as the capital of the State of Palestine.

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PALESTINE FILE OIC Counters Israeli Attempts to Alter Legal Status of Al-Quds Rabat – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, stated that no political event would overshadow the status of Al-Quds, stressing that the city projects the centrality of the Palestinian cause to the OIC. He stressed that the Organization confronts all wicked Israeli moves to distort legal and historical realities about Al-Quds, including taking every political, economic and legal action in response to those states that have followed Israel in its false allegations on the occupied city of Al-Quds, or have decided to act in such a way to embolden it in its continuing occupation of this blessed city. This was in a statement of the Secretary General, on 27 June 2018, at the International Conference on Al-Quds, held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 26 through 28 June 2018, at the initiative of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in association with the OIC, on the theme “The Question of Al-Quds after 50 Years of Occupation and 25 Years of the Oslo Accords”. The Conference was keynoted by a statement of His Royal Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco, Chair of Al-Quds Committee, a standing committee of the OIC, read out by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nacer Bourita. In the OIC Secretary General’s statement, read on his behalf by Ambassador Samir Bakr Diab, Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs, Dr. Al-Othaimeen expressed grateful appreciation for the steadfast support and solidarity His Majesty the Moroccan King, Chair of Al-Quds Committee, offers to the Palestinian people in their pursuit to attain their rights and defend their holy places. Also, Dr. Al-Othaimeen reiterated the Organization’s rejection of the US decision to recognize Al-Quds as the “capital of Israel” and transfer to it the American embassy. He called on the United States of America to meet its obligation under international law to achieve a comprehensive two-state peace accord. He also regretted the Security Council’s failure to shoulder its responsibility to end Israeli crimes and violations, faulting it for being incapable of holding it accountable.

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He nevertheless welcomed the UN General Assembly resolution of 13 June 2018, sponsored by the Arab and Muslim group, to ensure international protection for the Palestinian people. He also welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution on 18 May to establish an international independent committee to investigate Israeli violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called for the rapid implementation of this decision. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nacer Bourita, who delivered a message on behalf of King Mohamed VI of Morocco and Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee called for a greater rallying of diplomatic efforts to secure binding international resolutions to protect the city and safeguard its spiritual, cultural and legal character. He called on “the influential global powers”, particularly the United States, as well as regional ones, “to play their role in a responsible and equitable manner in their respective sphere of influence.” He said that Jerusalem “needs action on the ground to

promote development in social and humanitarian fields to help Palestinians resist policies of displacement, eviction and expulsion applied against them.” In his statement, Miroslav Jenča, United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs said “the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People has worked tirelessly to help realize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian People including self-determination” and “has been a leading voice in supporting the two-State solution”. Speaking on behalf of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mohammed Shatayyeh, Minister of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction said that negotiations “need a fair mediator that doesn’t exist today”. He said that successive negotiations since Madrid in 1991 had failed because four United States presidents since that time did not exert pressure on Israel and because the United States Government had failed to be a fair mediator. The Conference brought together Palestinian, Israeli and international experts, representatives of the diplomatic community and civil society to provide up-to-date information on the current situation in East Jerusalem, examine latest legal developments impacting the political and social status of Palestinians, and explore practical ways that the International Community could support the City’s resilience and development, in particular its youth. In addition, the event identified opportunities for international and regional support while safeguarding the rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

OIC Journal

May - August 2018

PALESTINE FILE

Israel Uses Deadly Explosive Bullets against

Palestinian Demonstrators on Gaza Strip Border Gaza (dpa) – The pain of 16-year-old Mariam Abu-Matar has not been relieved since she was hit in the leg by an Israeli explosive bullet during confrontations in eastern Gaza Strip on March 30, 2018. Mariam was injured as she was taking part in the “Great March of Return” organized by a coordination committee comprising Palestinian factions, human rights groups, nongovernmental organizations, and youth committees—for the first time with such a strong popular momentum, near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. The girl miraculously escaped having her leg amputated, though her bones and veins were severely damaged, as doctors told her family. “The doctors told us that this weapon is internationally banned. These are explosive bullets and not rubber bullets, as alleged by Israel,” says her mother. “What Israel is doing is a crime against children and young people. It does not distinguish civilians who are demonstrating peacefully,” she added. Doctors have managed, with great difficulty, to extract the bullet fragments from Mariam’s leg, but her condition has not improved much. She is receiving medical treatment in the Orthopedics Department of the European Gaza Hospital in southern Gaza Strip. Dr. Sami Abu Snayma, head of the vascular surgery department, said that the case of Mariam required intensive follow-up and

care to avoid amputation after the bones and veins had been severely damaged. “The case of Mariam,” he explained, “is extremely difficult because the arteries are small. We made an arterial connection surgery, using parts of the vessels of the other leg in order to pump blood into the damaged leg. With continuous medical follow-up and regular cleaning of the wound, we avoided amputation.” He added that “most of the cases of injury brought to the hospital in eastern Gaza Strip are in the lower limbs : a small hole that turns into a large cavity in the limbs, causing severe damage to the arteries, veins and bones.” Doctors and activists in Palestinian human rights organizations say that the majority of those injured in confrontations with the Israeli army are hit by explosive bullets which are banned by international law as they cause complex injuries. Confrontations are taking place daily, as part of the “Great March of Return”, between Palestinian peaceful protesters and Israeli armed forces stationed behind the separation fence. The most intense confrontations take place on Friday, when popular mobilization reaches its peak. After two weeks of confrontations, 30 Palestinians were killed and nearly 3000 wounded, about 1200 of whom with live bullets. Doctors say that eighty of the wounded people are still in serious condition.

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Among those killed was Yaser Murtaja, a 31-year-old photographer who was mortally wounded as he was covering confrontations in eastern Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Yaser was shot in the stomach by an explosive bullet which led to a severe bowel laceration, causing his death just a few hours later. Israel has rejected repeated international calls for investigating into the targeting of Palestinian demonstrators. It even maintained shoot-to-kill orders, on the pretext of deterring anyone from approaching the separation fence. The weapons used by the Israeli army have made the work of the medical staff in Gaza even more difficult, especially that these weapons are designed to completely damage the targeted part of the body. This increases the number of intensive care patients, with greater risks of permanent disability for some of them. Among those injured was Mostafa Shehibar, a young man in his late thirties, who has recently recovered from a five-day coma after two explosive bullets had penetrated his legs. He is receiving medical treatment at Al-Shefa Medical Complex in Gaza. Doctors say that his chances of escaping permanent disability are low. Mostafa said that the explosive bullet has caused a big hole in his left leg whose veins were completely destroyed, and the right leg was not any better. His hope is that his injury will not turn into a

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PALESTINE FILE permanent disability. Other injured people, like Thaer Rabaa, are still in a critical state, after having been hit by Israeli explosive bullets. Mohamed AlMaasawabi, a young man in his late twenties, said he was shot by a bullet that penetrated his left leg and exploded in his bones. “The Israeli army is firing rockets and bombs [at demonstrators] in the form of bullets,” he added. The Head of the Reception and Emergency Department at Al-Shefa Medical Complex, Ayman al-Sahbani, said that most of the time, explosive bullets pulverize the bones, tissues, and blood vessels, and lead to tendon and muscle tears. This is why those injured are urgently taken up for surgery. The Ministry of Health has demanded an international investigation into the nature of weapons used against Palestinian demonstrators by the Israeli army which is “de-

liberately using excessive force in a way that amounts to a full-fledged war crime.” Similar calls were repeatedly launched by human rights organizations active in the Palestinian territories. The Commissioner-General of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Gaza, Issam Yunis, accused the Israeli army of using “internationally banned weapons to suppress Palestinian demonstrators in eastern Gaza Strip.” “The Israeli army”, he said,

“is firing explosive bullets at peaceful demonstrators with the aim of killing as many of them as possible. Those who are not killed are injured and rendered disabled. The Israeli military forces deliberately killed civilians by targeting them directly, as evidenced by the observed injuries, in the upper part of the body, specifically the head, the neck, and the chest.”

IPHRC Condemns Arbitrary Killing of Palestinian Protesters in Gaza Jeddah – On 8th April 2018, the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) issued a statement condemning, in the strongest terms, the on-going aggression against the innocent and peaceful Palestinian protesters including the media and medical personnel on the Gaza Strip border, resulting in the indiscriminate and arbitrary execution of at least 32 Palestinians and injury to more than 1000 others by the Israeli occupation forces over the past week. The IPHRC stated that Israel chose to use live ammunition against unarmed Palestinian protesters demonstrating against the

occupation of their lands. The Commission holds Israel, the occupying power, solely responsible for the indiscriminate and criminal use of force leading to gross human rights violations against the civilian population of Gaza strip peacefully protesting for their legitimate and internationally recognized rights. The Commission reminded that under the international humanitarian law in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, the occupying power, is responsible for the protection of the Palestinian people. Accordingly, the repeated use of excessive force against innocent civilians including their indiscriminate and arbitrary execution

by Israeli occupation forces, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, which couldn’t be justified under any circumstances. The Commission also expressed deep concern over the un-relenting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the lack of access to water, food, sanitation and electricity as well as much needed medical supplies to over one million besieged civilians since 2007. IPHRC again emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, bears the prime responsibility for ensuring the protection of all civilians in Gaza and ensuring that their basic needs are met.

OIC Welcomes UNGA Resolution on Protection of Palestinian People The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the resolution adopted during an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly convened upon the request from the Arab and Islamic groups at the UN headquarters on 13 June 2018. The OIC hailed the overwhelming support for this resolution as sending a strong message of worldwide backing of the rights of the Palestinian people, describing it as a sound footing on which to establish justice and accountability and ensure respect for international humanitarian law and relevant

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international resolutions. OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen commended the principled stance of the vast majority of world countries that have stood in support for international law, showing commitment to maximize chances for peace and stability to come true in the region. He added, “The urge for international protection to the Palestinian people is all the more important as it comes amid continued and mounting Israeli assault and aggression in all of the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in the Gaza Strip.”

On the other hand, the OIC expressed regret over Australian government’s decision to halt direct financial aid to the government of the State of Palestine, faulting it as contrary to the principles of the UN charter and international law and a denial of the Palestinian people’s right to cessation of the Israeli occupation of their territories and to their full enjoyment of freedom and independence. He called on Australia to review its decision, as it emboldens Israel in its criminal practices and systematic terrorism against the Palestinian people.

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May - August 2018 11

PALESTINE FILE OIC Mobilizes Support for “Palestinian” Al-Quds in Brussels

Brussels – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its Member States have already started to take steps as part of the international action called for by the Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey, on December 13, 2017, with the aim of mobilizing international support against the Israeli efforts to declare Al-Quds as capital of Israel. A delegation of the OIC Executive Commit-

tee at the level of Foreign Ministers paid a visit to Brussels on April 27, 2018 to meet with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Federica Mogherini. This visit was part of the OIC endeavors to communicate with influential countries and international organizations, in order to convey the message of the Istanbul Summit rejecting the US Administration’s decision to recognize Al-Quds as the “so-

called” capital of Israel and relocate the US embassy to this city, and also rejecting any and all attempts to alter the legal and historical status of the city of Al-Quds. The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, stressed, in this regard, that this diplomatic action seeks to rally international support to the efforts aiming at launching a political process under the auspices of multilateral international parties, within a specific time-frame, in order to end the Israeli occupation, based on the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative. This action also aims at urging all States which have not already done so to recognize the State of Palestine, with occupied East Al-Quds as its capital, supporting Palestine’s accession to international organizations and conventions, while stressing the need to ensure international protection for the Palestinian people. Members of the OIC Executive Committee include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Gambia, Uzbekistan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Bangladesh, in addition to the OIC Secretary General.

Al-Othaimeen Addresses Muslim-Christian Gathering in Support of Al-Quds

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, said in a Muslim-Christian gathering in Ramallah on 4 June 2018 that Al-Quds Al-Sharif is going through one of the most critical periods in its history, pointing out that Israel is persisting in its policies and practices to judaize the city and undermine its historical and legal status. In a statement read out on his behalf by the Director of Ramallah-based OIC Regional Office, Ambassador Ahmed Al-Ruwaidhi, the Secretary General warned that the situation in the city has worsened, following the US administration’s illegal, unilateral decision to recognize Al-Quds as the alleged capital of Israel and transfer its embassy there. In response, the Secretary General pointed out, two extraordinary Islamic summit meetings have taken place in Istanbul, respectively on 13 December 2017 and 18 May 2018, which have taken important decisions. Further, Al-Othaimeen reaffirmed that the

OIC is committed to continuing politico-diplomatic endeavors to build up momentum and support worldwide for the Palestinian cause, stressing the necessity to stand by the Palestinians in their steadfast perseverance in Al-Quds Al-Sharif. Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the participation of international delegations in an Israeli conference in occupied Al-Quds and considered that as

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encouraging the Israeli occupation policies designed to change the city’s legal and political status. Partaking in such activities is a serious departure from the resolutions of the latest meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Affairs held in May 2018, which called for non-participation in any meeting or event serving Israel’s objectives of perpetuating its colonial occupation and annexation of AlQuds Al-Sharif, the OIC explained.

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PALESTINE FILE OIC Condemns Israel’s Approval of Constructing 2070 New Settlement Units

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned Israel’s decision greenlighting the building of 2070 new settlement units within the occupied Palestinian territory, including Al-Quds. It faulted the continued Israeli settlement policy as unlawful and a blatant breach of international law and Geneva conventions. The Israeli settlement activity is an affront to

the international community’s will and relevant international resolutions, OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen stressed, calling on influential international actors to fulfil their responsibility to enforce internationally recognized resolutions, and to hold Israel to account for its persistent acts of aggression and violation of the rights of the Palestinian people.

OIC Calls on the International Community to Oppose So-called “Jewish Nation State” Law Israel’s capital. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the law “officially legalizes apartheid and legally defines Israel as an apartheid system”. Apartheid is designated as a war crime by the 2002 Statue of Rome, which established the International Criminal Court. The OIC Secretary General called on the international community to reject and denounce this racist law and oppose all Israeli discriminatory laws and policies as prejudicial to the two-state solution.

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned so-called “nation state” law passed by Israeli Knesset, describing it as a blatant affront to the international community’s will, laws and resolutions. Faulting the new Israeli law as racist, void and illegitimate, the OIC Secretary General, Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, said it is indicative of a disregard for the established historical rights of the Palestinians, Muslims and Christians alike. The law will further fuel the Israeli settlement and occupation policy of ethnic cleansing, denying Palestinians’ existence, history and internationally recognized rights, Dr. Al-Othaimeen warned. The law defines Israel as the “historic homeland [and] nation state of the Jewish

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people”, declares only Jews have the right to self-determination there and calls for Jewish immigration. In the Arab view these provisions have finished off the internationally adopted “twostate solution” involving the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Arabs castigated the demotion of Arabic from an official language along with Hebrew to one with “special status”. Arabic is spoken by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 per cent of the population, as well as Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to intervene against the law. He rejected the claim enshrined in the law to Jerusalem as

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May - August 2018 13

WORLD AFFAIRS Deep Concern over Upsurge of Violence in Central African Republic

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expresses its deep concern over the upsurge of violence in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, in mid-April, which caused a dozen deaths – mainly Muslims, including women and

children. A UN peacekeeper has been killed and more than forty other persons have been wounded. The Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, said the current security situation is alarming for local populations, particularly

Muslims, who have been targeted by armed groups over the past three years, explaining that synergy and social cohesion are essential ingredients for peace and national reconciliation in CAR. The security of persons and property is a core duty of the State and its competent authorities, Dr. Al-Othaimeen stressed, condemning the series of attacks by armed groups in the country. He also called on MINUSCA to assist CAR government in its efforts to bring hostilities to an end. Further, Dr. Al-Othaimeen extended his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims, wishing speedy recovery to the wounded. He also encouraged the central African government to pursue national peace and reconciliation dialogue. In this vein, he affirmed that the OIC will remain constant in its support for the process of peace recovery in the country. Since the beginning of April there has been a dramatic escalation of violence in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

Secretary General Welcomes the Positive Political Development in Guinea Bissau

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has welcomed the appointment on 16 April 2018, of Mr. Aristides Gomes, as the new Prime Minister in Guinea Bissau. Dr. Othaimeen who commended the key national stakeholders for the spirit of compromise which led to the appointment, expressed the hope that this important political development would pave the way for the formation of an inclusive government

of national unity and the implementation of the remaining provisions of the Conakry Agreement. Dr. Othaimeen also welcomed the announcement for the holding of legislative elections on 18 November 2018. While commending the sub-regional body, ECOWAS and President Alpha Conde, the mediator in the Guinea-Bissau crisis for their sustained efforts and commitment to finding a peaceful political settlement, the Secretary General reaffirmed the determination of the OIC to continue to contribute

to the peace building and stabilization process in Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau’s President Jose Mario Vaz appointed veteran politician Aristides Gomes as prime minister on Monday, 16 April. The nomination followed a weekend summit of ECOWAS leaders during which Vaz agreed to honor a 2016 deal brokered by the West African bloc that sought to end more than two years of political turmoil in the tiny, former Portuguese colony.

OIC Welcomes the Talks between North and South Korea The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the Summit level talks between Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea on 27 April 2018. The Secretary General voiced the goodwill of the Korean peoples and expressed hopes that the consultations would make positive progress and lead towards lasting peace, and cooperation in the region. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in met at the line that separates the divided Koreas. Kim

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then stepped over the raised Military Demarcation Line, entering territory controlled by the South for the very first time. After posing for the cameras, Kim then grasped Moon’s hand and they briefly crossed into the northern side. Then, they signed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula. The document commits the two countries to a nuclear-free peninsula and talks to bring a formal end to the Korean War.

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WORLD AFFAIRS Al-Othaimeen: Calls for Unhindered Access to Humanitarian Relief in all Areas in Syria Brussels – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, warned against the siege policy which has become a serious phenomenon in the Syrian crisis in recent times, where about 4 million people live in besieged areas and areas difficult to reach. He said that what is happening is part of a series of cruel and inhumane practices in Syria that is contrary to the most basic rules of international humanitarian law, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. He called on the international community to honour its responsibilities by taking immediate steps required to conduct an international transparent investigation, in line with the international mechanisms and terms of reference and to ensure immediate, unhindered access to humanitarian relief for all civilians in all besieged areas. Ambassador Ismat Jahan, Permanent Representative of the OIC to the European Union Commission, delivered the speech of the Secretary General at the Second Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria and the Region, which was held on Tuesday, 24 April 2018, where he said that the UN Security Council failed to end the Syrian crisis despite the success of some of its decisions in mitigating the human sufferings. The Secretary General emphasized that the Organization has been firm in its commitment to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria based on Geneva I communique, and support the UN-led political process conducive to a Syrian-led and owned political transition. Al-Othaimeen stressed that the organization stands with the global effort to end the crisis. He pointed out that the Brussels conference seeks to consolidate the international community’s collective efforts to reduce the impact of the protracted crisis in the country. He noted that the organization is contributing to the global efforts to end the ordeal suffered by the Syrian people, partnering with several regional and international organisations and stakeholders to help deliver the needed humanitarian aid. The European Union and the United Na-

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Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy speaks to the press after the Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria

tions co-chaired the second Brussels Conference, which succeeded in mobilising humanitarian aid to Syrians inside the country and in the neighbouring countries, including for hosting communities, through pledges totalling $ 4.4 billion (€ 3.5 billion) for 2018, as well as multi-year pledges of $ 3.4 billion (€ 2.7 billion) for 2019-2020.As the Syrian war enters its eighth year, the humanitarian needs continue to be extremely high. Over 13 million Syrians are now in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees are displaced outside the country. The Conference reaffirmed that only an inclusive, comprehensive and genuine political solution in accordance with UNSCR 2254 and the Geneva Communiqué, that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for dignity and freedom will ensure a sustainable end to the Syrian conflict, prevent regional escalation and a return of Daesh, and guarantee a peaceful and prosperous future for Syria and the region. It reiterated the international community›s commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and safety and security for all citizens. Participants stressed the importance of women’s engagement in the political process, including through their adequate representation

within the delegations of parties to the conflict. The humanitarian and resilience needs of people inside Syria and in the region remain enormous. Current UN appeals are severely underfunded. In 2018, the UN-coordinated appeal for Syria requests to cover assistance and protection needs inside Syria amounts to US$ 3.51 billion. In addition, through the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), an appeal of US$ 5.6 billion, inclusive of US$ 1.2 billion already committed, is required to support refugee and host community humanitarian and resilience related assistance in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. The Conference acknowledged the continuing generosity of neighbouring host countries and their communities in providing refuge to millions of displaced people. Participants pledged, for both Syria and the region, $ 4.4 billion (€ 3.5 billion) for 2018, as well as multi-year pledges of $ 3.4 billion (€ 2.7 billion) for 2019-2020. In addition, some international financial institutions and donors announced around $ 21.2 billion (€17.2 billion) in loans, of which elements are on concessional terms. The Conference noted that pledges made at Brussels I in 2017 had been largely fulfilled, and in some cases exceeded.

