DUSHANBE, June 12, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has called on the Muslim world to provide assistance to Tajikistan that suffered heavy rains, resulting in floods and mudslides in April-May this year.
Information posted on the OIC website says that the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called on the members of the Islamic Ummah and on the IDB Group to provide their material and financial support to the Government of Tajikistan to enable it to face the humanitarian consequences of the heavy rains which fell on this brotherly country.
It is worth mentioning that this appeal by the OIC Secretary General comes following the 36th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, on May 23-25, 2009, which adopted a resolution on the matter, the information said.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring 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 September 25, 1969 as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the 9th Secretary General who assumed the office in January 2005 after being elected by the 31st ICFM.
The present Charter of the Organization was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on March 13-14, 2008, which laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States.
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.
