OIC Women’s Council Expresses Solidarity with New Zealand Muslim Community

Istanbul, MINA – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Women Consultative Council, chaired by Esra Albayrak, daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on Sunday extended a letter of solidarity with New Zealand’s Muslim community to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The council strongly condemned the “atrocious and appalling” terror attacks on worshipers at Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch, Daily Sabah reported.

“Our hearts, support and solidarity go out to the families of the 49 whose lives were taken before their time, and to those who continue to fight the life-threatening injuries brought about by senseless brutality,” the letter read, wishing God’s mercy on the deceased, a speedy and full recovery to the injured and healing for the community as a whole. The death toll in the terrorist attack rose to 50 on Sunday.

The council called the attacks an “assault on our shared humanity,” emphasizing that the massacre was not an isolated event by an individual, but arose out of an “environment of hatred, bigotry and Islamophobia that has been ignored and fed for years.”

The letter, which was signed by nine members of the council, commended Prime Minister Ardern for her strong leadership and work to bring unity amid difficult circumstances.

Turkey currently holds the rotating OIC presidency, which includes term presidency of the Women Consultative Council, chaired by Albayrak.

The OIC has called an emergency meeting for Friday in Istanbul to discuss causes, impacts and steps forward in the aftermath of the New Zealand terror attacks. Iran and Pakistan’s foreign ministers held phone calls with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu over the weekend in which they agreed to summon a meeting.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Javad Zarif called for “appropriate reaction of Muslim states to this heinous crime.”

Çavuşoğlu and Vice President Fuat Oktay are currently on a two-day visit to New Zealand to underline Turkey’s firm stance against anti-Muslim ideology and xenophobia, as well as to show its solidarity with New Zealand upon the terror attacks.(R/R04/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)