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May - August 2018 15

WORLD AFFAIRS OIC Participates in the Official Inauguration of Sierra Leone President

n the invitation of the Government of Sierra Leone, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), participated in the official inauguration of the new President of the Republic of Sierra Leone HE. Retired Brig Gen Julius Maada Bio held on 12 May 2018 at the Freetown Stadium. The ceremony which featured the formal transfer of power from the outgoing President to his successor, was witnessed by several sub regional leaders and representatives of partner countries and regional as well as international organizations. The Secretary General of OIC Dr. Yousef

President Julius Maada Bio casting his ballot

Al- Othaimeen was represented at the occasion by Ambassador Yahya Lawal who conveyed the Secretary General’ s message

of congratulation to the new leader. The ceremony took place at the National Stadium in Freetown on 12 May. The inauguration of Sierra Leone’s president marks the official handing over from the outgoing president to the new one. The ceremony is usually characterized by the symbolic presentation of a ceremonial staff from the former president to his successor. Bio was sworn into office one week before, after he was declared the winner of the March 31 presidential run-off which pitted him against Dr. Samura Kamara of the then incumbent All People’s Congress party.

Statement on “Day of Democracy, National Unity, and Commemoration of the Martyrs of 15 July in Turkey”

n commemoration of the Day of Democracy, National Unity and Martyrs of 15 July 2016, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has reiterated the Organization’s stand on its strong condemnation of the failed coup attempt in the Republic of Turkey and its full support for Turkey in facing future challenges. The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, recalled the resolution adopted by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers during its 43rd session in October 2016,

by which the OIC Member States reiterated their full support and solidarity with the government and people of Turkey in their fight against Fethullah Terrorist Organization, as the perpetrator of the coup attempt, to ensure justice, security and unity. The Secretary General further wished the people and Government of Turkey, the current Chair of the OIC Summit, more success in addressing challenges facing the country under the wise leadership of H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Passage of New Autonomy Bill in Southern Philippines

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) bill on Thursday, 26 July 2018 by the Government of the Philippines. The new bill is an enhancement of the previous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that will provide greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, parliament, and a justice system. The new law will also allow areas adjacent to the Bangsamoro region the opportunity to join with an opt-in petition of at least 10% of their voters. The OIC hopes that this landmark achievement by the people and Government of the Philippines will bring peace and prosperity and enhance unity among the Moro ranks.

The OIC expresses appreciation to all the Moro leadership for their stewardship, commitment and sacrifice in the cause of peace and calls upon them to continue to work together and ensure that the new regional government in Mindanao is fully established in fulfillment of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed legislation creating a new Muslim autonomous region aimed at settling nearly half a century of Muslim unrest in the south, where troops crushed an attempt last year by Islamic State group-linked militants to turn a city into a stronghold. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque and another key aide, Bong Go, told reporters without elaborating that Duterte signed

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President Rodrigo Duterte (L) presenting the new law

the bill creating the region, to be called Bangsamoro. The autonomy deal, which has been negotiated for more than two decades under four presidents, was ratified earlier in the week by both chambers of Congress.

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OPINION

Has the time not come for the believersâ&#x20AC;Ś! Wherever you turn throughout the Muslim world, you see what fills your heart with grief and sorrow, and leaves you with very little hope. You see wars, conflicts, famine, blurred visions and a great deal of uncertainty that dismisses any sense of optimism. You see harsh conditions governing the destiny of peoples, and governments struggling amid tough development realities, with corruption rates ranking among the highest in the world. You see terrorist groups turning the life of people into a nightmare, stifling the work of States, and undermining their security, stability and growth. You see decision-makers managing their foreign policies with a great deal of suspicion and skepticism, allowing no room for flexibility under the pretexts of sovereignty and internal affairs, unlike the case of other geographical or economic groupings where flexibility and integration govern their shared policies. Amidst this grim situation, how can young people, the builders of tomorrow, aspire for a better future, at a time when they find themselves surrounded by gloominess, desperately waiting for a glimmer of hope, a promise of change? Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world is deaf, listens only to selfinterests; blind, sees only what it chooses; and handicapped, moves only at the dictates of major Powers. What can be done, therefore, by those in charge to make this strange world aware of Muslim causes and sufferings, and to drive it into positive action, while addressing it in the language it understands? The first prerequisite for this lies in the way Muslim peoples and States deal with one

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another. If this prerequisite is met, Muslims will find the whole world all ears, quite attentive to them. Today, in fact, any grouping in the globe will have weight and power of influence only when it is capable of managing its internal differences, and addressing the other with a unified voice and harmonized, not necessarily identical, goals, as expressed through political statements. Why not dream of the day when we see our Muslim world placing collective interests over and above individual ones; when we see each Muslim State looking into its own internal affairs, giving a helping hand to others, and abstaining from interfering in the affairs of its neighbors; when we see Muslim States embracing common ambitions and working together toward economic integration; when each State understands that its lack of respect toward neighboring States belonging to the same system will lead to lack of respect to it by others, and that without an enhanced mutual trust among Muslim countries, there will be no sustained confidence in relations with the outside world.

Dr. Abdallah bin Mosa Altayer Director General of the Cabinet/Senior Advisor

Why not dream of the day when we see our Muslim world placing collective interests over and above individual ones

Today, with over seven decades since the independence of most Muslim countries from colonialism having elapsed, the time has certainly come to revisit and evaluate policies and to change pathways toward greater integration between Muslim States and peoples, in pursuit of the bright future to which we all aspire. The time is long overdue to make revisions, but the political will is still faltering. Is it not time for Muslims to change what is in themselves so that Allah will change their condition?

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May - August 2018 17

OIC NEWS

The 45th Session of CFM in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Palestine, Rohingya Crises Top the Priority Issues 18 OIC Journal May - August 2018

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SPECIAL REPORT

peakers at the 45th session of Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (CFM) were unanimous in highlighting the challenges facing the Islamic world, at the forefront of which are the Palestinian cause and the suffering of the Muslim Rohingya minority. The Council of Foreign Ministers was kicked off on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Dhaka, Capital of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, under the theme: «The Islamic Values of Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development.» The conference was inaugurated by H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. In her opening address, Her Excellency laid special focus on the conditions of the Rohingya minority, calling on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to firmly stand in solidarity with the Rohingya people in their quest for security and dignity. She also called for pursuing international pressure on the Myanmar Authorities to honor their obligations for solving the problem. On his part, H.E. Dr. Youssef A. Al-Othaimeen, OIC Secretary General, insisted, in his statement at the inaugural session, that OIC’s broad geography places upon it momentous responsibilities towards multiple and varied issues. The Secretary General added that the years 2017 and 2018 have marked a very difficult stage that has put the Palestinian issue to extreme tests with the world community manifesting an unprecedented incapacity that further aggravates the situation. “A peaceful, equitable and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue would offer a

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broader and more comprehensive way out for many of our issues,” said Al-Othaimeen. “It is a real test to our states’ actual will and resolve to make advantageous use of their collective stand in international fora and their common drive to impress upon the international community to take action and rise up to its responsibilities vis-à-vis this issue that has been dragging for over seven decades,” he added. H.E. Mr. Marcel Amon-Tanoh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire and Chair of the 44th session of the CFM underscored the need to meet current challenges by adopting a strong and cohesive Islamic position in line with Member States’ aspirations. H.E. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, said that the Muslim World is currently confronted with tremendous challenges, including Islamophobia, extremism, inequality, the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and terrorism. Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, H.E. Mr. Adel Al-Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressed that the Palestinian Cause has absolute priority and emphasized the necessity to achieve fair and comprehensive peace. He also underlined the need to support Muslim minorities across the world, particularly the Rohingya Minority. H.E. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Bekir Bozdag, insisted on the need to root out extremism, put an end to the Syrian Crisis, and eradicate all terrorist groups. Speaking on behalf of the African Group, H.E. Mr. Sidiki Kaba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal, emphasized the central importance of the Pales-

tinian Cause, and highlighted the recurrent Israeli violations against the blessed AlAqsa Mosque, a source of great concern. He called for putting an end to the political crises in Yemen, Syria, Libya and Central Africa, and for establishing mechanisms to guarantee the non-recurrence of these violations. Speaking on behalf of the Asian Group, Mr. Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir, Indonesia›s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed support for Bangladesh’s chairmanship of the 45th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. H.E. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Special Guest of the session, addressed the crisis of the Rohingya Minority, stressing her country’s firm stance against what she considered as ethnic cleansing which is perpetrated against this minority and which must go down in human history.

Brainstorming Session on the Humanitarian Challenges A special brainstorming session on the humanitarian challenges faced by OIC countries, including the Rohingya plight, was organized by the Department of Cultural, Family and Humanitarian Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh on the sidelines of the 45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States (CFM) held in Dhaka. In his statement to the session, OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed AlOthaimeen, called on the OIC Member States to channel part of their humanitarian assistance through the OIC General Secretariat, in line with the resolutions of the

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OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, speaking at the 45th CFM

Ministers of Foreign Affairs. He also called on Member States, their charitable institutions and civil society organizations to assist the OIC Secretariat in its humanitarian efforts. Al-Othaimeen expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and all Member States for their generous efforts in alleviating the suffering of the Islamic Ummah. He urged the Myanmar Government to cooperate with Bangladesh to allow the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya refugees and to grant them the full citizenship rights they had been stripped of since 1982. The Secretary General said that the situation on the ground requires the Member States to address the consequences of humanitarian crises on the one hand and to address their root causes on the other. He also stressed the importance of paying more attention to the OIC Development and Humanitarian Assistance Office in Niger, transformed into a regional office following the resolution adopted by the CFM in Abidjan in 2017, to meet the needs of Lake Chad countries and the region’s Sahel countries in general. The Secretary General appealed for supporting Bangladesh in its humanitarian efforts to overcome the critical stage of this unprecedented tragedy unfolding on its

borders. His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bangladesh, Abulhassan Mahmoud Ali, had opened the meeting, stressing his country›s keen interest to follow up the humanitarian situation of the Rohingya minority, amid the immense suffering endured by the minority. The OIC Information Department screened a documentary about the situation of displaced Rohingya refugees in camps along the Bangladeshi-Myanmar border and near Cox›s Bazaar town. The film included clips of statements by the Secretary General and the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister and firsthand testimonies. The brainstorming session was held in light of the dire global humanitarian situation, particularly in a number of OIC Member States, and the increasing active role being played by Member States and the OIC General Secretariat in the humanitarian domain. Taking the latest Rohingya crisis as a case in point, discussions during the brainstorming session addressed how to make humanitarian assistance and response systematic and sustainable. The session also deliberated on how to address the root causes of the humanitarian crises, the efforts of countries in need of humanitarian assistance – hosts as donors, the environmental challenges emerging from humanitarian crises and what mechanisms

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could be considered in response. The brainstorming session on the humanitarian situation in the OIC Member States also heard views of Member States regarding the future role of the OIC General Secretariat in the humanitarian domain, including funding humanitarian activities within the OIC and facilitating durable solutions. The OIC Member States struggle with a high burden of humanitarian crises and the main humanitarian features has been massive forced displacement, chronic food shortages and a large number of natural disasters. The biggest humanitarian challenge facing Member States is man-made resulting from wars and conflicts. In 2015, 30 out of 50 armed conflicts recorded worldwide occurred in OIC Member States resulting in severe humanitarian crises and displacement across the Muslim world. The second is often a result of natural disasters or induced by climate change. A recent report by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) on Humanitarian Crises in OIC Countries paints a gloomy picture. The OIC Member States account for 61.5% of all the displaced population in the world with more than 25 million displaced people and 67% of all refugees originating from Member States. Moreover, 71% (around 89 million) of people who globally

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OIC NEWS

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H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh receives OIC plaque from the Secretary General

require humanitarian assistance reside in OIC countries. Just as Member States are the source of most refugees and displaced people, they are also host to most refugees and forcibly displaced populations. Member States have traditionally been extremely generous in receiving refugees and forcibly displaced populations. In fact, seven out of the ten largest countries hosting people displaced from across borders in the world are OIC Member States including Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Bangladesh, Jordan Uganda, and Chad. The latest challenge of sheltering forcibly displaced Rohingya populations is being borne by Bangladesh. More than 1,000,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar, faced with persecution in their homeland, tantamount to ethnic cleansing and genocide, have been forced to flee into Bangladesh since 25 August 2017. This is in addition to the 300,000 Myanmar nationals who earlier entered Bangladesh under compelling situations. Indeed, Bangladesh has been a country host for more than three decades to a protracted refugee situation emerging out of communal violence and repeated military atrocities in Myanmar. The brainstorming session also considered

the humanitarian challenges affecting OIC member states including Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, countries in the Sahel region, the Lake Chad basin, Central African Republic, Yemen and Syria. OIC delegation visits Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar: A day before the start of the 45th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Dhaka, a high-level delegation visited today, May 4, the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in southern Bangladesh where over a million Rohingya’s who have escaped persecution and torture in Myanmar are now camped. The OIC delegation of around 70 consisted of foreign ministers, ambassadors and representatives of the member states as well as the special envoys to the OIC of Britain, Canada, France and Italy in addition to representatives of OIC institutions. Upon arrival to Cox’s Bazar the delegation was first briefed by the Bangladeshi foreign minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali and by UN, AFD, RRRC officials working there on the situation especially of the devastating condition of the Rohingya who are stateless and suffered abuse and violence and about the humanitarian needs in the camps. They

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said that according to evidence and testimonials more than 350 villages in Rakhine State were burnt by the Myanmar military and Buddhist mobs and over 30,000 houses destroyed. According to the UN officials, reports indicate planned forced displacement, indiscriminate and mass-killing, arson, and torture as well as widespread sexual violence, which is clearly textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The delegation then went to the camps and listened from the Rohingya to firsthand accounts of gang rape, torture, murder and arson. The sight of the vast camps of tents and shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets covering the muddy hills was overwhelming.

Dhaka Declaration In the Dhaka Declaration issued at the end of the 45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (Session of Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development) the OIC Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations recognized the centrality of the OIC as a platform to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the Member States in the political, security, economic, social, cultural, educational, environmental, humanitarian and other vital

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SPECIAL REPORT

Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, delivering his speech at the Opening Session of the 45th CFM in Dhaka, Bangladesh

areas for sustainable development. The Foreign Ministers expressed their profound satisfaction that after over four decades of its establishment, the OIC as the overarching multilateral body of the Muslim world, has continued to raise its profile and visibility at the international level and has become a strategic dialogue partner in the maintenance of international peace and security as well as countering emerging challenges and threats across the OIC space. Accordingly, they urged the Secretary General to continue reform efforts to transform, strengthen and reposition the Organization as a more effective and efficient one in order to reinforce the unity of the Ummah, ensure durable peace and security and accelerate sustainable socio-economic development in the Member States. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to respect the security, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the Member States, as well as the need to resolve lingering or emerging disputes and conflicts through negotiations, mediation, conciliation and the use of other peaceful means using political, diplomatic and international legal mechanisms based on the universally recognized principles and norms of international law. In this regard, the meeting called

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for the full activation of the OIC Peace and Security architecture. They emphasized the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif for the Ummah and reaffirmed their principled support for the right of the Palestinian people to regain their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, and to the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with international law and UN General Assembly Resolution 194(III). The OIC Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their rejection of the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and condemn its decision to move its Embassy to the city on May 14 and considered the action illegal and in clear defiance of international law and the international communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collective will, as clearly expressed by the OIC Extraordinary Summit held in Istanbul on 13 December 2017 and the UN General Assembly Resolution no. 10/19, adopted on 21 December 2017. In the aftermath of the US illegal move, the Ministers called on all other States to refrain from supporting the US decision and adhere

to relevant UN Security Council resolutions that ban such illegal moves of diplomatic missions to Al-Quds Al Sharif. The Dhaka Declaration also condemned the illegal policies and practices of Israel, the occupying power against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem and call for the complete cessation of all Israeli violations of international law, including an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip. It also called for the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons and detention centers. The Ministers expressed deep concern over the recent systematic brutal acts perpetrated by security forces against the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar that has reached the level of ethnic cleansing, which constitutes a serious and blatant violation of international law, and which has affected over one million Rohingya refugees who have been forcibly displaced to Bangladesh and other countries across the region, in addition to the burning of their houses and places of worship. In this regard, the Ministers commended the personal leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in addressing the plight of the most persecuted people in the world and sought strong International

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support to resolve the crisis and full implementation of the recommendations put forward by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State (Annan Commission). The Dhaka Declaration also underlined the need for earliest stabilization of the situation in the South East and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa and other parts of the African continent by way of urgent political resolution of all crises and conflicts to avoid their destructive and negative impact, in accordance with the principles of the UN and OIC Charters and universally recognized international norms, in order to bring to an end to the sufferings of the affected people and the resultant migration and displacement of population. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC member States noted that, with the existing realities of the 21st century, which is known to be the age of globalization, information & communication technology, the Internet, and growing competition in the world space, as well as the world market, priority attention must be given to increasing investments, development of human capital and building the capacities of women and the youth as the most important value and a decisive power in achieving the objectives of sustainable development, modernization and renewal. The Ministers also stressed the need for the dissemination of knowledge about enlightened Islam as an important tool to combat terrorism, violent extremism and religious fanaticism. They highly appreciated the comprehensive efforts to combat radicalization and extremism based on the true values of Islam and welcomed the establishment and strengthening of the OIC Messaging centre, “Sawt Al Hikmah”. The Dhaka Declaration among other things, underlined the importance of the OIC-UN

cooperation in terms of achieving shared interests and common goals and further underscored support for an enhanced observer status of the OIC in the UN. The meeting appreciated the readiness of The Gambia to host the 14th Islamic Summit in Banjul in 2019 and urged all the Member States to participate at the highest level. It also called on them to extend the necessary assistance to the country for a successful hosting of the Summit. The Dhaka Declaration also expressed appreciation to the Secretary General of the OIC His Excellency Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen for his overall efforts in promoting the interests of the Ummah and Joint Islamic Action in order to achieve the goals, vision and mission of the OIC in the various domains.

Al-Othaimeen Holds Consultations on the Sidelines of the CFM The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the 45th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 5-6, 2018. The Secretary General had a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Marcel Amon-Tanoh, during which he highlighted the Organization’s activities undertaken in Member States, particularly in African countries, to tackle the issues of economic development, security and terrorism. The Secretary General also met with Mr. Adoum Gargoum, Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations of Cameroon, in charge of Relations with the Islamic World. The two sides stressed the importance of continuous dialogue and cooperation in dealing with issues of common concern, especially refugee issues. For

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Bilateral meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan

Cameroon hosts over 500,000 refugees and displaced persons from neighboring countries plagued by terrorism, in particular through the attacks of Boko Haram terrorist group that seeks to undermine security and stability, which would affect economic growth in these countries. Another meeting brought together the OIC Secretary General with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Mr. Behgjet Pacolli, who expressed thanks to the Organization for its support for Kosovo to obtain the necessary number of votes to be recognized as an independent state, and thus join the United Nations and acquire the status of OIC observer state. Still in the context of these bilateral consultations, the Secretary General met with Mr. Abdujabar Abduvakhitov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who conveyed to him a message from the Uzbek President that his country is open to further cooperation with the OIC, especially as regards the hosting of the Second OIC Summit on Science and Technology in 2020, in addition to the inauguration of “Imam-Al-Bukhari International Research Center in Uzbekistan”, and other projects designed to serve the Islamic Ummah and promote Islamic solidarity.

Election of New OIC Assistant Secretaries-General New officials were elected in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation during the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 5-6, 2018. The Council elected Mr. Yousif Mohammed AlDhubaeyi, from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and re-elected Ambassador Samir Bakr Diab, from the State of Palestine, as Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs. Ambassador Tariq Bakheet, Ambassador Askar Mussinov, Ambassador Ahmad Ssengendo, and Ambassador Musa Kulaklikaya were also appointed as Assistant Secretaries-General at various positions. Elections were held on the first day of the meeting, Ambassador Bakheet, from Sudan, was elected to the position of Assistant Secretary-General for Cultural, Family and Humanitarian Affairs, within the Arab Group. Ambassador Bakheet is currently Director-General of Political Affairs at the OIC General Secretariat.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Delegations participating in the 45th CFM

Ambassador Askar Mussinov, from Kazakhstan, was elected to the position of Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology Affairs, within the Asian Group. He is currently Head of the Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution Unit at the OIC

General Secretariat. Ambassador Ahmad Ssengendo, from Uganda, and Ambassador Musa Kulaklikaya, from Turkey and who is currently Director General of SESRIC, were elected, respectively, to the positions of Assistant

Foreign Minister of Cameroon (R) signs Statute for OIC Women Development Organization

Secretary-General for Economic Affairs and Assistant Secretary-General for Financial and Administrative Affairs. The newly elected Assistant SecretariesGeneral will officially assume their positions in June 2019.

