Bangladesh News

The 11th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Friday adopted Dakar Declaration pledging to preserve world peace and security, face the challenges of the Muslim Ummah and ensure development of the member states.

“The leaders of the Muslim countries hereby renew their pledge to preserve world peace and security… and thus to fully adhere to the United Nations’ key mission in this regard as well as international legality as a rule for all without any political double standards,” said the declaration adopted on the concluding day of the two-day summit.

The summit leaders reaffirmed the need for complying with all the Security Council resolutions on Al Quds, an issue for which the OIC was established, to ensure just and lasting peace in the Middle East and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state within internationally guaranteed borders.

The declaration condemned Israel’s refusal to fully comply with the UN resolutions to allow establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital without any territorial discontinuity, pull out of the Golan Heights of Syria and respect Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The declaration strongly condemned all forms of “extremism and dogmatism,” which are Incompatible with Islam, a religion of moderation and peaceful coexistence.

“It’s in this vein that we support the dialogue of civilisations, and we believe that it’s important to plan along such lines a preparatory phase by organising a major international gathering on Islamic-Christian dialogue that involves governments, among other players,” it said.

The declaration said terrorism is a “global phenomenon that is not related to any religion, race, colour or country” and that the scourge should be distinguished from “legitimate resistance against foreign occupation that prevents one from shedding the blood of innocent civilians”.

It said, “Since we share the international community’s major concerns over terrorism, we would like to confirm that the OIC always seeks to make sure that it is not found wanting when it comes to joint actions designed to overcome the major challenges facing nations as a result of globalisation. We, therefore, set a great store by human rights and good governance so that our respective countries would uphold.”

The declaration reaffirmed the political will of the member states to take or support any initiative to combat natural disasters, overcome the environmental problems and eradicate poverty.

It expressed the OIC members’ resolve to fully take part in the global campaign to bridge the digital divide through voluntary contributions so as to address the energy problem and promote women, the family and children as a major social requirement.

The declaration said intra-Islamic cooperation in the areas of competence of the OIC’s standing committees is a duty dictated by the foregoing lessons. It said the summit took note of poverty in African continent and decided to launch a solidarity drive among other sections of the Ummah on account of the huge economic resources and potentials to address such livelihood difficulties.

It said the leaders of the OIC member states have given utmost importance to the need to urgently implement the provisions of the Ten-Year Programme of Action on development assistance and the fight against poverty in Africa.

The declaration said the summit leaders pledged that their governments would do whatever it takes to make contributions amounting to $10 billion, as soon as possible, to the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, established within the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

The summit leaders stressed the need for mobilising Zakat funds in the OIC geographical area and allocate them rationally and efficiently for the needy so that such a pillar of Islam is made a vital aspect of Islamic solidarity.

The declaration called for a speedy human resource development process of high quality in the OIC member states by giving special importance to science and technology, among other educational disciplines, outlined as priorities under the Ten-Year Programme of Action.

It urged the OIC member states to strive for high-level training, good quality education designed to promote creativity, research, innovation and development as outlined under the Ten-Year Programme of Action, particularly with the IDB’s support under its scholarship programme.

“Within the same drive of Islamic renewal, we call on the member states and their scholars to seek to unify the Islamic calendar and thus boost Islam’s image in the world,” the declaration said.