DUSHANBE, May 19, 2010, Asia-Plus – Delivering a statement at the opening of the 37th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dushanbe on May 18, the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on the OIC Member States to urge their representatives in international forums to stay the course in respecting the voting pattern agreed upon by the OIC official meetings, or by the OIC groups abroad, press release issued by OIC said.
Ihsanoglu said that the Conference is “the first of its kind to be held in one of OIC Member States from Central Asia, which joined our ranks after achieving their independence. We warmly welcome them, and pin the hope that the five Muslim sister countries, given their glorious past in enriching Islamic civilization, will become a driving force to strengthen our organization and consolidate Islamic solidarity”.
On the situation in Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, he noted that the situation was going from bad to worse since the coming to power of the Israeli radical right-wing parties.
The Secretary General congratulated Iran on the agreement signed on May 17, 2010, concerning Iran”s nuclear program through the mediation of Turkey, Brazil and the wisdom of Iran and said “I wish that this agreement is a tool towards achieving peace and security in the Middle East.”
He added that the OIC General Secretariat took the initiative in drawing up the OIC draft Plan of Action for Advancement of Women (OPAAW), which was deliberated by Member States and adopted by the last Council of Foreign Ministers session. In the same vein, the Council has also approved the establishment of a Women Development Organization to be based in Cairo. He expressed his confidence that “the draft statute of the organization will be adopted by the present meeting. Another Ministerial Conference on Women’s Role in Development of OPIC Member States, will also be held in Iran during this year, while similar activities took place concerning youth and children.”
The Secretary General emphasized that during the past few years, and in a bid to stem the tide of Islamophobia, he undertook direct contacts with many members of Western Foreign Ministers and approached senior officials, academics and intellectuals in Europe and the United States.
Ihsanoglu suggested convening of a high level ministerial meeting to evolve an Islamic plan for interaction with the West regarding Islamophobia, and “defending our just causes and in facing up to the mounting hate wave against Islam. I also suggest that the question of Islamophobia be included in all member states’ interactions with their Western counterparts.”