11th OIC Islamophobia Observatory Report:

Decline in Islamophobia but Remains ‘Worrisome’ For quite some time, Islamophobia has been growing strongly in the West and has continued to take root through intensive campaigns and public discourses disseminating fear of Islam, and through a significant number of incidents targeting Muslims, mosques, Islamic centers, Islamic attire, and Islam’s sacred symbols. Reports and evidence reveal that negative sentiments toward Islam and Muslims keep expanding in the minds of mainstream Westerners, through mistrust toward Islam and its adherents. Particularly during the last few years, Islamophobia has reached an intractable point as it continues to grow, despite up-and-down indicators from time to time. However, the 11th Islamophobia Observatory Report of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which covers the period WWW.OIC-OCI.ORG from July 2017 to April 2018, describes a decreasing trend of Islamophobia, indicated by the number of incidents, which was much lower compared to those at the last trimester of 2016, or at the first trimester of 2017. The report was presented at the 45th Council of Foreign Ministers Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 5-6, 2018. The report highlights the trends influencing the decline of Islamophobia, intolerance, and discrimination against Muslims in the US

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ELEVENTH OIC OBSERVATORY REPORT ON

ISLAMOPHOBIA August 2017 – April 2018

PRESENTED TO THE 45th Council of Foreign Ministers

Dhaka, People’s Republic of Bangladesh 5-6 May 2018

and Europe, which were always at the top of the Hotspot List— but were now moving towards significant improvement despite the remaining ‘worrisome’ overall situation. This positive trend was assessed by the Observatory to have been driven mostly by four factors, namely: the failure of racist policy in the United States and the break-apart of Trump’s far-right inner circle; the consensus and unilateral settlement of ‘Immigrant Issue’ in Europe; defeat of far-rights political

parties at the European elections, and; the growing trend of inter-faith Dialogue in Europe and in the US. The report also reveals manifestations of Islamophobia around the world, and describes a general trend of fear against Islam and its “attire”, which is not necessarily regional or geographical in terms of character with particular focus on Islamophobic gestures and policies against Veil, Hijab, and Burqa. The 11th Observatory report equally highlights some ‘Positive Developments’ in terms of actions, attitudes, sentiments, initiatives as well as other steps and positions taken by governments or by non-Muslim individuals against Islamophobes. The report also presents a set of recommendation that proposes some steps and actions to be taken by the OIC as well as by the relevant stakeholders including Member States. The report concludes that, despite its declining pattern, the overall situation of Islamophobia remains alarming. Hence, it requires serious actions at international and national levels. Collective and worldwide endeavor to combat Islamophobia is expected to minimize its negative impacts on social life based on tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

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OPINION The tragedy of Rohingya Muslims: A genocide unprecedented in the history of Mankind

here are all those international instruments and covenants that have pledged to protect human rights and preserve the safety of peoples and their right to live on their land? All this has, in fact, been reduced to dead letters; just a lie, not even worth the ink it was written

Consultant Abdulfatteh Sulaiman Secretary General of the World Federation of Arabo-Islamic International Schools

the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has the responsibility of intensifying its humanitarian action at the Arab, Islamic and international levels, in order to put an end to these massacres perpetrated against Muslim citizens in Myanmar

with. The Rohingya are a vulnerable Muslim people, suffering under the clutches of Buddhist fanatics supported by the ruling gang in Myanmar. Hostilities forced Rohingya families to flee, after their homes had been burned, and their villages devastated. Because this people believe in Allah and His Messenger and are committed to their faith, they find themselves powerless in the face of merciless Buddhist crackdowns. It is our duty to lay bare the terrible injustices that the Buddhists have inflicted on the Rohingya. We need to raise awareness of their rights. Documenting all that has befallen Rohingya Muslims is of crucial importance, both for historical and humanitarian consideration. From the district of Coxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bazar, following my visit to Rohingya refugee camps on Friday, May 4, 2018, I am writing to you about the shockingly atrocious acts of killing, displacement, burning, genocide, and gruesome massacres that have claimed the lives of thousands of children, women, young and old people who were besieged in Rakhine, Myanmar (Burma). Authorities have forced Rohingya people to leave their homes and to flee savage, barbaric attacks, unprecedented in the history of Mankind. Those of them who managed to escape died of walking in pain, hunger, and thirst under a scorching sun. Many others drowned as they were fleeing by sea. I am convinced that the mere statements of condemnation are of no avail, in view of the horrific genocide to which Rohingya people are subjected, reminiscent only of monsters in the jungle. On the other hand, the timid and hesitant appeals launched by international and humanitarian organizations to save Rohingya Muslims from the hostilities of the Burmese army and the Myanmar authorities are only an exercise in futility and a sheer waste of time. The Myanmar leaderships have allied themselves with extremist elements from the State army to perpetrate genocide and ethnic cleansing operations against Rohingya Muslims, in a brutal, inhumane manner that can only be revolting to the human conscience. This ignominious behavior, rejected by all religions, will remain an indelible disgrace in the history of Myanmar. In the face of this situation, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has the responsibility of intensifying its humanitarian action at the Arab, Islamic and international levels, in order to put an end to these massacres perpetrated against Muslim citizens in Myanmar. It should urge all international bodies and organizations and human rights institutions all over the world to carry out their obligations and take the necessary action in order to investigate these outrageous crimes, pursue their perpetrators, and bring them before the International Court of Justice to be tried as war criminals for all the egregious atrocities they have committed. It should be borne in mind that such crimes are among the main factors that lie behind the proliferation of terrorism, currently plaguing the whole world. In the end, I cannot fail to commend the actions of the OIC Secretary General, and to call on His Excellency to use all means of pressure on the Security Council and, before that, to urge decision-makers in all OIC Member States to exert utmost political and economic pressure on Myanmar authorities so that they immediately put an end to the policy of racial and religious discrimination against Muslim citizens. In this regard, one can only regret the ambivalent stance of the Burmese leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who refrained from condemning all those crimes that do undermine peace and make of it just a meaningless term. A word of thanks and gratitude goes to the Government of Bangladesh for having kindly received Rohingya refugees on its land. I appeal to all nations of the world, especially the OIC Member States, to stand with Bangladesh and provide it with assistance and support, so as to improve the living conditions of Rohingya refugees, especially children and women, and to join efforts to dry the tears of Muslim Rohingya girls.

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OIC NEWS

Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir

Condemns Mass Blinding of Kashmiri Youth through Pallet Guns Jeddah – The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held its meeting in Jeddah on 30th April 2018 at the OIC Headquarters. The meeting was called in the context of recent killings of more than 20 innocent Kashmiri civilians at the hands of Indian occupying forces. Foreign Secretary, Tehmina Janjua, led Pakistan’s delegation to the meeting, which was chaired by Amb. Abdullah Alim the Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, and attended by delegations from Azerbaijan Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Niger. In his opening remarks the Assistant Secretary General as Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir strongly condemned the recent killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians by the Indian occupying forces and reiterated OIC’s principled position on supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in achieving their legitimate rights, including the right of self-determination. He emphasized that conflict shall be resolved in accordance with the aspiration of Kashmiri people and the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. During the Meeting, the Foreign Secretary apprised the participants about the Indian aggression and recent escalation in atrocities against the innocent Kashmiri civilians, the gruesome incident of rape and murder of eight-year-old young girl Asifa Bano and gross violations of Human Rights in the valley. She also reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic, moral and political support to the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Foreign Secretary thanked the OIC for its continued support on the Kashmir dispute. She said that unresolved Kashmir issue is threatening the peace and stability in South Asia. She asserted that Pakistan is determined to resolve the seventy years old dispute through dialogue. The Contact Group unequivocally condemned the latest wave of repression especially the mass blinding of Kashmiri youth through pallet guns, the unprecedented level of illegal detentions and disappearances of civilians and Hurriyat leaders, the gruesome incident of rape and murder of eight-year-old young girl, Asifa Bano, and

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the unbridled use of indiscriminate use of force, with impunity, by the Indian Security Forces. The Contact Group called on the Secretary General to draw attention of the international community to the predicament of people in IoK, urging them to use their influence on India to stop forthwith the unacceptable violations of basic and fundamental human rights. IPHRC condemns the ongoing human rights violations: The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-IPHRC) issued a statement in which it expressed its shock at the unrelenting streak of violence perpetrated by Indian Security Forces against innocent Kashmiri Muslims in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). In total disregard of its human rights obligations and respect for well-established international human rights norms, Indian forces continue to use brute force against innocent Kashmiri civilians on different pretexts, the IPHRC stated. While condemning these grotesque human rights violations, IPHRC extended its sincere condolences to the bereaved families. The Commission also shared the concerns of the UN and OIC Secretary Generals on the human rights situation in the IOK and appealed to the international community, in particular the OIC Member States, to take cognizance of the ongoing bloodshed and impress the Government of India to put an immediate end to the continuing human rights violations and bring to justice all those who are responsible, without fail. IPHRC also welcomed the pronouncements made by the recently concluded 45th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers concerning OIC’s principled position on supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in achieving their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination; bringing an end to human rights violations; and resolving the dispute through dialogue in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

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OIC NEWS Maldives President Receives OIC Secretary General H.E. Mr. Abdullah Yamin Abdul Qayum, President of the Republic of Maldives received the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. Al Othaimeen, in Male, the capital on May 3, 2018. The two parties reviewed the bilateral relations between the OIC and the Republic of Maldives and ways to boost cooperation between them. The meeting also addressed the challenges facing the Islamic world and the role the OIC plays in the service of the causes of the Islamic Ummah. H.E. the President, Mr. Abdul Qayum welcomed the Secretary General, paid tribute to the OIC for its efforts, laid emphasis on its important role in the coordination of joint Islamic action among the Member States, and renewed his support for OIC Secretary General’s endeavors. On his part, the Secretary General praised the development witnessed by the Maldives

in all fields under the leadership of President Abdullah Yamin, and valued the role played by the Republic of Maldives in the service of the causes of the Islamic Ummah. The Secretary General said: “the Maldives has now grown into a magnetic tourist destination for the majority of the Islamic world’s population in view of its security, stability, natural beauty and gentle climate”. The Maldives, he said, qualifies as a model that may con-

tribute to the development of a planned promotion of environmental tourism for the Member States. The Secretary General also met with H.E. the Foreign Minister of the Maldives, Dr. Mohammad Assim, and discussed with him the current situation in the Islamic world. Both parties expressed their determination to enhance relations between Maldives and the OIC such as to serve the interests of the Islamic Ummah, and also to offer back up to the Maldives causes in international fora. Al Othaimeen further met with H.E. the Minister of Education in Maldives, Dr. Aicha Shihan, visited the Alexander School in Male and gave a talk at the National University of Maldives. Similarly, the OIC Secretary General met with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in Maldives, Dr. Mohammed Shayni.

Visit of Xinjiang Culture and Communication Delegation A delegation from Xinjiang Culture and Communication Center paid a visit to the General Secretariat on 9th May 2018. The delegation headed by Mr. Xu Guixiang, Vice Secretary General of the China Overseas Friendship Association and accompanied by officials and representatives of China’s Minority Education Development, Ministry of Education of China

(MOE), Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Xinjiang Academy of Social Science were received by Amb. Abdullah Alim, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs. The delegation was briefed on OIC’s activities in political, cultural and dialogue and outreach domains. The Xinjiang Delegation on its part briefed on the policies and programs of

the Chinese Government for the promotion and betterment of various ethnic communities and particularly for the Uighur and other Muslim communities in China. The two sides agreed to widen the areas of cooperation with the various Chinese institutions and to hold next round of bilateral consultations.

President of Senegal Meets with OIC Secretary General in Dakar

H.E. President of Senegal, Mr. Macky Sall, met with OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, on 15 May 2018, on the sidelines of the 11th session of the Standing Committee on Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), held in Dakar, capital-city of Senegal. During the meeting, the two sides dis-

cussed the current situation in the region as well as issues of common interest. They also discussed the special bilateral relations between Senegal and the OIC, and ways for their promotion and development to serve the joint Islamic action. For his part, the OIC Secretary General praised the positive role played by the Re-

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public of Senegal under the leadership of H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, President of Senegal, in supporting the Organization’s causes and activities. Likewise, the Secretary General expressed his pride in the initiatives carried out by H.E. President of Senegal through COMIAC, which he presides over, highlighting, in this connection, the special initiative he launched at the last Islamic Summit in Istanbul, namely the OIC International Prize for Distinguished Media Outlets and Media Professionals in Promoting Intercultural Dialogue, Tolerance and Harmony. As for H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, he welcomed H.E. the Secretary General, and underscored the importance of OIC role in promoting and supporting the Islamic joint action between the Member States. He also lauded the efforts made by the Secretary General in the critical situations which the Islamic world currently faces.

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OIC NEWS Promoting OIC-UN Cooperation in Political, Economic, and Cultural Matters Rabat – The General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and its specialized institutions and the UN General Secretariat held a general meeting to enhance cooperation in political, economic, scientific, cultural, social and humanitarian fields between the two organizations on 3-5 July 2018, at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru OIC, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, and Mr. Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs addressed the joint meeting. The biannual regular meeting evaluated the progress of joint cooperation activities in order to set directions, make assessments, evaluate prospects and provide a follow-up for collaboration between the two major international organizations and it was attended by high level delegations from both the OIC General Secretariat and relevant institutions of the OIC and the UN. The biennial meeting also examined the continued political cooperation in terms of comprehensive consultations and capacitybuilding, as well as addressing conflicts and their means of resolution and peacemaking and security. It also reviewed counter-terrorism, combating violent extremism, promoting democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law. Furthermore, it discussed issues such as the Middle East peace process, the situation in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic and Myanmar. On economic issues, OIC and UN officials discussed the OIC trade preferential system, agriculture, food security and rural development, as well as transport and tourism issues. The meeting also discussed cooperation in science and technology, research and

higher education, technical and vocational training, environment, climate change and water issues. During the meeting, the two organizations worked out the modalities of promoting cooperation in the area of intercultural dialogue and the promotion of a culture of dialogue for peace and reconciliation, combating incitement to discrimination based on religion or belief, social issues related to the interests of women, children and youth and the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind. Important topics discussed by the two organizations at the meeting included the humanitarian landscape in OIC countries like delivery of humanitarian aid and the mobilization of support during humanitarian crises, particularly in Bangladesh, the Lake Chad Basin, the Central African Republic and Somalia. During the three-day meeting, SESRIC presented its progress reports on the implementation of the agreed activities between the two organizations, during the three working groups; namely, Political Matters; Economic Issues; and Cultural, Social and Humanitarian Issues.

In addition to the adaptation of the cooperation matrix, the meeting also adopted a number of recommendations on election partnership; fight against terrorism; protection against violent extremism, human rights and rules of law; peace building; countering conflicts; democracy and good governance; economic, scientific, cultural, social and human affairs; and south-south cooperation. The participants adopted the Meeting’s Final Report which contained a number of recommendations on promoting cooperation and coordination in the fields related to Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, Republic of Mali, the Sahel, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Myanmar and Afghanistan. At the closing session, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri gave an address wherein he reiterated his welcome to the participants in the meeting and commended their efforts to attain the outstanding outcomes that will support the continuous partnership between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations and their respective organs.

Secretary General and EU Representative Discuss Strengthening Bilateral Relations The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, received, at his office on 16 July 2018, Mr. Michele Cervone d’Urso, Ambassador and Head of European Union Delegation to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qa-

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tar and Saudi Arabia, and EU Representative to the OIC. During the discussions both sides had extensive exchange of views on shared issues and expressed their interests to remain engaged in strengthening EU-OIC bilateral re-

lations through fruitful cooperation in the coming days. Welcoming the Ambassador, the Secretary General emphasized on identifying mutual issues and concrete actions on joint projects to strengthen bilateral relations.

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OIC NEWS ISF Adopts New Financial Aid for Development Projects

Chairman of IUIU and Director of ISF

he Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), a subsidiary organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has adopted new financial aid for several developmental, social and educational projects in a number of the OIC Member States. The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, said that this aid comes in the context of the support provided by the OIC, represented by the ISF, for the efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive human development and economic wellbeing of the peoples of Member States. He asserted that this is part of the assiduous efforts of the OIC to serve Muslims in these sectors and develop their capacities in the various social, economic, educational and cultural fields. The beneficiaries of the ISF new financial assistance are various. They include the Waqf project of the Islamic University of Niger, the Islamic Charitable Organization and Conadi Charitable Society in Côte d’Ivoire, and AlZahra Association for Social Development and Vocational Training in Burkina Faso. They also include the Saudi Dar Al-Mawsoa Charitable Society, Youth Revival Charitable Organization in Sudan, and the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent in Libya as well as Haj Najib Education Center in Sri Lanka, a non-Member State. Educational Projects in Africa The OIC Islamic Solidarity Fund as part of the new financial assistance has provided a financial support to a number of educational projects in the OIC African member States.

The OIC Secretary General said that the assistance occurred in the framework of the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Permanent Council of the Islamic Solidarity Fund at its sixty-second session held at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah in February 2018. He pointed out that his organization aims to provide such assistance in order to achieve development in those countries and to spread knowledge and Islamic Culture therein. The assistance provided by ISF includes the support to the Association for the Care of the Muslims of Uganda, the Ruwenzuri Saad Islamic Institute, the Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Ouf Institute, the Islamic Institute of AlBakr and the Islamic Muhammadiyah Society in Senegal, the Islamic Solidarity School in Sai close to the Islamic University of Niger. Assistance was also provided to the Safail al-Sa’ada School in Tafrika Village, the Association for Peace and Reform in Mali, the Conadi Charity Association in Côte d’Ivoire, the Islamic Consciousness Association of Guinea Conakry, the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims and the Institute of Islamic Studies in Mauritius. The Fund also contributed 1.7 million American dollars to the Islamic University in Niger (IUN) for the academic year 2017-18, totaling its contributions to the IUN, since its establishment in 1978, to some US$ 38 million. Dr. Al-Othaimeen said it is of basic importance to support the IUN to tend to the needs of French-speaking western African

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Muslim people, assisting it in its mission to spread Muslim culture and the Islamic learning tradition in this very crucial part of the Muslim world. For the record, the Islamic University in Niger was established as an affiliate body of the OIC following a resolution from the Second Islamic Summit Conference (Pakistan, February 1974). Financial allocations were also approved for the benefit of 16 educational and developmental projects in Member States of the African Group. The OIC Secretary General stated that these allocations fall within the framework of responding to the needs of the Muslim peoples in Africa with a view to enhancing development in their countries and spreading learning and Islamic culture in that important part of the Islamic World. These projects span many countries including Uganda, Senegal, Niger, Ghana, Mali and Burundi, with the ISF assistance going to institutions such as Uganda’s Islamic University, the Islamic Teachers Association, the Cultural Society for Education and Coran Teaching for both children and adults as well as Senegal’s World Philanthropic Society. The OIC’s assistance also benefited the Islamic University in Niger (Say University) and its adjacent Islamic Solidarity School, as well as the Haj Mahmoud International University in Niger, the High Institute for Awareness Raising and Islamic Projects Inception, in addition to the Om Al Kheir Society for Education and Training and the Islamic Affairs and Humanitarian Services Society in Ghana. The ISF assistance also went to Mali’s Relief Society for the Elderly, the Handicapped and the Orphans, and to Iqra Society for Education and Social Reform in Burundi. 36 Development Projects The ISF also approved financial assistance for 37 development projects with a total value of USD 1.490 million in some OIC Arab Member States. Dr. Al-Othaimeen stated that the approved aid is for projects in the fields of health, relief, education, development and culture, pointing out that the ISF is always at the forefront of providing aid for the benefit of the peoples of the Muslim world. In Palestine, several projects benefited from the financial assistance provided by the ISF.

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OIC NEWS These include the Palestinian Ahl Al-Khair Association, the Palestinian Association for Drug Control, Al Ehsan Charitable Society, Friends of the Patient Society, Bateer Charity Association, Hindaza Braida Municipal Council, Yamoun Municipality, Association of Diabetes Patients Association, Working Women Society, and Mujadidoon Association for Youth Support. Other beneficiaries also include the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Al-Fajr Association for Relief and Development, Sawaed Association for Relief and Development, General Service Association of Gaza City Neighborhoods and the Haifa Charity Center. In Saudi Arabia, Maarif World Educational

Knowledge Foundation, Dar Al-Mawsoa Charitable Society, and Arab Urban Development Institute were among the beneficiaries. The ISF aid also included the Youth Revival Charitable Organization and Afaq Al-Majd Youth Welfare and Rehabilitation Organization in Sudan, and the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent in Libya. $ 6.6 million for the American Islamic College in Chicago The ISF also made financial contributions to the American Islamic College in Chicago. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, the OIC Secretary General and Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees, said that in implemen-

tation of the decisions of the Permanent Council and since the college was purchased in 1980 until 2018- the ISF made contributions amounting to about US $ 6.641 million to the college. Al-Othaimeen stated that the American Islamic College in Chicago was purchased in Illinois in 1980 with the contribution by the Government of Saudi Arabia, the ISF and a loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The College was established in the USA as a non-profit higher education institution. It grants academic degrees in the fields of religion, science and education.

OIC Iftar for students at the Islamic University of Technology in Dhaka On behalf of the OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al Othaimeen, the acting Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Technology in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a subsidiary organ of the OIC, hosted an iftar for the students in the University. The occasion was held in solemnity and religious festivity and was appreciated by the IUT community. The Secretary General sent a letter of thanks

to the acting Vice-Chancellor Dr. Omar Jah wishing the students and all the staff and faculty members of the University a happy and blessed month of Ramadan. He encouraged Dr. Jah to keep the momentum in order to sustain an enabling environment conducive to teaching, research and learning which is the cornerstone of OIC’s mandate to the University.

