Muslims Pin Great Hopes on the Istanbul Islamic Summit - OIC Chief

Istanbul, 09 Rajab 1437/15 April 2016 (MINA) – Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Madani on Thursday said that the peoples of the Muslim world pin great hopes on the 13th Islamic Summit Conference of the OIC that kicked off in Istanbul Thursday.

Themed “Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace,” the two-day summit is attended by heads of states and governments from over 30 countries.

Madani lauded the endorsement of the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action, till 2025, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted KUNA as reporting.

The 5th Extraordinary OIC Summit on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif held in Jakarta, Indonesia in March, brought the Palestinian Cause to the international forefront, Madani said.

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He welcomed efforts by France that voiced support to an international conference on peace in the Middle East.

The OIC chief urged the Palestinians to overcome their disagreements and speed up work to form a unity government as soon as possible.

According to Madani, the Muslim world has been the scene of 180 terrorist attacks over the past three months, that killed 3,000 people and injured 4,000 others.

He urged all the member states to sign the OIC agreement against terrorism. Only 21 states out of 57 members have signed it.

Madani said he believed that the OIC lacks the collective organization for settling disputes, urging the member states to endorse the Islamic Court of Justice, approved 35 years ago. Only 13 countries have signed it.

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In the meantime, the OIC Secretary General expressed support to the UN efforts to dissolve the Syrian crisis.

He said that the OIC is working with the Iraqi government to organize Makaah 2 conference for reconciliation in Iraq.

For his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, whose country was president of the OIC past session, said that terrorism is the outcome of accumulated problems on the world scene. He warned of expansions of conflicts, and potential grave consequences.

Shukri called for upholding values of tolerance and coexistence in the wake of the spread of Islamophobia in the West.

He also stressed the necessity of concluding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria. (T/R07/R01)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)