Statement
by Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Hon'ble Adviser for
Foreign Affairs at the 34th Session of Islamic Conference
of Foreign Ministers (ICFM)
Islamabad, Pakistan
15 May 2007
Mr.
Chairman
Secretary General
Distinguished delegates
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
May
I join my other colleagues in warmly congratulating
the Chair upon the assumption of your responsibilities.
I have no doubt that under your able stewardship our
efforts to strengthen this organization and render
it more effective will find fruition. I should also
place on record our deep appreciation to the Government
of Pakistan for their most generous hospitality. Also,
for making such excellent arrangements for our meeting.
I would specially commend the Secretary General and
his team for their tireless endeavours, not just for
the success of this conference though also that, but
also for their leadership in guiding the work of the
OIC.
The
Muslim Ummah is passing through a critical phase.
These are difficult times. The challenges we confront
are multi-pronged and daunting. It is almost as if
parts of the world an gripped by a sense of 'Islamophobia',
an irrational fear of Islam and the Muslims. Even
those who claim to be enlightened are not free from
the influence of such unmerited apprehensions. These
flow from an ignorance of our religion, and of our
peoples. Often Islam has been perceived to be equal
to terrorism. This is both unjust and unfair. But
this unfortunate and burgeoning phenomenon must be
stopped in its tracks. It is for the OIC and other
Islamic Organizations to meet these challenges. They
must be able to explain to the rest of the world that
Islam and its adherents stand for good governance,
rule of law, freedom of expression, human rights,
transparency in economic and financial spheres, equality
of women and justice for all.
As
if these adversities were not enough to threaten the
fabric of our societies, there are several political
issues that have added enormously to our problems.
Take for instance the subject of Palestine, which
is by every rational calculation the core problem
of the Middle East. We have been grappling with it
since the inception of the OIC, but to little effect.
Palestinians continues to suffer, and Israel continues
to carry on its acts of aggression. There can be no
resolution of this problem without a free sovereign,
and independent state for the Palestinians with Jerusalem
as its capital. The Hamas led government in Palestine
is legitimate. It deserves recognition in consonance
with the principle of democracy. We would urge upon
the international community, especially the Quartet,
to exert pressure on Israel to conform to acceptable
behaviour pattern. The construction of settlements
and the Wall, or the Barrier of Shame, must stop forthwith.
Israel must also render to the Palestinians revenues
that are rightly theirs. There must be a total and
negotiated solution based on the Road Map and Land
for Peace formula.
As
we are gathered here, Iraq continues to bleed. An
entire civilization, one of the greatest the world
has ever seen, is laid in ruins. The hopes of the
Iraqis once raised, are shattered to smitherin. The
wealth and resources of the Iraqis are being drained.
Iraqis must, themselves, take over the control of
their own destiny. Only then can they secure the political
reconciliation, territorial integrity, sovereignty,
security, peace and development so crucial to the
reconstruction, rehabilitation and stability of their
society and country. The OIC should create a cell
specifically devoted to the resolution of the crisis
in Iraq.
In
Afghanistan we support President Hamed Karzai in his
praiseworthy efforts to bring his people out of the
morass of strife and terror. Bangladesh has assured
him that we stand solidly behind his government and
people. Recently we were delighted to welcome Afghanistan
to its rightful place on SAARC. We will spare no efforts
to partner them in their development activities, and
not just through the efforts of our government but
through our NGOs and civil society as well.
Mr.
Chairman,
Let
me announce unequivocally that Bangladesh condemns
terrorism on all its forms and manifestations. Terrorists
have perpetrated brutalism in every part of the world.
Bangladesh, too, has not been spared. There can be
no trafficking with their ilk, and the menace must
be combated across the broadest possible spectrum.
OIC can and must cooperate with the UN in this regard.
But no stone must be left unturned in ensuring that
this evil is not be allowed to be linked to religion.
Nor to legitimate struggles for national liberation.
We cannot encourage the flourishing of a political
culture where only the inconvenient opponent is dubbed
a terrorist only to demonize him.
Bangladesh,
as a signatory to international conventions against
terrorism, both globally and regionally, is in the
process of enacting and modifying relevant domestic
laws for their effective implementation at the national
level. We are also carefully examining the OIC Convention
on the subject with a view to becoming a party to
it. We hope the OIC will be able to act in line with
its commitment to totally eliminating terrorism in
all its dimensions.
Bangladesh
enthusiastically supports the OIC initiative to revise
its Charter, and revamp its image. It is our belief
that it will enable our organization to respond better
to changing times and circumstances. We anticipate
that the expansion of activities of the organization
will reflect the altered Charter. As to the name,
we favour Organization of Muslim Countries. We believe
it will project a more moderate image for the organization,
acknowledging the great contributions Muslims have
been making throughout the ages to the evolution of
human civilization.
Mr.
Chairman,
There
is no denying the fact that today Science and Technology
demand priority. But sadly within the Ummah we appear
to be lagging behind on this score. Vision 1441 adopted
by the 10th Islamic Summit in October 2003 emphasizes
our commitment to knowledge and to using science and
technology to advance the well-being of our peoples.
It is a worthy initiative, deserving of our whole-hearted
support. In this connection allow me to make a mention
of the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh.
We deeply appreciate the support we have received
to-date, and hope for the early clearance of unpaid
contributions. We also expect that degrees accorded
by it receive due recognition throughout the Muslim
world. We look to your cooperation in furthering strengthening
its stature as a center of excellence for scientific
learning.
There
is an important point I wish to make before I conclude.
It often appears that our organization has a disproportionate
tilt in favour of political issues. Even if this be
a mere perception it must be corrected, and the way
to do it would be to underscore its economic and social
programmes. Development must be brought to the central
core of the OIC's economic activities. Those who have
the means and wherewithal should come out with a more
structured support to the development of the more
under-privileged among us. Take the LDCs among the
OIC Members for instance. There should be special
programme designed to enhance their supply-side capacity
and accord their products free and unimpeded access
into the more affluent OIC Member States. The Secretariat
should also establish a mechanism to assess the achievement
of MDGs by the Islamic countries.
Ideas
emanating from many OIC countries are helping transform
positively the societal landscape of may developing
countries. Take micro-credit and non-formal education
for women, two concepts that have originated mainly
in Bangladesh. We have ourselves profited immensely
from it as have many others of comparable milienx.
We want to share these "best practices"
with out Islamic brethren everywhere and would be
happy to have the OIC act as a conduit. We should
also develop a methodology to put our intellectual
and material resources in an organized manner to advance
our economic and social progress. To go beyond the
rhetorics, and translate these lofty sentiments into
practice, in our view it would be a good idea for
the Chair to establish a Group of Eminent Persons
from the Muslim world to evaluate our assets and capabilities
in this regard and press them into the service of
the Ummah.
The
call of the times is for moderanization and we must
respond effectively to it or risk withering away.
Failure in this regard cannot be an option, and the
sooner we became alive to this reality the better
for all of us. Our peoples deserve to relive the wondrous
glory which our forefathers had justly earned, and
to which we can claim as rightful heirs.
* * * * *