Maldives and Uzbekistan Permanent Representatives Present their Credentials The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, received in his office on Monday, 28 May 2018, the Ambassador of The Republic of Maldives in Riyadh, Ambassador Abdullah Hameed, who presented his credentials as the Maldives Permanent Representative to the OIC. The Secretary General congratulated Ambassador Hameed on his new assignment and expressed the OIC’s desire to work closely with the Maldives in promoting trade, tourism, culture, sports and youth affairs, among others, for the benefit of all Member States. The Secretary General reiterated the support of the OIC to the Government of the Maldives in its efforts to bring peace, stability and security to all citizens of the country. Ambassador Hameed expressed his country’s appreciation of the role of OIC in fostering closer relations among OIC Member States in the spirit of Islamic solidarity. The Ambassador reaffirmed the commitment of the Maldives to further strengthening its cooperation with the Organization and to explore possibilities of enhancing collaboration across political, economic and cultural domains.

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Mr. Ulugbek Maksudov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also presented on 31 May 2018, to Dr. Al-Othaimeen his Letter of Credence accrediting him as the Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the OIC. During the discussion that took place after the presentation of Credentials, Ambassador Maksudov reiterated his country’s commitment to the OIC and its programs and activities and stressed that Uzbekistan is keen on hosting the second Islamic Summit on Science and Technology in 2020. He also expressed his interest to work very closely with the General Secretariat for the benefit of the Organization and its Member States, especially that Uzbekistan has already started work on establishing the International Islamic Youth Center for Scientists and the Imam Bokhari Islamic Research Center. Welcoming the Ambassador, the Secretary General underlined the important role of Uzbekistan in materializing the objectives of the OIC. Dr. Al-Othaimeen assured the Ambassador of required support and assistance from the General Secretariat during tenure as Uzbek Permanent Representative to the OIC.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OIC Calls for Relief to Somalia from the Severe Flooding

he OIC General Secretariat called upon the Member States and their humanitarian organizations in May to urgently extend immediate assistance to Somalia, which was facing devastating floods in the southern parts of the country affected by the heavy rains on the Ethiopian highlands. Based on the information received by the Somali Federal Government, and members of the Alliance of Islamic Cooperation Organisation, UN agencies, the OIC office in Mogadishu has warned from the consequences of a major humanitarian disaster in light of the continued high water levels in the rivers of Juba and Shabelle, which in turn led to the displacement of more than 147,000 people in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions as well as the villages overlooking the Shabelle and Juba rivers in the city of Lok and its environs, in Jedo province and villages near the city of Saku in the Central Juba region. This disaster led to the damage of the infrastructure in those areas, the death of many livestock and the destruction houses, which foreshadows the expansion of the disaster and the occurrence of large destruction resulting in the loss of shelter and food for tens of thousands of people, especially in light of the precarious situation of food security in Somalia, as well as epidemics due to the poor living conditions as a result of the disaster. The OIC Office, has so far, provided food and drinking water, health care, and con-

tributed to building temporary dams on the river banks, in addition to other quick and rubber boats to deliver aid to the besieged in the affected areas King Salman Relief Centre and OIC Deliver Ramadan Aid to Somalia: In response to the distress call from the government of Somalia, King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief, in association with the OIC Development Office in Somalia, delivered a program of food aid during Ramadan which consisted of distrib-

uting 24,684 food parcels and 240 tons of dates to the Somalian people. A joint humanitarian delegation from King Salman Relief Centre and OIC Development Office in Somalia, headed by Mr. Saad bin Muhana Al-Swaid, Head of King Salman Centre’s regional offices in Africa, and Mohamed Idli Sabri, Director of OIC Development Office in Somalia, supervised the distribution of aids to thousands of Somalian families across the country.

Commemorating Orphans’ Day

On the occasion of commemorating Orphans’ Day in the Islamic world on the 15th of Ramadan each year, the OIC Secretary Gen-

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eral, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, issued a statement reiterating his call to all OIC Member States and their respective civil society and philanthropic organizations to pay attention to the issues of the orphans. He urged them to particularly address the needs of orphans in the disaster and crises-struck zones in order to undertake appropriate activities to raise awareness about the orphans’ plight so as to remind our societies in the Muslim world of the orphans’ hardships. Al Othaimeen urged to exert greater efforts in sponsoring orphans and offering them help and all necessary humanitarian assistance since the right of the child is one of the most sacred rights established by Islam and all other religions. The fortieth session of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council, which convened in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, on 9-11 December 2013, had issued a resolution that set the date of the 15th of Ramadhan of each year as a day dedicated to the orphans in the Islamic world.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OIC-UNHCR: A Shared Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy

n their avowed determination to ensure international commitment to share the responsibility for hosting and supporting the world’s refugees more equitably, including addressing the root causes of displacement, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) hosted a Comprehensive Refugee Response (CRRF) Workshop at the Dead Sea, Jordan, from 29-30 April 2018. The workshop focused on the contribution of refugee host countries, with a view to develop mechanisms for more equitable and predictable burden and responsibility sharing, in light of OIC Member States experiences, including the impact of hosting refugees on their development as well as policies of durable and sustainable solutions to refugee situations. H.E. Ambassador Hesham Youssef, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the OIC, and H.E. Mr. Daniel Endres, UNHCR Director, Division of Resilience and Solutions made statements during the session. They thanked the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for hosting the workshop. They pointed out that with two thirds of the displaced in OIC countries, there was a need to learn from these countries and to recognize that humanitarian and development support comes from OIC countries, noting that in future the refugees should be able to help their children look after themselves. They noted that the International Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Refugees in the Muslim World, which was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan during the period 11-12 May 2012, stressed the need for concerted efforts to assist and protect refugees, and most importantly the search for durable and lasting solutions. Collaboration between the OIC and UNHCR was commended and both Secretariats were urged to continue their cooperation in this important humanitarian field, and this cooperation resulted in convening this joint OIC-UNHCR Workshop. A short film was screened highlighting the plight of refugees since the adoption of the 1951 Convention on Refugees. H.E. Khalid Shawabkah, Acting Director of International Relations and Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

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noted that irrespective of the economic and social challenges, his country would continue to support the refugees. He observed that refugees become very vulnerable after displacement, facing an uncertain future, and stressed the need for stakeholders to work together in order to provide services to refugees and let them have their dignity, stressing the need to assist host countries through the principle of burden-sharing. At the conclusion of the two day deliberations, participants agreed to continue advocacy for stronger support from the international community to displaced persons and refugees and host communities in the OIC Member States in order to reach a more equitable, predictable, and sustainable burden sharing and an effective role in reducing the impact of refugee flows on the process of development in host countries. The participants also recognized the important role of Islamic Sharia, teachings, and principles in relation to the provision of protection and safety for refugees and vulnerable persons.

Mission to Zaatari Camp As part of the Comprehensive Refugee Response and in coordination with the Jordanian Syrian Refugee Directorate, an OICUNHCR Joint Assessment Mission to Zaatari Camp was conducted on May 1, 2018. This assessment aimed at getting a better un-

derstanding of the current situation, needs, risks, capacities and vulnerabilities of the Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in the Camp. During the visit, the head of the OIC delegation, Amb. Hisham Yousef, conveyed the appreciation of the Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, to the Government of Jordan. He also asserted the Secretary General’s deep commendation of the outstanding role it has been undertaking in hosting and sponsoring the Syrian refugees despite the increasing challenges to Jordan’s resources and potentials. Amb. Yousef stressed the importance of continuous consultation and cooperation between the OIC General Secretariat and the UNHCR to discuss ways to increase support for refugees in the Muslim world. The delegation acquainted itself with many projects implemented by the OIC Member States in the camp, especially Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and others. The delegation also visited the main hospital, the social center and the new solar plant funded by Germany. The delegation also paid a visit to some Syrian families to inquire about their situation and needs. The visit was meant to report to the OIC Member States the difficulties faced by the Syrian refugees and to encourage them to enhance their support for the Syrian refugees in Jordan.

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HUMAN RIGHTS IPHRC: Reinforcing the Rights of Children in OIC Member States

Director General of Cabinet at OIC, Dr. Abdullah Musa Al-Tayer (C), speaking at the 13th session of IPHRC

evisiting the OIC Covenant on the Rights of Child in Islam to Reinforce the Rights of Children in OIC Member States took center stage during the 13th Regular Session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held from 15-19 April 2018. Dr. Abdullah Musa Altayar, Director General of the Cabinet of the OIC Secretary General and his Senior Adviser, chaired the inauguration of the 13th session of the IPHRC at its headquarter in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the statement he delivered on behalf of the Secretary General, he affirmed that in pursuant of the mandate obtained from the Council of the Foreign Ministers, the OIC General Secretariat is working on the development of a comprehensive strategy in the area of child care and their wellbeing in the Islamic world through an implementation mechanism for the Child Rights Covenant in Islam in its amended version. Dr. Abdallah Mosa stressed that “our responsibility towards children is derived from the Islamic values, which regard protection and promotion of child rights as obligatory and accord utmost priority to providing an enabling environment that nurtures positive future for every child in all settings without discrimination.” Reflecting on the OIC efforts to promote child rights, Dr. Altayer recalled that the adoption of the Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam in 2005 as a significant development in its own

right. However, an extremely low level of ratification of the covenant (only 8 signatures and 2 ratifications) clearly shows that the Covenant, still falls short of convincing the Member States to accept it as a credible mechanism to convert claims into rights and render actions to protect the survival, protection, and development of the rights of children. Hence, the need to have a comprehensive review of the OIC Covenant to bring it in conformity with the international human rights instruments making it more representative, broad based and above all implementable. On the other hand, he thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the OIC host country for hosting IPHRC and the support provided by the Custodian of the Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz and his Royal Highness, the Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman, as well as the Relevant Saudi public institutions. On his part, Dr. Rashid Al-Ballushi, chairman of the IPHRC 13th session highlighted that Islam laid the architecture of human rightsbased society where interests of the vulnerable and disadvantaged sections, including children, are secured through codification of rights and responsibilities. He stressed that in today’s world, such a rights-based approach is critical to setting out the child rights in order for children to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect, exploitation and abuse.

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The Commission Members, panelists and representatives of Member States had an exhaustive and fruitful discussion that underlined the importance of developing a broad-based comprehensive agenda of accountability for children’s rights, where rule of law, social inclusion and gender sensitive human development are promoted for the benefit of all societies. Concerning the revision of the OIC Covenant on the Child Rights in Islam, all participants stressed that the revised Covenant must bring an added value to the existing international human rights instruments, and set higher norms, including practical implementation mechanisms to help promote and protect the rights of the child more effectively. The participants stressed the primacy of the family as the natural unit to protect and promote child rights. During the five days session, the Commission also had in-depth discussions on all items on its agenda including Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in OIC Member States as well as specific mandates given to it by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) such as Islamophobia; Rights of Women and Children; Right to development; Standing Mechanism for monitoring human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK), as well as human rights situation of Muslim minorities in Myanmar and Central

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HUMAN RIGHTS African Republic. The Commission also received briefings from relevant department of the OIC General Secretariat on these subjects, which were instrumental in making informed and comprehensive decisions and recommendations on these subjects. The Commission, while discussing the deteriorating human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, held Israel, the Occupying Power, solely responsible for the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which is rooted in systematic discriminatory policies against Palestinians in all aspects of their lives. The Commission reiterated its strong condemnation and rejection of the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the US Embassy there. The Commission also received detailed briefing on the worsening human rights situation in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) from the Special Representative of the OIC Secretary General on Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The Commission strongly condemned the systematic and systemic atrocities committed by the Indian occupation forces in IoK against the innocent Kashmiri Muslims who are denied their fundamental human rights in utter disregard to the international human rights law. Members of the joint OIC/IPHRC delegation that visited Rohingya Refugee Camps in Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh in January 2018 briefed the Commission on the situation of Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. The delegation also presented a detailed report on the human rights situation faced by Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar that was based on first hand interactions with the victims. The Commission also reviewed the worsening human rights situation of Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR). It noted that despite the important political and peacekeeping efforts by the UN and African Union-led Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, not much has been realized on the ground. The security and humanitarian situation in CAR remains worrisome and continues to adversely impact on the state of human rights in the country. The Commission considered different ways to help the Muslim minority in CAR including by reaching out to various human rights bodies for joint awareness raising on the prevailing grave human rights and humanitarian situation. IPHRC also considered undertaking another field visit to CAR in co-

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operation with the OIC General Secretariat to carry out an evaluation of the human rights situation. The Commission also urged the international Community, especially the UNSC to act quickly to beef up the MINUSCA to ensure a more robust protection of civilians throughout the country. There is also the need to pursue the security sector reform as well as to hold the perpetrators of repetitive violence to account by expanding the sanctions list to include those identified behind the crimes committed against the Muslim minority in CAR. In its interaction with the OIC Observatory on Islamophobia, the Commission stressed that the situation of Islamophobia remains worrying and needed concerted and continued efforts on part of the OIC at different levels. In its deliberations on the rights of women and children, the Commission affirmed the importance of women empowerment as a key factor for the sustainable development of any society, which is also in line with the Islamic teachings and values. It also affirmed the importance of the Family as the fundamental unit of society and

the need for protecting and preserving the institutions of family and marriage, while condemning all moves to redefine the institution of marriage and concept on the basis of legally, morally and socially distorted notions of Sexual Orientation. Besides the regular proceedings of the 13th Session, IPHRC Secretariat, in collaboration with the UN Counter-terrorism Office organized a short workshop for the OIC Member and Observer States to share best practices on the topic of “Importance of Mainstreaming Human Rights in Counter Terrorism policies and initiatives”. In his concluding remarks, IPHRC Chairperson, Dr. Rashid Al Balushi expressed profound gratitude to all Member States including the host country KSA and the OIC Secretary General for their steadfast logistical and moral support in smooth and effective functioning of the Commission. He also reaffirmed Commission’s resolve to work in tandem with the OIC General Secretariat and other specialized institutions for further developing and strengthening of human rights, respecting and protecting societies in all OIC countries.

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Nakhchivan

he history of Nakhchivan city dates back to 5000 years ago, making it as one of the oldest cultural centers in the Middle East. It is the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic which covers 5500 square kilometers, has a population of about 450.000 people, and is bordered by the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia. The legal status of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic goes back to 1921 when they adopted and signed two important international agreements (The Moscow Treaty -Article 3 and the Kars Agreement -Article 5) laying down the bases of autonomy and the official borders of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as an integral part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The region of Nakhchivan, composed of the Nakhchivan city and 7 administrative regions with 5 towns, 8 settlements and 206 villages, is an autonomous state within the Republic of Azerbaijan under its current Constitution (1995). A Supreme Assembly, of 45 deputy members for 5 years of office’s term, constitutes the higher legislative power in the state. The Chairman of this assembly, according to the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Constitution and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic’s one, is the highest official of Nakhchivan. The executive power is exercised by the Cabinet of Ministers, and the judiciary one by the courts. Thanks to its strategic location, the Nakhchivan region has a rich history in the Caucassus zone, and the development of its culture is an enrichment vector of the ancient Azerbaijani civilization. During history, the

Capital of Islamic Culture 2018 Asian Region Nakhchivan city was the capital of different states and dynasties such as the “Atabeg” dynasty of Azerbaijan (XIIth century), the Nakhchivan “khanate” dynasty (XVIIIth and XIXth centuries) and the “Araz-Turk” Republic (beginning of the XXth century).

The Nakhchivan city Nakhchivan is rich with ancient and medieval Turkish-Islamic culture remnants and historical monuments, such as ancient settlements, cities, magnificent fortresses, natural monuments, tombstones and mausoleums, which are great instances of heritage architecture. More than 1200 historical monuments have been inventoried in Nakhchivan, 57 of which are renowned internationally and 496 nationally. In the Nakhchivan city are located many key monuments such as the “Jame” Mosque dated on the XVIIIth century, the “Mu’mine Khatun” Tomb which is currently an open-air museum, erected in the XIIth century by the “Ildegizid Atabey” of Azerbaijan, “Jahan Pahlawan”, in honor of his first wife “Mu’mine khatun”, and the “Khan” Palace built in the XVIIIth century and showing a museum of architecture and

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history. The city of Nakhchivan, as its region, is also renowned for its intangible heritage diversity and its various elements like oral expressions, traditional costumes and songs, crafts skills…telling thus the depth of the Islamic civilization in the region. Nakhchivan is therefore a land of centuriesold achievements in Islamic culture, which has always respected and preserved national, human and religious values and traditions, and showed a great interest to restoration, preservation and promotion of its historical monuments, intangible heritage and culture. In addition, the development of science and education has been one of Nakhchivan’s priorities, in such a way as to promote its contributions and achievements, especially with regard to Islamic culture. Many institutions and centers are working in these educational and cultural projects, such as the Nakhchivan Branch of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the Nakhchivan State University, the Nakhchivan University and the Nakhchivan Teachers Institute, in addition to 3 secondary specialized schools, Heydar Aliyev Military Lyceum, 5 vocational schools and 216 secondary schools. Taking into account the historical and cultural potential of the Nakhchivan city and its surroundings, its Islamic historical and cultural achievements, and its developmental prospects, it was proclaimed as the Asian region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for 2018 at the 6th Conference of Culture Ministers of OIC Member States, held in Baku, in October 200

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CULTURE City of Esna: A Crossroads of Trade Convoys between Egypt and Sudan Luxor (dpa) – Esna, located 60 kilometers south of Luxor, has a wealth of ancient tombs and temples of pharaohs, kings, queens and nobles, in Upper Egypt. It is a historical city, with various archaeological and historical sites from the Islamic and Pharaonic eras, a temple with an amazing hall with columns, and a famous nature reserve. It is a sprawling city, one of the largest cities in Luxor, boasting various sites and monuments flanking the Nile river. In the past, the prosperity of this city, deeply rooted in history, depended in large part on camel transport. The city served as a crossroads for trade convoys between Egypt and Sudan. According to historians and Egyptologists, Esna was an important center for agriculture in the era of the modern state in Pharaonic Egypt. Egyptology books include the names of some of the gods in Esna, such as the ram-headed “Khnum”, associated with fertility and procreation according to ancient Egyptian beliefs, his wives “Nebut” and “Menhit”, along with “Neith” the northern goddess who is believed to have created the universe. In the time of the pharaohs, Esna was known as the city of fish, with mummified fish found buried in it. It was also the first city in history to have known the stockfish industry. According to Egyptian researcher Asma Mohamed Manaa, the kings of the 18th Dynasty in Ancient Egypt built a temple in Esna, the kings of “Saïs” restored a part of it, then Ptolemy VI completed the building work. A hall with 24 columns was also built in the temple during the Roman era, as the façade for the temple. This is indeed the most fascinating hall with columns in the temples of Ancient Egypt, preserved so far almost intact, in addition to the original capitals atop the 24 columns. On the walls of the Esna Temple, one can see ancient texts of classical Egyptian literature, and other texts on the creation of the universe and the origin of life, along with hymns and invocations with great spiritual passion, all still clearly readable. Among the city’s historical assets are the nature reserve in “Dababiya”, located on the eastern bank of the Nile River, which contains traces of an historical era whose geological events had been a focus of re-

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search for decades, and the historic “AlGiddawi Archaeological Market Building”, whose foundation dates back to 1712 A.D., served as a commercial exchange center between Egypt and Sudan. Luxor authorities, in cooperation with USAID, launched a project to protect the historical and archaeological monuments in Esna, preserve and protect the city’s heritage from all dangers, include the city and its historical monuments on the Egyptian cultural tourism map, rediscover the heritage and cultural assets of the city, develop, implement, and promote an alternative concept for the tourism development of the historic city-center of Esna, promote cultural tourism, achieve balance between heritage preservation, tourism requirements, and local development needs, and improve the economic returns of the city’s various cultural assets, ultimately paving the way for the sustainable revitalization of the area. To the west of the Nile, one can find the oldest archaeological area in Esna, “Gebelein”, which contains ancient tombs from the prehistoric era to the Greco-Roman era, along with one of the most famous mummies in history, placed in the Egyptian Museum, a mummy in squatting position. This area is called “Gebelein” because it is situated between the eastern mount and the western mount on the west side of

the Nile River. The area is an open-air museum, relating what happened during what is known as the “Era of Turbulence” in Ancient Egypt. One can also find in this area the relics of “Imhotep”, the preeminent engineer and one of the greatest builders and physicians in the history of Ancient Egypt. He was chancellor to the pharaoh “Djoser”. He was highly revered by the Greek who equated him with their own god of medicine, and benefited much from his wisdom and engineering capabilities. The importance of “Gebelein” lies in the fact that it was the borderline between the third region and the fourth region of southern Egypt in the era of the Pharaohs. An Italian archaeological mission worked in this area for decades and discovered a fence that is believed to have served to protect the area from attacks. The mission also found a unique cemetery, the contents of which were transferred to the Museum of Turin, Italy. A rare and unique mummy was also discovered. Its mummification method was different from that of all other mummies discovered before. There are other areas in Esna which are unknown to many. Among these areas, mention can be made of “El Moalla”, “Asfoun El-Mata’na”, “Koumir”, “Al-Adaima”, and “Al-Hella”.

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CULTURE

OIC Secretary General:

470 Million People in the World Speak

Arabic Dubai – Speaking at the 7th International Conference on Arabic Language, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, said that the OIC, which has 57 Member States including 22 Arab countries, is aware that the Arabic language is the cornerstone of Islamic culture, and that the promotion of the Islamic Ummah is predicated on the preservation of identity. He recalled that the United Nations General Assembly had, in its 28th session in 1973, adopted Arabic as the 6th official language of the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies. The Arabic language, he added, has the same status as all other official languages and working languages in the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. The Secretary General delivered the keynote address at the opening of the 7th International Conference on Arabic Language, held in Dubai, UAE, on April 1721, 2018, under the high patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The Arabic language has been an official

language of the OIC since its establishment in 1969. It is also an official language of UNESCO, the African Union, and other international organizations. Al-Othaimeen noted that Arabic ranks fourth among the most widely used languages in the world, being spoken by the populations of some 66 countries in the world. Today, over 470 million people around the world speak Arabic. The Secretary General stressed that the OIC accords great attention to culture, education and society, and gives high priority to the preservation of the identity of the Islamic Ummah, especially that Arabic is a core component of the Arab-Islamic culture, and an integral part of the building and protection of the individual. The 7th International Conference on Arabic Language, annually held in Dubai, brings together nearly 2000 personalities from about 80 countries, and discusses over 70 research papers dealing with issues pertaining to the Arabic language. One of the recommendations of this Conference calls on Arabic language departments to review study plans in accordance with specific criteria and standards, in the interest of the Arabic language and the

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related sciences. It has also been recommended to work jointly with Arabic language departments in universities in order to obtain academic accreditation for study plans; thereby ensuring their quality and their alignment with the relevant standards adopted by the International Association of Arabic Language Departments. Another recommendation called on Arabic language departments to review the criteria for the appointment of teachers in scientific departments, and to establish standards that guarantee quality and provide teachers in Arabic language departments with the needed scientific and research qualifications. It also urged these departments to engage in community projects for Arabic language education and training, which involves the organization of training courses, workshops, and other activities that serve all segments of society, endear Arabic to them, and facilitate the use of this language. The current session of the Conference was distinguished by the qualitative shift in the implementation of language-related decisions and policies by decision-makers and officials concerned with Arabic in universities.

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Religion Promoting Moderation, Tolerance and

Peaceful Coexistence among World Civilizations

President of Indonesia Joko Widodo arrives to the conference with Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb

Bogor – Wasatiyyat Islam, a concept in Islamic teachings and understanding of a ‘justly-balanced Islam’ and avoiding extremism was at the center of discussion during a 3-days high level consultation of Muslim scholars on Wassatiyat Al-Islam held on 1-3 May 2018 in Bogor, Indonesia. The gathering was initiated by the Government of Indonesia and organized by the Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Interfaith and InterCivilizational Dialogue and Cooperation, H.E. Din Syamsuddin. In a message delivered on his behalf by Dr. Dodik Ariyanto of the Dialogue and Outreach Department during the event, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen noted that the event carries particular significance as it deliberates on promoting peace, tolerance and religious moderation; which is in conformity with the guiding principles of moderation and modernization championed by the OIC. “Islam by its very definition is a religion of peace, while it is grounded in the values of moderation and compassion. Moderation or ‘wasatiya’ literally means ‘the middle path’,” said Al-Othaimeen. “These values have been the driving prin-

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ciples of the OIC since its inception and are reflected in its policies and activities. Within this context, the OIC has firmly engaged with the international community in the war against religious extremism,” he added. The event was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, and gathered more than 100 participants including prominent Muslim intellectuals around the world and from the region i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Timor Leste, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Issues discussed during the high-level consultation meeting covered Wasatiyyat Islam as a Concept, Wasatiyyat Islam in the course of History of Islamic Civilizations, Wasatiyyat Islam in the context of Global Civilizations and Wassatiyyat Islam in the context of Indonesian experiences. The High-level consultation meeting produced the ‘Bogor Messsage’, a declaration containing commitments to reinvigorate Wassatiyyat Islam as a central Islamic teaching. The OIC is consistently in the forefront of promoting messages and actions against terrorism and extremism. The organization had in February 2015 held an Executive Committee Meeting on Combating Violent Extremism and Terrorism. During that

landmark meeting, the OIC reiterated the need to counter all types of radical extremist discourse in order to delegitimize the propaganda of Daesh and other extremist groups, more particularly those committed in the name of religion, ideology, or claims of cultural superiority. Three months later, during the 42nd Council of Foreign Minister (CFM) held in Kuwait in May 2015, OIC Member States emphasized the urgency of deploying all necessary measures to prohibit incitement to all forms of hatred, terrorism, violence, and extremism, especially through the media and via cyberspace. Member States also called for the imposition of stringent sanctions against any social media sites being misused to recruit foreign fighters or incite to terror. Within the same perspective, the OIC has established a “Messaging Center” at the General Secretariat whose core mission is to deconstruct extremist discourses and propaganda. This Messaging Center is part of the OIC’s efforts and unwavering commitment to undermine extremist groups by dismantling their extreme narratives. Today, the Messaging Center is functioning by the name of ‘Sawt Al-Hikma’ or the Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding.

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Religion Al-Othaimeen Hails Cambodia’s Longstanding Respect for Diversity and High Regards for the Muslim Community

Phnom Penh – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen has commended the leadership of the Kingdom of Cambodia, particularly His Excellency the Prime Minister Hun Sen, for hosting annual Ramadan Iftar Celebrations for the Muslim community in the country. He described the holding of the annual Iftar celebration as a symbol of “Cambodia’s longstanding respect for diversity, multiculturalism and tolerance and the high regard the Government grants to the Muslim Community.” In a message to this year’s Ramadan Iftar Celebrations held on 29 May 2018 in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, AlOthaimeen noted that: “this peaceful integration and coexistence can serve as a good example for other countries in the region.” Mrs. Mehla Talebna, Director General of Cultural and Social Affairs Department of the OIC, delivered the message on behalf of the Secretary General. She stressed that “the Government’s promotion of religious tolerance clearly has had a very positive impact, and is one factor that distinguishes Cambodia from other nations.” In his speech during the Iftar Celebration, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his appreciation to the OIC and its Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen. He added that Cambodia gives high priority

to peaceful religious coexistence and harmony and called on the Muslim community to contribute more to the economic development of the country. This is the fifth year that the Royal Government of Cambodia has been organizing the Ramadan Iftar Celebration, which was attended by more than 5,000 international and local Muslim leaders, including members of the Royal Government of Cambodia and representatives of the diplomatic corps in Phnom Penh. Buddhism is the state religion of Cambodia, but the country says it fully respects the religious freedom of others especially Muslims. Anti-Muslim sentiments is widespread in some South-East Asia’s Buddhist communities, with the rise of violence driven partly by some militant Buddhist monks against Muslims in some of the countries in the region. In contrast, Kingdom of Cambodia as a Buddhist majority nation, with Buddhism as the state religion (Muslims constitute less than 5% of the population according to government figures), has a longstanding respect for diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance and high regards for its indigenous Muslim community. Islam is also an officially recognized religion in the country. The Muslim community in Cambodia enjoy government support in educating their children from primary to university level. They

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are allowed to wear their religious symbols like beards, caps for men and headscarves for women at state institutions, schools and on government identification documents. There are Muslim prayer rooms at airports and Prime Minister’s office, and to cap it up, the Kingdom of Cambodia designated a Minister for Islamic Affairs and a Higher Council of Islamic Affairs as well as a Grand Mufti of Cambodia. Relations between the OIC and the Kingdom of Cambodia has witnessed tremendous boost in recent years. In 2016, the Secretary General of the OIC Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, who was then the Director General of the Cabinet, personally led a delegation to the Kingdom of Cambodia. During this year’s visit, the OIC delegation visited Al-Serkal Mosque, which is Cambodia’s largest and main mosque in Phenom Penh. The size and location of the mosque further attest to Cambodia respect for Islam and Muslims in the country. The OIC delegation also toured Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, which housed a grim history of Cambodia embodied in the crimes perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge regime. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were among the millions of Cambodians slaughtered during the horror of the Khmer Rouge period. During the Khmer Rouge reign, Muslims were prohibited from practicing their religion and their mosques were destroyed. Today, in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Muslims are able to practice their religion freely, and enjoy democratic rights to vote and be elected as MPs like any other citizen.

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OPINION The month of peace, tolerance and civilization building

T By Bashir Ahmad Ansari Director of the Dialogue and Outreach Department, OIC

The OIC’s Voice of Wisdom Center contributes to raising awareness of the cultural and moral concepts of this holy month by launching a campaign on social media to explore the human and cultural values that terrorists are keen to ignore and who emphasize, in its place, the doctrines of murder and hatred.

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errorist groups have accustomed us to killing and bombing in the holy month of Ramadan. As soon as the holy month arrived, Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) was quick to remind us of its despicable atrocities by the suicide bombing of all the members of three families, young and old, in churches in the city of Surabaya, Indonesia. We have not forgotten the extent of Daesh’s madness when it attempted to target the Great Mosque of Makkah in Ramadan 2017, and its failed attempt to target fasting Muslims in the Haram Al-Madinah in Ramadan in 2016. Muslims have witnessed bloody Ramadans where unspeakable acts of aggression have been perpetrated by Daesh in markets and mosques to implement Baghdadi’s message that there is, “No work in this holy month better than Jihad”. The question we pose to these terrorist groups is why do they not contemplate the monumental historic event that occurred in the month of Ramadan that changed the course of human history, namely the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet (pbuh) entered Makkah at the head of 10,000 fighters. He was at the peak of his strength, while his enemies, who governed Makkah, had evicted him unjustly and tormented him while he was at his most vulnerable. All of this did not prevent him from showing restraint, humility, tolerance and a desire for coexistence. He never wavered in exercising the humanitarian values of his religion with a concern for human life. In this majestic scene, the Prophet (pbuh) taught his enemies a lesson, when he first tested them: What do you think I will do to you? They replied: Treat us well. And he said: Do not be confused today, may God forgive you and He is the Most Merciful. Then he said his famous words: Go, you are free! Ramadan is a season to rid ourselves of destructive emotions, anger, revenge, hatred, conflicts and rivalries that destroy human relations. It is the soft power of love and tolerance of the Prophet (pbuh) that opened hearts and countries. Mankind is in dire need of peaceful relationships, tolerance, the spirit of cooperation and charity. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was the most charitable during this month and exerted the utmost effort to create harmony between people according to the description of one of his pure wives. Fasting is the refinement of the soul and spirituality. These are essential building blocks for a society in the art of building a civilization. In this context, prominent historians such as Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Battuta offer examples of institutions built during the month of Ramadan in Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, Andalusia, Herat, Ghazni, Balkh, Samarkand, Delhi, Istanbul, Makkah, Madinah, Kairouan and others such as libraries, hospitals, schools, mosques, hospitality centers, wedding halls, nursing homes, orphanages, support centers for those in debt and other institutions that made Ramadan an opportunity to pump blood into the veins of the Islamic civilization. In this holy month, Muslims used to perform major works such as establishing cities, universities, schools and mosques. On this occasion, the foundation stone of cities such as Fez, Wasit and major scientific institutions such as those in Qairouan, Fustat and others were laid. The most famous and prestigious universities in the Islamic world such as Al-Azhar, University of Al-Quaraouiyine and Zaytuna University were established in this holy month. We must make serious attempts to re-understand our responsibilities and make their effects appear in all aspects of our intellectual, behavioral and moral life. We ask ourselves questions such as: How can we make worship emerge from its fragrant civilized behavior and improve our reality in this world and the Hereafter? The crucial question is: How can we turn worship into a deeply rooted culture? If we do not do so, we should not be surprised if we find that the rate of quarrels and conflicts increases in Ramadan instead of decreasing, that the economic exploitation increases instead of decreasing, and that charity diminishes instead of increasing. Such is the result of removing fasting from its context, values, and principles and progressing in the opposite direction to that which is intended by this holy month. The OIC’s Voice of Wisdom Center contributes to raising awareness of the cultural and moral concepts of this holy month by launching a campaign on social media to explore the human and cultural values that terrorists are keen to ignore and who emphasize, in its place, the doctrines of murder and hatred.

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DIALOGUE Sawt Al-Hikma Launches its Ramadan Campaign ‘Mercies of Ramadan’

he OIC Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (CDPU) with Sawt Al-Hikma (the Voice of Wisdom) as its operational arm, has launched its Ramadan campaign under the name “Rahmaniyat Ramadan” or “Mercies of Ramadan” on twitter and Facebook platforms to highlight the values of tolerance, love and mercy of Islam, which are manifested in the holy month of Ramadan. The Sawt Al-Hikma’s “Rahmaniyat Ramadan” campaign was executed through the

posting of texts from noble Hadith and sayings of early scholars that highlight these aspects of worship in the form of posters and graphics image, which could be shared easily on social media outlets. “Ramadan, the month of mercy and forgiveness, has unfortunately been exploited by Daesh and their terrorist kinds recently and turned it into an opportunity for the shedding of the blood of Muslims and others claiming that the heinous acts will bring them closer to Allah,” said Bashir Ansari,

Director of the Dialogue and Outreach department of the OIC. “To counter such narratives and promote the values of tolerance, love and mercy which the month of Ramadan has embodied throughout the history of Islam, the Voice of Wisdom Center launched its Ramadan campaign on social media under the name “Rahmaniyat Ramadan” to highlight these values and remind Muslims of them,” he added. The “Rahmaniyat Ramadan” campaign ran on the Voice of Wisdom’s platforms on Facebook, Twitter and the Internet. The OIC Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (CDPU), is an important contribution by the OIC in the war against international terrorism and violent extremism. It works through internet and social media to delegitimize and deconstruct the extremist narratives propagated by terrorist and extremist forces.

OIC Strongly Condemns Plans to Hold Cartoon Competition of the Prophet Mohamed The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has strongly condemned the statement made by the Dutch parliament member Geert Wilders vowing to hold a cartoon competition of the Prophet peace be upon Him, at the end of this year. The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen expressed his deep concern over this provocative contest, which is arousing further incitement and sowing the seeds of hatred among the vari-

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ous followers of religions. Dr. Al-Othaimeen affirmed that as the entire world is facing religious extremism and terrorism and needs peace, dialogue and tolerance, it is time to set up internationally binding legal instruments to prevent incitement, racism and discrimination, religious hatred and respect for all religions. Freedom of expression does not mean insulting the feelings of others; an attitude which cuts against the universal principle of respect for religions.

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DIALOGUE Designing Effective Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) Initiatives in OIC Member States

Jeddah – The Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (CDPU) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with Sawt Al-Hikma as its operational arm and the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (GCTF, or Hedayah) held a Joint Workshop on Countering Violent Extremism, at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah Saudi Arabia on 30 July 2018. The workshop was attended by representatives of the OIC Member States and key institutions to increase understanding of Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) and help Member States in designing and implementing effective CVE initiatives. In his statement at the opening of the joint workshop, OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen stated that the OIC’s Sawt Al-Hikmah Center (Voice of Wisdom) has devised a plan to coordinate the efforts of the centers concerned with combating violent extremism and terrorism in Muslim countries. Sawt Al-Hikmah will invite those centers to showcase their experiences in this field. In his speech, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Abdullah Al Tayer, Director General of the Cabinet and Senior Advisor at the OIC General Secretariat, the Secretary General said: “The Hedayah Center is one of the many initiatives and efforts the United Arab Emirates is making to promote tolerance, prevent the dangers of terrorism and dry up its thought sources and prevent extremists

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from hijacking the true religion. Al-Othaimeen stated that there are many initiatives in the OIC Member States that believe in fighting terrorism and extremism ideologically in the Islamic world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Headquarters’ country, has its distinct initiatives, namely the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal), the Ideological War Center of the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), and Prince Khalid AlFaisal Center for Moderation at King Abdulaziz University. For his part, Mr. Maqsoud Kruse, Executive Director of Hedayah, made a presentation on the Center’s activities, programs and methods of cooperation with different countries and similar centers. Kruse said: “With the CVE, there is need for targeted interventions as we are at the end of the day dealing with people as people can be influenced in different ways, how can we narrow the target audience and what kind of role models we have in the society such as religious leaders who can influence and impact the process?” The Palestinian representative at the workshop said: ”What we want to ensure in this workshop is that the Israeli occupation and the terrorism happening in the Palestinian state is a reason for violence and extremism which threatens peace in Palestinian and the world. The only way to end this is by re-establishing the Palestinian state.” Ambassador Abdulrazzak Abdi, the repre-

sentative of Somalia to the OIC, said: “Sawt Al-Hikma has been established to have this kind of joint event in the centers of the Member States. In my country, we are suffering a lot, also in Nigeria there is Boko Haram and today we will learn how to tackle them all.” Abdullah Albaba, the Tunisian representative said: “In order for violence to end, we need to stop the injustice. It is necessary to focus on educating the fragile classes in society so they won’t be convinced of the ideas of extremism and terrorism in order to reach satisfactory results.” The workshop elaborated on the roles and challenges of working on CVE and discussed the various agencies and organizations involved in global efforts to counter violent extremism. The workshop also analyzed the structure and role of the OIC through Sawt Al Hikma, as well as the Global Counterterrorism Forum, OSCE, United Nations and national governments in countering extremism in the global arena. It is noteworthy that the OIC has signed an MoU with Hedayah Center for cooperation in a number of areas, including the implementation of joint activities in the field of countering extremist ideologies, promoting balance and moderation, holding periodic meetings to address the emerging issues related to terrorism, in addition to sharing information and experiences in the area of joint action to counter terrorism and extremism.

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Youth Al-Othaimeen Calls for Accelerated Implementation of OIC Youth and Sports Strategies Baku – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, underlined that the OIC has a special strategy for youth development, which he said needs to be adopted and implemented soon. Addressing the fourth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM) in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, on 18 April 2018, the Secretary General said the OIC accords special attention to sports, calling for mechanisms to be put in place quickly to deliver the OIC Sports Strategy, enlisting the synergetic and coordinated efforts of all to drive welfare and create a sound environment for the youth. The youth account for one third of the Muslim world population, Dr. Al-Othaimeen said, explaining that the Muslim world has a young human capital, while other parts of the world are facing development challenges because of growing ageing rates. He went on, “Countries across the Muslim world are experiencing high unemployment rates, coupled with rampant spread of extremism and terrorism, along with high rates of displacement, asylum and migration.” This, he explained, presents our countries with the daunting task to create favorable conditions to unlock the full potential of the youth and address related challenges. In this vein, the Secretary General stressed the need to “improve educational and information systems to best respond to the challenge of promoting identity and awareness among younger generations, thereby defeating extremist ideologies.” There is need

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Youth to make the best of social media to counter extremist narrative and to explore ways to retain and attract our youth, keeping them away from nihilist terror-mongering ideology, he emphasized. Further, the OIC Secretary General commended the efforts of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) for having successfully organized the Fourth Session of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Games hosted by Baku in May 2017. He also expressed his hope that the upcoming session, scheduled for 2021 in Istanbul, would be of similar success. Earlier in his speech during the preparatory meeting for the Fourth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM), OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Family Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Yousuf, delivered a statement at the preparatory meeting, in which he noted the importance of addressing youth unemployment, intolerance, extremism and forced migration from some OIC Member States by redoubling efforts to empower young people and adopt the draft joint action plan for the youth for the period 2019-2020. The meeting discussed the OIC youth strategy, the Joint Action Plan for Youth, the implementation plan for the OICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sports strategy, the promotion of the joint youth plan, the promotion of joint sports policies and the related draft resolutions. The agenda of the meeting of Youth and Sports Ministers also included the reports of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISFF). The ICYSM reviewed the draft OIC Youth Strategy. The draft emphasizes the priority of action for youth empowerment and the investment in their future as a key priority. It called on Member States to develop national policies, action plans and mechanisms that guarantee the protection of youth rights, improve their lives and economic and social status, their educational and knowledge levels and provide them with opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. The Strategy also urged the establishment of joint working mechanisms among Member States for exchanging experiences, mutual support and coordinating policies in the field of youth. The ICYSM also discussed the status of youth in the OIC Member States, the activities of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum

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for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYFDC), the activities of the Sports Federation of the Islamic Solidarity Games and the Joint Action Plan for Youth. The ICYSM also discussed the international program of the Islamic Youth Capital and the implementation of the resolutions related to youth and sports by Member States in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat and the OIC institutions working in the field of youth and sports. Member States and concerned institutions used the ICYSM to share their experiences, study the challenges they face, and highlighted success stories in dealing with youth issues and the importance that Member States and the OIC attach to youth and sports matters. In the end, the meeting adopted the Final Report of the Conference and Baku Declaration which acknowledged the important role of youth for intercultural exchanges, preservation and popularization of Islamic historical and cultural heritage. The Baku declaration underlined the importance of youth development, capacity building and increasing the role of the youth in promoting development, peace and safety in general among the Muslim communities, in line with the findings of the 1st Report on the State of Youth in OIC Member States. The meeting also welcomed the role of the OIC Youth Capital Program being implemented by ICYF-DC and serving the unity and solidarity of the Member States youth, while underscoring the role sports can play for solidarity, in particular by implementation of OIC Sports Capital Program. The declaration of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM) condemned the Israeli occupation for hindering the endeavor of the Palestinian people and the youth in particular to build their capacities in a free manner and seeking to undermine the efforts of the State of Palestine in sports fields, and urge youth and sports institutions, Olympic committees and sports federations of the OIC Member States to support the position of Palestine in international sports organizations on regional and international levels, including through providing appropriate support for the successful holding of Al-Quds OIC Youth Capital 2018. The meeting expressed full support and solidarity with the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people in their efforts to restore its territorial integrity; and recognize the unalienable rights of Azerbaijani

refugees and IDPs to return to their homeland and called for boycotting all youth and sports related events being organized and held in the occupied territories of the OIC Member States by the occupation powers and forces. The ICYSM expressed gratitude to the 4th ICYSMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Organizing Committee composed of the OIC General Secretariat, the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF), and Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), as well as the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the host for their efforts to hold the 4th session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in a successful manner. The Baku Declaration wished the 4th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers to lead to fruitful outcomes for the youth and sports of the Islamic Ummah and hope to see concrete progress in the implementation of resolutions and recommendations made during the Conference and look forward to the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in Saudi Arabia in May 2020.

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FAMILY

AFFAIRS Developing Policies and Action Plan on the

Well-being of the Elderly in the Islamic World

Jeddah – The world population has been undergoing a process of ageing, where the proportion of elderly is increasing and the share of youth is decreasing. While the rapid ageing process has been taking place for many decades in developed countries, it has only recently started in the developing countries including OIC Member States. Even though OIC Member States, on average, still have a relatively young population when compared with developed countries, the share of elderly people has been on the rise along with improvements in healthcare systems, reduction in population growth, and increasing life expectancy. In OIC Member States, the share of senior citizens (aged 60 or over) in total population increased slightly from 5.8 per cent in 1990 to 6.4 per cent in 2010. Nevertheless, the UN projections for OIC Member States anticipate that this share will rapidly climb up from 6.4 per cent in 2010 to 9.6 per cent in 2030. An ageing population has remarkable and wide-ranging socio-economic impacts, from increasing the pressure on social security systems to reducing labor force and changing moral and cultural values that necessitate OIC Member States to devise and implement policies and action plans that can mitigate negative consequences on the society, and develop and provide services for the well-being of the elderly. On the other hand, increased life expectancy can pose potential benefits for OIC Member States; elderly’s longer presence in society will provide greater opportunities for the

rest of the population to benefit from their unique life and work skills and experiences. To reap these benefits, while mitigating negative impacts of an ageing population, however, OIC Member States would need to develop the right set of policies. In this context, developing the right policies and making informed decisions at the policy level on the state of the elderly would help to unlock the potentials of elderly people and enable them to be active as well as productive members of their respective societies where they can also sustain their life in better conditions as recommended by Islamic teachings and the positive social and cultural norms. To effectively identify common trends on population ageing and key challenges faced by elderly people in OIC Member States, the OIC General Secretariat, in cooperation with the Research Center for Statistical, Eco-

The increase in the number of elderly will be faster in the developing world, to which the majority of the OIC Member States belong; a matter that requires efforts and practical action to address the challenges faced by the elderly in Member States

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nomic, Social and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), organized a Workshop on “Improving the State of Elderly in OIC Member States”. The workshop held at the OIC General Secretariat’s headquarters in Jeddah on 23 April 2018, witnessed the participation of experts from the Member States as well as relevant OIC institutions and international organizations. The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen at the opening of the workshop on improving the situation of the elderly in the Muslim world, affirmed that the OIC and its institutions are developing policy and plan of action for the well-being of the elderly in the Islamic World. Al-Othaimeen added that recent statistics indicate that the population of the world that is 60 years old and above will increase to more than 20 per cent by 2050. The increase in the number of elderly will be faster in the developing world, to which the majority of the OIC Member States belong; a matter that requires efforts and practical action to address the challenges faced by the elderly in Member States. The Secretary General stressed in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Youssef, that the workshop aims to achieve the well-being of the elderly and ensure their care and maintain their dignity as a gratitude and appreciation for their efforts in building their homelands. The two-day workshop reviewed the experiences of Member States and international and regional institutions and how they could be used in promoting policies aimed at ensuring the welfare and care of the elderly. The workshop examined and discussed the recent trends in the state of elderly in OIC Member States in comparative perspective; identified the challenges, policies and practices, as well as opportunities for the elderly and highlighted their potential role in sustainable development of OIC Member States. The workshop also commended the role of the Elderly in disseminating moral values and the virtues of social solidarity and wisdoms.

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FAMILY

AFFAIRS

Preparatory Workshop for the Ministerial Women Conference

Adopts Recommendations for Empowering Women

Ouagadougou – The preparatory workshop for the Seventh Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of Member States organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, on 28-29 June 2018, elaborated on a wide range of recommendations on the situation of the advancement of women in the OIC Member States and the implementation of the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women. The workshop was held under the auspices of Burkina Faso’s Minister of Women, National Solidarity and Family, Hélène Marie Laurence Ilboudou Marchal. Minister Ilboudou Marchal emphasized in her inaugural address that nearly 10 years after the adoption of the first OIC Action Plan for the Promotion of women in Cairo, the Member States have created a legal and institutional environment to promote women’s fundamental rights. However, many challenges remain. In this regard, she urged the Member States and the OIC institutions to take appropriate measures to address these challenges. Ambassador Hesham Youssef, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Social and Cultural Affairs, delivered the speech of the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen, in which he highlighted the efforts undertaken by the OIC through its various institutions in promoting the role of women in development in the Member States. He recalled the progress made in this area and welcomed the spirit of self-denial

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that characterized women in the Member States, particularly in Palestine where women pay a heavy price due to the oppression of the Israeli occupation. He further reaffirmed the availability of the General Secretariat to work in collaboration with Burkina Faso and the OIC institutions for the success of the 7th Conference on women. The workshop addressed the themes, documents and projects to be submitted to the Seventh Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in Development to be held on 28 November in Burkina Faso. The workshop brought together representatives of relevant OIC organs and institutions, members of the Advisory Committee on Women as well as a number of Burkina Faso’s institutions. The participants in the workshop discussed the implementation of specific measures to address the difficulties related to access to financing for women; the development of statistical data on the representativeness of women in politics and the sensitization of stakeholders to work for the strengthening

The workshop addressed the themes, documents and projects to be submitted to the Seventh Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in Development to be held on 28 November in Burkina Faso

of the participation of women in politics. They also discussed women’s awareness of their rights in Islam with regard to prejudice and ignorance. On the project of the Family Bank presented by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce (ICCIA), Industry and Agriculture, the workshop recommended: to ease the procedures for a better impact of the Family Bank; to learn from the experiences of the IsDB, the ISF and other institutions to improve the project document; and to consider the implementation of this new type of bank in different forms according to the practices of the States. The ICCIA has set up a Family Bank in Sudan with a capital of US$35 Million. The said Bank’s portfolio provides micro-financing on Sharia terms for start-ups, productive families, women and youth. The Bank has expanded all over Sudan with 41 branches, offering services to the targeted segment of the society. In this context, the ICCIA had proposed that similar initiatives maybe introduced in other Member Countries. The workshop also recommended identifying indigenous mechanisms through the empowerment of women to undertake or develop their activities based on their local knowledge and skills. With regard to the draft concept paper of the OIC Prize for the Contribution of Women to Development of Member States, the workshop recommended to focus on the exchange of good practices to enable mutual enrichment, and sharing experience in innovative areas.

OIC Journal

May - August 2018 47

MEDIA

The 11th Session on the COMIAC:

An Action Plan for Implementing the Islamic World’s Cultural Strategy Dakar – The 11th session of the OIC Standing Committee on Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), held under the theme “Education and Culture as Vectors of Peace, Development and Rapprochement of Peoples”, approved the Action Plan for the Implementation of OIC Cultural Strategy, on 15 May 2018, in Dakar, capital of Senegal. In his address to the session of the COMIAC, which was opened in the presence of the President of Senegal, Chair of the COMIAC, H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, as well as the Ministers of Information and Culture of the Member States, the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, said that the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Cultural Strategy is aimed at promoting and highlighting the cultural values and strengths of the Islamic world, particularly to counter Islamophobia. He also pointed that the OIC General Secretariat is working on providing a mechanism to encourage soft narratives to counter terrorism through the aforementioned Action Plan while focusing particularly on literature and films production. In his address to the session, H.E. the President of Senegal expressed his appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz for his leadership and initiatives through the Vienna-based King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Di-

alogue. His Excellency also emphasized that Islam is a religion of middle stance and that it calls for moderation, respect of neighbors and peaceful co-existence among peoples. On the other hand, the OIC Secretary General underlined the OIC’s interest in engaging the media positively, particularly in light of the smear campaigns waged against Islam and Muslims by the different media outlets, consciously or unconsciously. As for the role of COMIAC, Dr. Al-Othaimeen said that the Committee is concerned with the development of the media and culture sectors, within the framework of the OIC, and the establishment of programs and projects aimed at the promotion of the joint cultural and media action among the OIC Member States. In the same vein, he highlighted that COMIAC seeks also to activate the OIC Media Strategy for Countering Islamophobia, as well as the OIC comprehensive media strategy until 2025. He also called for intensifying coordination and collaboration between the OIC and the institutions specialized in creating content that depicts Islam and its magnanimous values and targets the western audience, so as to contribute to redressing stereotypes about Islam. As for the safeguarding of cultural heritage in the Islamic world, the Secretary General commended the remarkable concentrated

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efforts Saudi Arabia is making in safeguarding the cultural heritage of humankind in the country and establishing infrastructureallowing access to interested people. International Media Prize The Special Review Committee on the International Prize for Media Outlets and Media Specialists with Outstanding Contribution to Promoting Dialogue, Tolerance and Harmony among Cultures considered in its third meeting on the sidelines of the COMIAC held in the Senegalese capital Dakar, on 13 May 2018, the establishment of a sponsoring fund for the Prize, to be headquartered at the OIC General Secretariat. Placed on the agenda of the committee’s third meeting were the financial aspects, the structure of the prize committees, the composition of the prize jury, the launch of the media campaign for the prize, the possibility for enlarging the scope for submissions, along with other procedural matters. The prize, initiated by President Macky Sall of Senegal, Chair of the COMIAC, will invigorate and inject a competitive edge into the profession to ensure better media production, OIC Information Director Ms. Maha Akeel said on behalf of OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen. She added, “This is all the more important, because the OIC ministers of information and foreign affairs, who gathered during

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MEDIA

the 11th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers in Jeddah, the 44th and 45th sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers, have called on all the member states and OIC relevant institutions to ensure full support for the initiative.” Ms. Akeel noted that the Muslim world is racked with violence, extremism and bigotry, at a time when Islam is being subjected to a plethora of false accusations. For its part, the OIC has been active in the fight against rampant Islamophobia in the west. According to Ms. Akeel, it is equally the duty of media and media professionals to do the needful, as per the recognized standards of professional integrity and conscience, to combat the fierce campaigns waged by certain media outlets against Islam. The prize review committee also examined proposals from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO), the OIC News Agencies Federation and the OIC Centre for History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) regarding the prize criteria and procedures. The participants discussed the Award’s financial aspects, the composition of the Award’s various committees, the membership of the jury, the launch of the media campaign about the Award and then the actual launch of the Award. The meeting also explored the idea of expanding the scope of applications for the Award such as to allow for corporate participation, instead of having it open only for individuals, in addition to increasing the Award’s levels so as to involve more than just one Award, and also the option to sus-

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pend the Award in case the works submitted do not meet the required levels. It is worth noting that the past meetings of the committee that were held in Dakar and Jeddah had decided that the OIC Award for Journalists and Media vehicles would be open for all nationals of OIC Member States as well as non-Member States, with the understanding that, in its first edition, the Award will be limited to newspaper, radio, TV and electronic mediums. For the first edition of the Award, the chosen theme is: “Consolidating the Values of Islam, Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance”, particularly in view of the current fierce campaign against the Islamic faith. It was also decided that the Award will be a biennial event to reward the best work of journalism achieved in one of the OIC’s three official languages: Arabic, English and French. Dakar Declaration: The 11th Session of the COMIAC adopted resolutions on Information Affairs and on

it is equally the duty of media and media professionals to do the needful, as per the recognized standards of professional integrity and conscience, to combat the fierce campaigns waged by certain media outlets against Islam

Cultural and Social Affairs as well as the Dakar Declaration, which congratulate President Sall for his commitment and leadership, and fully appreciate the initiatives taken within the framework of his mandate, in particular the revitalization of this important OIC Standing Committee and his interest in the institution of the international Prize for the Media and Journalists to combat Islamophobia, as well as the Festival of Islamic arts. It also congratulated OIC Secretary General Dr. Al-Othaimeen for the remarkable efforts made in the fields of Culture and Information. The Declaration decided to institute the international Prize for the Media and Journalists to combat Islamophobia, and reiterated the importance of setting up the OIC satellite channel to share and broadcast useful programs within the Islamic Ummah and to propagate the true values of Islam. The Declaration encouraged Member States to promote the culture of peace and step up the fight against ignorance and unemployment, which represent the breeding grounds for terrorism and violent extremism, by adopting and consolidating policies on education for peace, citizenship and religious tolerance. It also encouraged Member States to make Culture a key driving force for economic development and employment promotion for the youth, in particular women. The Declaration called for the strict observance of the relevant UN resolutions on Palestine, in particular the resolution on the status of Al-Qods Al Sharif.

OIC Journal

May - August 2018 49

MEDIA 1st Islamic-European Media Forum Explores Ways of Cooperation to Eliminate Hate Speech in the Media

Brussels – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held a Muslim-European media forum with the aim to help counter hate speech in the media, on 29 through 30 June 2018, at the Press Club Brussels Europe in Belgium. The forum, a joint initiative with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Islamic Academy for Research and Development, featured a workshop to assess and finalize the draft training guidebook on media coverage of terrorist events, prepared by the OIC Information Department. In her speech to the forum, OIC Director of Public Information Department Ms. Maha Akeel said the forum aims to publicize the OIC Counter-Islamophobia Media Strategy, which was adopted by the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers in its 11th session held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in December 2016. The objective is also to promote ISESCO Media Training Program on Stereotypical Portrayals of Islam and Muslims. As well as dialoguing and exchanging views on media’s role in the spread of hate speech and the rise of Islamophobia, participants explored ways and prospects for cooperation and coordination between broadcasters in the OIC countries and the West, Ms. Akeel explained. The purpose of the forum is to help establish a culture of human rights, draw a clear line between freedom of expression and religious offense,

work together against racism and hatred, and redress two-way misconceptions, she further emphasized. Ms. Akeel stressed that Terrorism and Islamophobia are two sides of the same coin of hate; they feed on each other. She noted that the distorted views of terrorists and Islamophobes of the “other” and their extremist ideologies and convictions are linked in a vicious cycle that is affecting world peace and security. The disturbing part is that they are a minority on both sides, but their voices are loud and disruptive and their acts are causing havoc across the globe. “Media, whether traditional or new, plays a big role in magnifying this small but determined group and amplifies their voice, giving them a platform to spread their poisonous venom. Furthermore, biased and unethical reporting on terrorist acts exacerbates the problem and adds to the feelings of distrust and fear,” said Ms. Akeel. “We notice for example that in reporting terrorist acts, if it’s a Muslim who committed the act, it’s terrorism and immediately declared so, if it’s a black person it’s a crime, but if it’s a white person “he’s mentally disturbed,” she added. The forum gathered broadcasters from the OIC and European countries, international law and media law experts, in addition to human rights activists and representatives of NGOs active on issues of dialogue, se-

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curity and religious coexistence, and the Director of the OIC Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC). The opening ceremony, on 29 June 2018, brought together representatives of Arab and Muslim diplomatic missions in Brussels along with the OIC delegate to the European Commission, representatives of Belgium’s justice and interior ministries, the European Commission and the European Parliament. The Brussels media meeting concluded with the “Brussels Declaration to Curb Hate Speech in the Media” and the “Declaration on the International Media Association against Hate and Extremism”. The Brussels Declaration called on the United Nations and all regional and international organizations to strengthen the international efforts to combat incitement to hatred and to call on the Human Rights Council to condemn and prevent intolerance, discrimination and incitement to hatred of the followers of any religion. The Declaration emphasized that the call for limiting incitement to hatred does not intend to limit the freedom of expression but rather to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue to improve understanding, appreciate similarities and differences, promote respect for and tolerance of the views of each other’s beliefs, and respect the cultural and religious diversity consistent with human rights norms and standards. The Forum affirmed commitment to contribute to supporting cooperation and coordination among media professionals to promote human rights culture, distinguish between freedom of expression and denouncing racism and hatred, and providing the requirements of coexistence, and called for holding the Forum periodically once a year alternately in the capitals of member states of the European Union and the OIC. The declaration welcomed the announcement of the establishment of the International Association of Media Professionals for the Reduction of Hatred and Extremism, and called for benefiting from similar experiences in defining the terms of reference and objectives of the Association and develop partnerships with it in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat.

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MEDIA Tunisia Hosts the First OIC-UNA Media Delegation Program Tunis – A media delegation comprising editors and journalists from news agencies and newspapers from some OIC countries, under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Union of New Agencies of OIC members states (UNA), organized a working visit to the Tunisian capital Tunis from 26 to 29 June 2018 in response to an invitation from the Tunisia Africa News Agency (TAP). The objective of the visit was to strengthen institutional cooperation and facilitate exchange of experiences, news reports, print, audio and video contents between the news agencies of OIC Member States, UNA and OIC General Secretariat and to offer quality media services and training programs for journalists from OIC countries. During the four-day visit, the delegation, which was composed of representatives from the OIC Information Department, UNA, Middle East News Agency of Egypt, Saudi News Agency and Emirates News Agency, had field visits to some prominent cultural, archaeological, and touristic sites, before holding meetings with a number of ministers and top officials in Tunis. Members of the media delegation met on 27 June 2018 with Mr. Djamel Bouzid, Director of Promotion at the Tunisian National Office for Tourism in the city of Tunis to have an overall picture on tourism in Tunisia and discuss possible ways and means of bilateral cooperation. Mr. Bouzid briefed the delegation on the development of tourism sector in Tunisia, in particular in 2017 and 2018, which witnessed a boost in the total number of tourists visiting the country, with an increase of 23% in 2017 compared to earlier years. He noted that about 3.9 million tourists from Arab countries and 2.5 million tourists from Algeria alone visited Tunisia in 2017. The two parties agreed to plan for holding workshops for journalists specializing in tourism in Tunisia in the near future. The delegation was received on 29 June 2018 by H.E. Mr. Ziad Ladhari, Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation, who emphasized his country’s willingness to attract and encourage more investment and increase ratio of economic development. He welcomed cooperation with the OIC General Secretariat and UNA

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through organizing media workshops and forums in Tunisia for journalists specializing in the economic affairs. During their meeting with Mr. Said Benkraiem, Director of the African Center for the Development of Journalists and Communicators, members of the delegation agreed with the Director of the Center to plan for organizing training programs for journalists from the OIC countries and in particular from news agencies of African countries members in the OIC to develop their journalistic skills. The African Center, which functions directly under the Tunisian government, has provided training programs in Arabic, English and French for more than ten thousand journalists from African countries during the past 35 years since its inception in January 1983. The Center’s Director expressed readiness for the Center to conclude partnerships and cooperation mechanism with news agencies of OIC countries to contribute to the development of media sector. During the last day of the working visit, members of the delegation were received by Mr. Lotfi Arfaoui, President and Director General of Tunis-Africa News Agency (TAP) and Dr. Aloui Chaouki, Director of External Relations at the Agency’s headquarters in Tunis who welcomed them and thanked

them for co-organizing such a unique media program that aims to consolidate and boost institutional cooperation between the Agency, the OIC General Secretariat and UNA news agencies. Being the co-organizer and supervisor of the visit program, Mr. Arfaoui briefed the delegation on the Agency, its function and impartiality in news reporting on events in Tunisia. The two sides agreed to organize similar programs for journalists from other news agencies in the future and to enhance bilateral cooperation in organizing more specialized media training programs. The media program comes in the framework of implementation of a resolution adopted by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers at its 44th session held in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, on 10 - 11 July 2017 with regard to the media program on the African continent to highlight its status and role in the Muslim World, and also in implementation of the resolution of UNA General Assembly held on 15 October 2017, which recommended promotion of professional and training ties, development of cooperation, strengthening of solidarity and facilitation of exchanging experiences, reports, information and audio visual contents among member news agencies.

OIC Journal

May - August 2018 51

HEALTH

Al-Othaimeen: Tackling Cancer Burden

Demands Immediate and Coordinated Action Ouagadougou – The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen has stressed that the rising number of cancer cases in the OIC Member States demands immediate and coordinated action to stem the spread of the disease. OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology Amb. Naeem Khan stressed the point on behalf of Al-Othaimeen, during the First Ladies session of the High Level Regional Seminar on Promoting Awareness Against Cancer in OIC African Member States, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 2 August 2018. “More than half of the OIC Member States are low and medium income countries and the burden caused by cancer calls for dedicated resources, both financial, human resources and infrastructure, beyond that is available from national health budgets,” said Al-Othaimeen. “The OIC General Secretariat in collaboration with the IDB and IAEA have embarked on projects for the strengthening and establishment of cancer treatment facilities in several OIC Member States,” he added. Dr. Al-Othaimeen noted that the High Level Regional Seminar on Promoting Awareness Against Cancer in OIC African Member States is a milestone in OIC’s efforts to support national, regional and international initiatives to address the issue of cancer. In her address to the seminar, First Lady of Burkina Faso Madam Sika Kabore observed that OIC African member countries have a lot of challenges, but the seminar attended

by the OIC African First Ladies reaffirm their determination to work together in the fight against cancer in their countries. The First Ladies Session during the Ougadougou seminar was attended by the president of Burkina Faso H.E. Marc Roch Kabore, and was addressed by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organisation (WHO), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) among others. Prevention and treatment: The First Ladies’ session was preceded by a seminar and training session during which experts provided training to participants on cancer prevention and treatment strategies. Participants from the OIC African Member States also used the event to share their experiences, challenges and recommendations. In his speech to the experts’ session, Amb. Naeem Khan stressed that the OIC is exerting efforts in supporting its Member States to cope with the burden of cancer disease. “Health systems in many OIC Member States especially in Africa and Asia are not adequately equipped to detect and treat cancers whereas prevention measures are either weak or non-existent in a good number of these countries,” said Amb. Khan. The high-level cancer seminar in Ouagadougou was convened to create and enhance awareness on the increasing cancer burden in the OIC Member States, particularly in the African region, as well as to

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identify ways and means through which African First Ladies can further enhance their leadership role in effectively addressing the disease and saving lives. The seminar organized in conjunction with IsDB and SESRIC, was held within the framework of the implementation of the Istanbul Declaration, issued by the Special Session of First Ladies’ Leadership in Cancer Control in the OIC Member States held on 14 April 2016 in Istanbul on the margins of the 13th Session of Islamic Summit. In the Declaration, the First Ladies of the OIC Countries promised to actively promote cancer awareness and advocacy programs in their countries. Ouagadougou Declaration: At the end of the seminar, 16 First Ladies from OIC African Member States signed the Ouagadougou Declaration, which made several recommendations including: Invest resources in addressing the risk factors associated with cancer; Integrate cancer prevention into primary healthcare systems of OIC member states; Encourage the participation of civil society and community in fostering partnerships for dissemination of information about cancer; Strengthen implementation of screening programs for women with a focus on breast cancer and cervical cancer; Embrace the Tobacco Free OIC initiative; Improve access to appropriate technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer; and, for the OIC Secretariat to engage Member States, and collaborate with nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions.

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OPINION Cancer - a disease in the West, a death sentence in Africa

C Amb. Muhammad Naeem Khan Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology

The horrific images of starving children simply cannot be matched by cancer sufferers, many of whom show no obvious signs of the disease, and therefore appear quite “normal” in photographs or footage

ancer is becoming less of a fatal danger in Western societies. With the disease becoming more prevalent in recent years, there has been a corresponding increase in awareness, prevention, and crucially - treatment. Unfortunately these efforts have been focused on the types of cancers more common in the developed world, leaving a huge blind spot in current research activities. The result of years of neglect is that, perhaps contrary to popular perception, more Africans are killed by non-communicable diseases like cancer, than by poverty. The lack of adequate funding for cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa, far from being remedied, appears on the current trajectory to be worsening. The international humanitarian system is under severe financial stress, and blocs such as the EU are currently often preoccupied with internal issues rather than having the luxury of looking outwards. But there is hope for this widening funding gap to be filled by newly active humanitarian groupings which are motivated by an enduring sense of solidarity for many of those nations worst affected. One of these is the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, which acts as a kind of “UN for the Muslim world”. The increased focus across the Islamic world on region-specific cancer prevention and treatment was in evidence when First Ladies from OIC African Member States met in Burkina Faso. It is natural for women to lead this effort: cancer disproportionately kills women and girls in Africa, with the most common forms of the illness on the continent being cervix and breast cancer. One of the possible advantages to Muslim-world aid efforts is that they may lack the views inherited by some other donors. Views that, although built on a long legacy of giving, have become somewhat outdated. For example, the 1985 Live Aid concert, which for many was a definitive moment in raising awareness of humanitarian work, was in response to the Ethiopian famine that year. 33 years later, Ethiopia’s requirements are still significant, albeit it very different. The horrific images of starving children simply cannot be matched by cancer sufferers, many of whom show no obvious signs of the disease, and therefore appear quite “normal” in photographs or footage. Due to their alien, foreign, almost biblical nature, these crises continue to attract disproportionate attention from some donor countries: the West African Ebola epidemic received wall-to-wall coverage for weeks, despite taking 11,000 lives while cancer, by comparison, kills approximately 700,000 Africans each year despite being largely ignored in media comment on African development. Once we understand the unconscious personal, political and media biases that color our perceptions of the situation, we may begin to reverse engineer funding imbalances. Imbalances that could be addressed by more EU aid to Africa being spent on healthcare in general, and specifically on non-communicable diseases like cancer. But there may be a way for all donor states to maximize their return on investment - even if budgets continue to be limited. It is completely possible to craft aid policies for the 21st century that work both on humanitarian and pragmatic grounds. As well as altruistic reasons, aid can be in donor countries’ self-interest - Better healthcare in less economically developed countries reduces the immigration burden caused by so-called “health tourism”. And longer life expectancy creates a barrier to entry for those tempted to become involved in unrest or war - the types of crises that are much more expensive and difficult to fix long-term. If we are entering the era of “intelligent aid” it will require pragmatic thinking and realistic expectations about what can be achieved with available aid budgets. It will also mean organizations like the European Union strengthening partnerships with other players who can pool their financial and soft power to effect change. One of those ideally positioned partners is the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, or OIC, which has significant monetary clout (just one of its affiliated bodies, the Islamic Development Bank, has paid-up capital of $2.5 billion). And rather than macro causes which are easy to fundraise for but almost impossible to deliver on, the OIC has a renewed focus on precision aid, one example of which is cancer awareness and prevention in Sub Saharan Africa. If traditional intergovernmental bodies like the EU can combine their experience and expertise with the energy and focus of newer entrants like the OIC, we can save millions of African lives. * This article was published in Euro News 08/08/2018

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OIC Journal

May - August 2018 53

HEALTH Cyber-hacking Threatens Medical Devices:

Digital Vulnerabilities in the World of Medicine

Washington (dpa) – Imagine your pacemaker suddenly emits too strong electrical pulses! Imagine your insulin pump suddenly delivers a huge dose of insulin! For those people who live with an electronic medical device, it would just be too horrible to imagine the possibility that this device, so vital for their lives, could be hacked and manipulated. How vulnerable is medical technology to hacking operations? What dangers does this pose to patients? With regards to implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, the current risk to the patient is not too high, as recently confirmed by American cardiologists. The risk does, of course, exist, but “the likelihood of an individual hacker successfully affecting a cardiovascular implantable electronic device or being able to target a specific patient is very low,” says Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and member of the American Heart Association which has recently published a risk assessment report concerning this type of cases. No cyberhacking cases have so far been reported in the United States. But in Germany, for example, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) warned, two

years ago, manufacturers and users about potential vulnerabilities in some networked IT systems. Tests show that “attackers in some cases were able to read out the inadequately secured Wi-Fi password in plain text on the device and consequently manipulate the product, including falsely dispensing medications.” In 2016, “Johnson & Johnson” notified, as a precaution, over eleven thousand users of insulin pumps with wireless remote control that security vulnerabilities have been detected in the device. In 2017, “Smith Medical” had to make some adjustments into its medical devices. In the same year, “St. Jude Medical” asked nearly half a million patients with pacemakers or defibrillators to go to medical centers in order to equip their devices with more updated and secure systems. “Real cyber-security starts at the point of designing included software from the outset,” says Dr. Lakkireddy. This also applies to larger networked medical technology used in hospitals, such as ventilators and anesthesia devices. Hannes Molsen, product security manager at “Dräger Medical”, insists that “Devices in hospitals have got to be systematically protected against potential manipulation of their functions.” This can be done, he added, by strengthening

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operating systems and removing unused functions. Besides, systems should make it possible to introduce security modifications and software updates so as to ensure quick reaction when necessary. In case of a network failure or disruption, the devices must be able to continue operating properly. The problem is that because large medical devices are expensive and are often used for many years, they are not necessarily up-todate, nor equipped with self-updating software. It is clear that the wireless connectivity of medical devices and the possibility to act upon them without physical contact offer many therapeutic advantages. This does not apply only to implantable medical devices, which can be controlled without further surgery. Protection against cyberhacking and medical-data theft will remain a constant concern for patients and medical service providers. The new generation of digital healthcare devices is coming, especially in the United States, in the form of new applications developed to measure blood sugar levels, help manage chronic illnesses, and detect concussions, cardiac arrhythmia and skin cancer. What will happen with all this data? According to experts, IT security must, from the start, be part of the entire system.

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Education First Edition of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum-ISESCO Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities Rabat – The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, and the member of the Board of Trustees of “Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance”, Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, announced, during a press conference held on April 26, 2018 at ISESCO headquarters in Rabat, the launch of the first edition of “Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum-ISESCO Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World”. At the beginning of the conference, Dr. Altwaijri welcomed the member of the Board of Trustees of “Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance”, the diplomatic official from the UAE Embassy, and the representatives of media outlets. He said that ISESCO is proud to participate in the establishment of this Prize which falls in line with ISESCO’s Charter calling for solidarity, integration and equality so as to strengthen inter-Islamic cooperation to promote education, science, culture and communication. Dr. Altwaijri offered, on this occasion, a brief overview of ISESCO’s efforts to develop the educational system in the Islamic World, by following up the implementation of its relevant strategies, namely the Strategy for the Development of Education in the Islamic World, the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation in Islamic Countries, and the Strategy for Developing University Education in the Islamic World. Dr. Altwaijri underlined the importance and necessity of returning to the use of Waqf revenues to cover the management expenses of large social institutions, such as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the elderly, and educational institutions. “Promoting the revival and expansion of the Waqf, so that it encompasses these institutions, is not strange to the Islamic civilization which has offered outstanding models in charitable work, and because wealthy people and benefactors are many in the Islamic World”, he added. Dr. Altwaijri pointed out that the educa-

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tion sector in the Islamic world faces great challenges that require concerted efforts between governmental institutions and civil society organizations, in addition to encouraging researchers, financing scientific studies, and reviewing educational curricula and teacher training programs. He said that this prestigious and motivational prize, whose value amounts to $300,000, will be awarded biennially to three winners from the 57 Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. On his part, Dr. Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, member of the Board of Trustees of the Award, stated that H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, issued in March 1998 a decree establishing the “Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance”, as a contribution to supporting the education sector and preparing qualified generations capable of taking up their responsibilities and their scientific and financial obligations. Then in 2018, H.H. the Ruler of Dubai issued a decree providing for the transformation of the Award into a foundation for educational excellence, talent and innovation. Dr. Al Suwaidi recalled that “Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – ISESCO Prize For Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World” was established in 2017 with support from H.H. Sheikh Ham-

dan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in cooperation with ISESCO, to motivate and honor those involved in volunteer initiatives and charitable work in the field of education, specifically for the development of educational facilities in Islamic countries. The Prize was not established for material purposes, but rather to urge benefactors to support education, added Dr. Al-Suwaidi who called for converting a number of mosques or Islamic centers to Waqfs for educational goals. Dr. Al-Suwaidi indicated that the award is intended for personalities, voluntary entities, charities, and donors who offer charitable services for the development of educational facilities in Islamic countries. Applications, he added, may be submitted in two ways: if it is a self-nomination, the candidate shall fill in and complete the application form and send it to the Hamdan Award headquarters in Dubai. If it is a recommendation, the recommending entity shall nominate the candidates and send their completed application forms to the Award HQ. Dr. Al-Suwaidi provided detailed information on the participation requirements, the selection process, and the manner of completing the application form. The Prize brochure and application form can be downloaded from ISESCO’s website (www.isesco. org.ma) or Hamdan Award’s website (www. ha.ae).

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ECONOMY Halal Marketplace is Fastest Growing Globally Sydney (UNA-OIC) – The halal food industry will become a major market force in the near future based on four prevalent trends, according to economists. The halal marketplace is emerging as one of the fastest growing segments of the world food business today. The global halal food market is now worth an estimated $667 million, representing close to 20 percent of the entire global food industry. It is anticipated to reach $2.55 trillion by 2024. According to economists, the halal food industry will become a significant market force in the near future based on four common trends. Firstly, Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world thus fueling global demand for halal products. The annual growth in consumption of halal food is estimated at 16 percent. Muslims represent an estimated 23 percent of the global population or about 1.8 billion consumers with an average growth rate of 3 percent per annum. If this growth continues, Muslims are expected to make up about 26 percent of the world’s total projected population of 2.2 billion in 2030. Secondly, the increasing trend of consuming halal food products for ethical and safety reasons by non-Muslim consumers. Halal products are gaining wider recognition not only due to meeting Sharia requirements, but also hygiene, sanitation, and safety aspects. The third is the rising halal consumer power as a market force in tandem with the growth of the Muslim population and their increasing disposable income. Finally, there is greater awareness among Muslims on the need and necessity to consume only halal food. The Middle East and GCC halal market: The Middle East imports about 90 percent of the beef and lamb it consumes. The total imports of this red meat and red meat products were estimated at $5.1 billion. In tandem with the expected rise in the region’s population by 40 percent by 2030, the consumption of food in the Middle East may well reach 51 million tons by 2020 to record

annual average growth of 4.6 percent. The GCC’s halal sector is now worth $50 billion. The region’s annual food imports are expected to double from $25.8 billion in 2010 to $53 billion in 2020 with total imports of halal meat exceeding 1 million metric tons on an annual basis. The UAE alone has a Dh69 billion halal food industry. The Australia Halal mark: Australia, with a local Muslim population of about half a million, has become a world leader in the processing and production of halal meat and meat products. The continent is a long-trusted supplier of Halal Beef and Lamb to over 100 countries in the world, including the Middle East. Australia has one of the strictest Halal Programs in the world. The Australian Government Authorized Halal Program (AGAHP) is undertaken in collaboration with the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture & Water Resources, and Australian Islamic Organizations. Together they enforce the best practices of production standards, which have contributed to the worldwide recognition that Australia’s Halal program is amongst the most rigorously enforced Halal system in the world. The country has invested millions of dollars

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in research and development in meat science and understands that healthy, well fed and stress-free livestock produce the best quality meat for all consumers to enjoy. One of the essential Halal requirements is that animals are treated their entire life correctly and that they have easy access to food and water and are free to roam. Australia, with its natural environment and world’s highest animal welfare standards, easily meets these requirements. Additionally, all processing facilities in Australia employ only registered and trained Muslim slaughterhouse workers. All slaughtermen are practicing Islam and comply with their religious slaughter training. They also comply with personal hygiene, operational sanitation, and animal welfare requirements. Slaughter is carried out by sharp knives by sharia principles. The Halal systems and production facilities are regularly audited by approved Islamic organizations, internal quality assurance systems, Australian government departments and importing country representatives. The Australian Halal mark is a stamp of integrity and assurance underpinned by the Australian government.

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ECONOMY IDB Launches First Ever Transformers Roadshow at Astana Islamic Economy Forum with $3,000 Prize for Innovators Astana, Kazakhstan, 4 July – The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has launched its first ever Transformers Roadshow at the Astana Islamic Economy Forum in Kazakhstan - a science, technology and innovation competition in which innovators are invited to pitch concepts supporting one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Hosted by the Astana International Finance Center (AIFC), the launch was marked with an opening ceremony led by: Dr. Bandar M.H. Hajjar, President of the IsDB; Shigeo Katsu, President of Nazarbayev University; and Yerkin Sadykov, Acting Chairman, Committee of Science, Republic of Kazakhstan. Transformers acknowledges the crucial need to give people the tools to build a sustainable future and offers entrants the chance to win a $3,000 prize to further develop their ideas. It follows the IsDB’s recently launched Engage platform - an online ecosystem for innovators seeking market opportunities. The platform, which is the first of its kind, is supported by Transform, a $500m fund for innovation and technology. Speaking at the launch, President of the IsDB, Dr Bandar M.H. Hajjar said: “With Kazakhstan emerging as a growing Islamic finance market, we are delighted to be launching the first leg of our roadshow here with the AIFC’s support. An extension of the IsDB’s Transform Fund, it helps us to

identify innovators who are seeking funding, business partners and advice for their unique ideas.” The winners of the Transformers Roadshow were announced in a ceremony: • Z. Kerimkulov and N. Shodorova – their project called “Egistic” focuses on the creation of a geo information and analytical system to support farmers and decisionmakers in the development of the agricultural sector in Kazakhstan. • R. Rakymbay, A. Taukenov and S. Sa-

tayev - developed a project on Smart Farming. It aims to create a sustainable and technologically driven solution to address the above challenges and ensure that a wide variety of plants are grown using accurate, live and digitally driven data. • K. Tuleishin – pitched a venture on Smart Halal Finance, which will aim to make its impact on reaching the UN sustainable development goals, particularly in the area of the quality education.

IDB and OECD Sign Aide-Mémoire for Institutional Capacity Building in Post-conflict Yemen The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) signed in July an Aide-Mémoire marking the commencement of a new project to help rebuild institutional capacitates in post-conflict Yemen. The project, “Building Institutional Capacities to Prepare for Recovery and Reconstruction in Yemen”, is being funded by the G7 Deauville Partnership MENA Transition Fund. It builds on the Government of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference Outcomes, first adopted in 2014, which represents a roadmap to building a new Yemen whereby citizenship, justice and the rule of law are achieved in accordance with principles of good governance.

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The project is being implemented by the IsDB and the OECD in close coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Government of Yemen. It aims to translate the outcomes into actionable programs for when peace arrives in Yemen to aid the country’s recovery by focusing on building institutional capacities at the central and local level. H.E. Dr Mohamed Saed Al-Sadi, Yemen Governor of IsDB, said: “Together with the OECD, MENA Transition Fund, Government of Yemen and our partners in the international community, we are launching this project to help establish a safe and prosperous Yemen by preparing for its reconstruction and recovery as

soon as peace emerges. Taking part in the signing ceremony were: H.E. Dr. Mohamed Saeed Al-Saadi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Governor for Yemen, IsDB; H.E. Dr. Mansur Muhtar Vice President of Country Programs, IsDB; and Mr. Marcos Bonturi, Director of Public Governance at the OECD. A signing for the extension to the Framework Agreement for the Business Resilience Assistance for Value-Adding Enterprises (BRAVE) Project also took place at the conference, after the approval of the additional financing amount of US$ 3 million by the MENA Transitional Fund of the Deauville Partnership.

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ECONOMY The IDB Innovative Program «DEEP» a Pathfinder of Economic Empowerment in Palestine

overty and unemployment rates in Palestine are still imposing a serious challenge; about one out of three individuals (29.2 percent) were living below the poverty level in 2017. Gaza Strip contributes more to national poverty than the West Bank; its share of the poor population is 71.2 percent compared to 28.8 percent of the West Bank. Economic growth is the most powerful instrument for reducing poverty and improving the quality of life. In the case of Palestine, despite the increase of the Gross Domestic Product, this has not been noticeably reflected on reducing poverty and unemployment rates; on the contrary, there was an inverse relationship between poverty rate and GDP increase. Out of this situation, The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in Jeddah, initiate the creation and the design of an innovative initiative in Palestine called DEEP. The Palestinian People Economic Empowerment Program (DEEP) has emerged in 2006 to empower the poor and marginalized Palestinians and transfer them from being dependent on humanitarian assistance and charity aid to being dependent on themselves. The overall goal of DEEP is to empower chronic and hard-hit poor Palestinian families to graduate from being economically dependent on aid to becoming independent generators of income and providers of employment. The DEEP aims to achieve this by providing a package of financial and non-financial services to selected households that addresses their most critical livelihood needs, including Islamic micro financial and promotional social safety net activities. Through its application of Sustainable Livelihoods Approach Framework, DEEP promoted inclusive economic growth by supporting productive, low-income households. The DEEP modality provides a solid and inclusive approach for targeting vulnerable yet productive households and engaging their members in sustainable income-generating activities, mainly through micro- and small enterprise development, to provide employment and bridge their consumption and income poverty gaps. The empowerment approach of DEEP lies at the heart of the most effective strategies to promote a real human rights approach in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) — MDG1 (poverty reduction), MDG2 (primary education) and MDG3 (gender equality and women’s empowerment). Economic empowerment and self-sustainability are core values under the program, which also aims to allow beneficiaries to maintain a level of dignity and freedom to fulfil their aspirations. In the meantime, the DEEP lies at the heart of the sustainable Development Goals “SDG’s” and fit with SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG5 (gender equality), SDG8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG10 (reduce inequalities), SDG (Life on Land). Under the direct lead and supervision of the IDB, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) /Program of Assistance of Palestinian People (PAPP) have managed the DEEP in Palatine with close cooperation of Palestinian governmental and civil society intuitions. The Aqsa Fund and other Arab donors are the main financial supporters of the DEEP.

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ECONOMY DEEP’s Innovative Approach DEEP’s successful scale-up and replication in MC was attributed to its development and use of innovative tools and polices. The following is a brief description of these innovations. Endowments of poor people as an opportunity: Poor people as business partners Introduction of Islamic microfinance products, operations and Systems in MFIs Revolving fund and Exit strategy Effective implementation tools: (i)Targeting and selection of beneficiaries, (ii) Household needs assessment, (iii)NGO assessment, (iv) MFI assessment, (v)Interactive MIS, (vi)Operation manuals, (vii)Revolving funds. Capacity development at all levels and Building on the existing capacities of households Building synergies to ensure supportive and integrated social services for targeted families Smart partnerships between the low-income producers and the private-sector DEEP has scored a breakthrough in the economic empowerment of the youth, women, small farmers and persons with disability as the alternative approach for poverty reduction in Palestine.

DEEP adopted the following strategies for economic empowerment of the above mentioned poor groups: • Establishing income generating projects (microenterprises): DEEP started with establishing microenterprises for economic empowerment that is accompanied with the provision of business development services to the beneficiaries. The financial services to establish these microenterprises have taken the form of grants for the beneficiaries enlisted under the Cash Transfer Program (CTP) managed by the Ministry of Social Development and loans for active poor who are not benefiting from the CTP. This strategy is based on mobilizing the human resource among the poor family toward managing the microenterprise. Micro and small enterprises can ensure national competitiveness and innovativeness while at the same time creating jobs. • Knowledge Transfer and Resource Mobilization: DEEP diversified its economic empowerment strategies by adopting knowledge

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transfer and resources mobilization as a tool for economic empowerment in addition to the traditional approach of establishing microenterprises. This approach responded to the high rate of unemployment among youth in general and young women in particular. This strategy encompasses different approaches depending on the context and target group that would be summarized as follows: Incubators and accelerators for entrepreneurs: to provide the opportunity for youth with business ideas to establish new businesses that would lead to job creation. This approach has been implemented in partnership with Palestinian universities and NGOs under different brand names like SEEDS and JADARA. Skilling leading to employment: training of youth has taken place based on assessing the market needs of professions and skilled people. This approach concentrates on pinpointing the demand before working on the supply. Developmental employment: this approach is based on mobilizing hidden developmental needs that can open new job opportunities for the youth. For example, Geographic Information System (GIS) units were established at several municipalities in Gaza Strip to meet developmental needs at the municipalities while creating tens of job simultaneously. Resources Mobilization: this approach is based on mobilizing frozen resources at the assets and human resources level. For example, some universities have unutilized land and water resources while graduates in agricultural engineering are suffering from unemployment. DEEP helped in joining these resources and providing the financial services to establish productive projects like greenhouses. Electronic distant work and on-line freelancing (e-work): this approach aims at opening job opportunities for youth by networking with abroad job market. WAMD is the brand name for such project in Gaza. Matching available human resources with industry needs: this approach provided the opportunity for youth graduates in fields relevant to the local industry to constructively engage in the production cycles at local industries. Graduates proved that they can add value and enhance the production techniques and save costs related to main-

tenance and volume of production. This approach has been implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Federation of Industries and has the brand name of MAHARAT. Group Projects and Partnering with Private Sector: DEEP is now engraving a new economic empowerment model through partnering with private sector for the benefit of the poor families. This model is designed to move the engagement of active poor from the microenterprises to being incorporated into the small and medium enterprises. The theory of change under this approach is the transfer of wealth to the poor. This approach would incorporate poor in the economic production cycle and provide them with the opportunity to own the production means. In addition, it would be important to gear economic empowerment of the poor to small and medium-sized businesses that hold out promise for the future.

Social Enterprises: To provide the room and enabling environment for youth males and females to be involved in the production cycle in the context of businesses that are beyond their management capabilities, these businesses were established under the auspices of robust NGOs or CBOs. This model ensures the sustainability of businesses and assisting in the marketing of products.

DEEP Impacts and Results: DEEP is a leading initiative that assisted in linking social protection with economic empowerment. DEEP has influenced the social protection policy in the State of Palestine demonstrated through the adoption of economic empowerment by the Ministry of Social Development. Economic empowerment is now perceived as the first option and the Cash Transfer Program is the last resort for deprived families. DEEP has built the competencies of almost 250 staff members of the executing NGOs, MFIs and governmental officials in the field of sustainable livelihood approach, poverty analysis, feasibility study preparation & business planning and coaching. Also, tools, manuals, forms and templates were developed to ensure the proper targeting of the poor families, the assessment of their conditions and capitals, and harmonization of the execution throughout DEEP different partners.

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ECONOMY IDB Approves US$500 Million for Establishing Economic Empowerment Fund for Palestinians

Jeddah, KSA, 1 July – Following the quarterly meeting of the Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB) Board of Directors, the development bank has announced the establishment of the Economic Empowerment Fund for the Palestinian People with a founding capital of US$500 million, US$100 million of which is from the IsDB. Other capital shares of the Fund come from other contributors in accordance with restricted or absolute, temporary or permanent, waqf (Islamic endowment) contributions, as well as through various investment and financing participations. The Board also approved US$ 57.1 for financing development projects in member countries and approved in principle the establishment of the Wqaf International Centre of Excellence in Madinah and a US$54 million for the Conakry Sewage Sanitation Project in Guinea. The promotion of science, technology and

innovation as a catalyst for economic growth is an important priority for the IsDB as was evident by the launch of the Transform fund in March 2018. In an exciting development in this arena, the Board approved a Technical Assistance grant amounting to US$ 1.5 million for a Regional Community Development Program for Rural Women Engineers. This will be implemented in remote villages in nine-member countries namely, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, Somalia,

Syria, Jordan, Burkina Faso and Indonesia, by employing a proven Model for Self-Sustaining Community Development. The technical assistance will: • Support 44 illiterate and semi-literate Women Barefoot Solar Engineers as entrepreneurs in their own right, and enable them to train and develop the skills of other women • Solar electrify 2,250 households by the trained women • Bring clean sustainable light to 14,625 People across the 9 countries • Develop viable business models and goto-market approaches for a number of decided livelihood activities customized to tap relevant local and/or international market opportunities. Special Assistance grants to Muslim communities in non-member countries amounted to US $ 1.6 million were also approved by the Board.

AIIB and IDB Group Join Forces to Grow Sustainable Infrastructure

Mumbai, India, 25 June – For the first time, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a framework for strategic cooperation, including actively seeking to co- finance projects in common areas of operations. The overarching theme of the MOU will be “Mobilizing Financing for Infrastructure: Innovation & Collaboration”. Signed during AIIB’s Third Annual Meeting in Mumbai, the MOU deepens the relationship between the two banks, allowing them to foster collaboration, share information and facilitate knowledge exchanges on development finance, Islamic finance and

integrity mechanisms. The MOU will have a strong focus on sustainable infrastructure including development of energy and power, transportation and telecommunications, rural infrastructure water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, urban development and logistics. “An agreement between our banks is a natural fit because we are both dedicated to development and helping our members promote growth and economic opportunity,” said AIIB President Jin Liqun. “We have complementary skill sets and expertise. We believe working together on joint investments and initiatives will strengthen our capacity to deliver on our respective missions and benefit our members.”

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“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with AIIB,” said IsDB Group President H.E Dr. Bandar M.H. Hajjar. “We have a number of common member countries in Asia and also in Africa and a significant overlap in sectors and financing activities. IsDB Group looks forward to jointly strengthening the effectiveness and sustainability of our banks’ operations and to looking for new ways to stimulate the region’s economic growth together. We strongly believe in the power of innovation, science and technology to stimulate growth and will ensure this is a key area of collaboration for the banks going forward.” This partnership between the two banks is an example of the importance they both place on partnerships and how they are key to their growth in the future. The MOU creates opportunities for better communication and working relationship between AIIB and IsDB Group. Among other activities, the banks intend to share knowledge and exchange experiences among employees through joint temporary assignments, secondments and training.

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ECONOMY IsDB-Giz Workshop in Dubai Focuses on Best Solutions for Sustainable Mobility and Mass Transit Dubai, UAE, 10 May – For the first time in their series of workshops, experts from IsDB and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) have joined the participants to discuss tools, technology and implementation mechanisms to develop the best transit solutions for each city context. The Jeddah based Islamic Development Bank, IsDB, and GIZ hosted a two-day event in Dubai, UAE, bringing in 22 participants from 10 countries to focus on two priority issues, namely; “lessons learnt and best practices for planning and financing Mass Transit projects in developing countries” as well as “the role of private sector in helping countries leapfrog from a very low modal share of Public Transport to equitable access to Mass Transit for all user groups.” The IsDB supporting this have said “We know the world is quickly urbanizing, not least in large parts of Africa. The 21st century will see a world that lives more in cities than villages. With 70% of the global population expected to live in cities in the next thirteen years, existing cities and metropolises are not necessarily prepared to accommodate a growing influx of population from the rural areas, placing extreme pressures on not just the physical infrastructure of the city, such as sewage systems and hospitals, but also on the softer social fabric

of the city itself. As the cities continue to sprawl and grow without any direction, the need for building better and smarter cities becomes inevitable.” Since 2013, the two organizations have been cooperating in organizing regional thematic workshops across Asia, Africa and the Arab region to discuss Sustainable Mobility challenges and solutions with more than 300 country representatives from sector Ministries, City Councils or Transport institutions. The IsDB has reinforced this by outlining that the challenges facing the developing world are too big to be managed by any single stakeholder, whether it be governments, the private sector, the multilateral institutions or the non-profit sector, but a combination of Public and Private institutions can do so by working together to focus funds on sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The urban population of the Islamic Development Bank’s 57 member countries stood at around 863 million people in 2016, i.e. more than half of the total population. The figure is projected by the United Nations (UN) to more than double to 1.773 million people by 2050. Urban areas are meeting even more pressing and growing challenges, at the heart of which is Sustainable Mobility and Transport and Climate

Change. Some large cities and urban areas are gridlocked today, with very low provision of Public Transport services and unsustainable development paths, while in other regions ambitious reforms and urban transport programs are underway to tackle the challenges and put the necessary conditions in place for a livable and equitable future for all urban residents. Dubai is one of the most impressive examples of such successful transitions. According to Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, the share of public transport in the mobility of Dubai residents has leapfrogged from 6 percent in 2006 to 17 percent in 2017, and the plan is to achieve 20 percent by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030. Dubai is also a place for continuous technological innovations in the transport sector. H.E. DR. Bandar M.H. Hajjar has recently announced that the Islamic Development Bank Group has also established the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Infrastructure Advisory Facility that will provide support to member countries for advisory work on enabling environment and infrastructure projects. The lessons learnt from the workshop will be integrated into a joint IsDB and GIZ publication.

IDB Hosts ‘Fourth Sovereign Investments Forum” to Stimulate Economic Growth in Western Africa

Libreville, Gabon, 9 May – His Excellency Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, opened the ‘4th Sovereign Investments Forum’ in Libreville organized by the IsDB Group. The two-day conference, attended by the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Gabon, encouraged Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and shined a light on the projects open to investment in Gabon and Western Africa, bringing together investors from government funds, corporations and financial institutions with policy and decision makers from Gabon’s investment and business community. This is the fourth annual forum organized by the IsDB, following events in Jeddah, Ra-

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bat and Bali in previous years. The forum focused on Gabon and West Africa’s specific growth needs and ultimately explored how IsDB Group can help provide support and assistance to meet Gabon’s goal of becoming an emerging market by 2025. It promoted cooperation between government and pension investment funds and explored how best to allocate capital across Africa, within IsDB member countries and around the world. The forum brought together investors from government funds, corporations and financial institutions with policy and decision makers from Gabon’s investment and business community. Dr. Hajjar said: “The primary objective of the forum is to increase awareness about the

role and mandate of the Sovereign Wealth Fund and to build a network of relationships between them and the investment institutions in IsDB’s member countries – hence enable us to deliver on our mandate as a facilitator for growth.” The IsDB believes it is crucial to add to the value chain of countries at their source and that participation in the value chain of the global economy is vital for achieving high and sustainable economic growth. The $500m Transform Fund that the IsDB launched last month with the goal of accelerating science, technology and innovationled solutions in the developing world, is an example of the IsDB’s belief that economic growth is the best route out of poverty.

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ECONOMY OIC Secretary General Commends Growing Economic and Cultural Relations between OIC and Russian Federation

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen arrived in the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation, on 9 May

2018 to participate in the Ten-year anniversary of the International Economic Summit “Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Summit 2018,” held in Kazan, on 10-12 May 2018.

The Secretary General was received by H.E. Mr. Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation on 10 May 2018. In the meeting, AlOthaimeen commended the close working relations between the OIC General Secretariat and the Republic of Tatarstan, aimed at deepening economic and cultural relations between OIC Member States and the Russian Federation. President Minnikhanov expressed his thanks and appreciation to Dr. Al-Othaimeen for his relentless efforts to enhance the OIC-Russia relations as well as his valuable contribution to the Islamic World. Both sides agreed to further deepen the existing cooperation in the field of trade, finance, Halal industry and capacity building. The Secretary General hoped that the Kazan Summit will increase collaboration between the Private and Public Sector institutions for the development of a robust public-private partnership for accelerated socio-economic development within the Muslim Ummah.

IDB to Establish ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ Hub in the Middle East Lisbon, Portugal, 3 May – The Islamic Development Bank announced plans to create a world class renewable energy Hub for the Middle East, to be hosted at its Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The IsDB signed a partnership with ‘Sustainable Energy for All’, a nonprofit international organization established by the UN and World Bank, to create the new Hub which will support energy access, scale up renewable energy and enhance energy efficiency in the Middle East region. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) mandate is to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Climate Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent climate warming above 2 degrees Celsius. The new Middle East Hub will raise awareness at the national and regional level of the challenges, constraints and opportuni-

ties available while achieving the three core objectives of SDG7: • Ensuring universal access to modern energy services • Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix • Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency The Hub will enable the exchange of ideas and technology transfer in renewable energy solutions, which has seen great advances in competitive prices and reliability in recent years. It will also work with governments and the private sector to boost energy efficiency in the commercial and residential sectors. The Hub will assist fragile Middle East member states with energy access whilst developing plans for the reconstruction of its energy sector, leveraging the resources and synergies of SEforALL partners worldwide to boost energy access, scale up renewable energy and enhance energy efficiency in

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the region. The IsDB believes that science and technology are offering more solutions to issues like climate change than ever before, and by investing in these key areas, countries can give their people the tools to build a sustainable future. In February 2018, IsDB Group launched ENGAGE, an online ecosystem that connects scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs from all over the world. In April IsDB launched a US $500 million TRANSFORM Fund in April 2018, one of the largest funds of its kind, which will provide seed money for start-ups and SMEs to develop their ideas and facilitate the commercialization of technology among the IsDB’s member countries. The agreement was signed during the Sustainable Energy for All Forum held in Lisbon, Portugal, 2-3 May 2018, that was attended by more than 850 leaders from government, business, civil society and international organizations.

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COUNTRY PROFILE Kingdom of Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Iraq to the northeast, Syria to the north, Israel and Palestine to the west. The Dead Sea lies along its western borders and the country has a small shoreline on the Red Sea in its extreme south-west, but is otherwise landlocked. Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The capital, Amman, is Jordan’s most populous city as well as the country’s economic, political and cultural centre. Much of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. Economy Jordan is classified by the World Bank as an “upper-middle income” country. Jordan’s economy is relatively well diversified. Trade and finance combined account for nearly one-third of GDP; transportation and communication, public utilities, and construction account for one-fifth, and mining and manufacturing constitute nearly another fifth. The proportion of well-educated and skilled workers in Jordan is among the highest in the region in sectors such as ICT and industry, due to a relatively modern educational system. This has attracted large foreign investments to Jordan and has enabled the country to export its workforce to the Gulf countries.

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Capital: Amman Population: 10.1 million (2018 estimated) Area: 89,342 sq km (34,492 sq miles) Major language: Arabic Major religion: Islam Currency: Jordanian Dinar

Tourism The tourism sector is considered a cornerstone of the economy, being a large source of employment, hard currency and economic growth. In 2010, there were 8 million visitors to Jordan. The majority of tourists coming to Jordan are from European and Arab countries. The tourism sector in Jordan has been severely affected by regional turbulence. The most recent blow to the tourism sector was caused by the Arab Spring, which scared off tourists from the entire region. Jordan experienced a 70% decrease in the number of tourists from 2010 to 2016. Tourist numbers started to recover as of 2017. Points of interest Jerash is the capital and the largest city of Jerash Governorate, Jordan, with a population of 50,745 as of 2015. It is located 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of the capital of Jordan, Amman. The history of the city is a blend of the Greco-Roman world of the Mediterranean Basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab Orient Kerak Castle is a large Crusader castle located in al-Karak, Jordan. It is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant. Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, under Pagan and Fulk, King of Jerusalem Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan’s southwestern desert. Dating to around 300 B.C., it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon

called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the “Rose City.” Perhaps its most famous structure is 45m-high Al Khazneh, a temple with an ornate, Greek-style facade, and known as The Treasury. Wadi Rum is a protected desert wilderness in southern Jordan. It features dramatic sandstone mountains like the many-domed Jebel Um Ishrin, and natural arches such as Burdah Rock Bridge. Many prehistoric inscriptions and carvings line rocky caverns and steep chasms, such as Khazali Canyon. The natural watering hole of Lawrence’s Spring is named after British soldier Lawrence of Arabia, who allegedly washed there. The Dead Sea is often described as a ‘natural spa’. It contains 10 times more salt than the average ocean, which makes it impossible to sink in. The high salt concentration of the Dead Sea has been proved as being therapeutic for many skin diseases. The uniqueness of this lake attracts several Jordanian and foreign vacationers, which boosted investments in the hotel sector in the area Al-Maghtas ruins on the Jordanian side of the Jordan River, long accepted by many Christian denominations to have been the location of the Baptism of Jesus and the ministry of John the Baptist.

OIC Journal

May - August 2018 63

VIEWPOINT The Humanitarian Challenges Facing the Muslim World

T Maha Mostafa Akeel Chief Editor

OIC Member States are struggling to cope with the high burden of humanitarian crises, whether manmade resulting from wars and conflicts or as a consequence of natural disasters and climate change such as earthquakes, floods and drought leading to food shortage and famine

he 45th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Dhaka, Bangladesh held a special brainstorming session on the humanitarian challenges facing the OIC Member States, including the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority who had to flee torture and persecution in their homeland Myanmar to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. The OIC Member States are struggling to cope with the high burden of humanitarian crises, whether manmade resulting from wars and conflicts or as a consequence of natural disasters and climate change such as earthquakes, floods and drought leading to food shortage and famine, especially that most of these affected countries are among the low and middle income countries. The wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Mali, Libya, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Myanmar and other places have resulted in massive displacements within the affected country and neighboring countries. The latest such challenge of sheltering forcibly displaced is that of the Rohingya population, which is being borne by Bangladesh with more than 1,000,000 Rohingyas escaping from Myanmar as a result of a systematic operation tantamount to ethnic cleansing and genocide since 25 August 2017. This is in addition to the 300,000 Myanmar nationals who earlier entered Bangladesh under similar compelling situations. In 2015, 30 out of 50 armed conflicts recorded worldwide occurred in OIC Member States resulting in severe humanitarian crises and displacement across the Muslim world. A recent report by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) on Humanitarian Crises in OIC Countries paints a gloomy picture. The OIC Member States account for 61.5% of all the displaced population in the world with more than 25 million displaced people, and 67% of all refugees originate from Member States. Moreover, 71% (around 89 million) of the people who globally require humanitarian assistance reside in OIC countries. Just as Member States are the source of most refugees and displaced people, they are also host to most refugees and forcibly displaced populations. Seven out of the ten largest countries hosting people displaced from across borders in the world are OIC Member States including Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Bangladesh, Jordan Uganda, and Chad. With such distressing realities, we can only begin to comprehend the extent of the humanitarian challenges and the huge efforts and assistance needed. Several international donorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conferences were held through the years with still only a fraction of the target amount being reached. At the brainstorming session, the OIC Secretary General said that the situation on the ground requires the Member States to address the consequences of humanitarian crises on the one hand and to address their root causes on the other. While it is essential to try to ease the suffering of the refugees and displaced by providing shelter, food and medicine, it is necessary to put an end to the wars and conflicts that led to them fleeing their homes in order to stop this flood of agonized humanity and prepare the groundwork for their return and ensure their safety and security. Although the Member States and the OIC General Secretariat has been playing an active role in providing assistance, the brainstorming session addressed how to make humanitarian assistance and response systematic and sustainable. This issue of the OIC Journal features full coverage of the 45th session of the CFM including the brainstorming session. The issue also features coverage of other important OIC summits and conferences during the period from May to July 2018, especially the International Ulama Conference on Peace and Stability in Afghanistan hosted by Saudi Arabia, which marks a milestone in the efforts to bring peace and reconciliation in a member state that has suffered a lot during the past four decades from occupation, war and terrorism. The Palestinian issue continues to be a top priority for OIC especially that recent developments in Gaza and Al Quds raise the alarm of further escalations. The issue reports on these developments and the Islamic Summit held in Turkey to address them. As usual in every issue, we bring you a diverse palette of topics ranging from the political, humanitarian and human rights issues to the economic, cultural, family and media affairs as well as reports on the activities of the Secretary General and General Secretariat.

64 OIC Journal May - August 2018

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Bangladesh Hosts the 45th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers

Lalbagh Fort (Fort Aurangabad) is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex that stands before the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The construction was started in 1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah who was son of Emperor Aurangzeb and later emperor himself. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not continue the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Dhaka, 5-6 May 2018