Jeddah Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen commended the outcome of the 46th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Abu Dhabi, paying tribute to the United Arab Emirates for making this event a success.
The secretary general also expressed appreciation for the role played by Saudi Arabia in advancing the work and activities of the OIC.
Not only does the Organization have its seat in Saudi Arabia, but it also receives significant support from it, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (may Allah protect them), said AlOthaimeen.
The OIC chief also placed on record his gratitude to the member states for their involvement and input throughout the Council, noting that the CFM's 46th session announced that the OIC's Golden Jubilee would be commemorated in 2019. He said this year's session, held under the theme of 50 Years of Islamic Cooperation A Roadmap for Progress and Development, ended with the adoption by consensus of the resolutions placed on its agenda.
He pointed out that the Palestinian issue has the great support of the Muslim world. In this regard, he went on, an IsDBsponsored Waqf Fund for Palestinian refugees has been established.
Launched with the goal to build a pool of capital to support Palestinian refugees, under the banner of the IsDB, the Fund, AlOthaimeen explained, will help enhance the financial position of the United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), thereby enabling it to deliver sustainable relief, humanitarian, educational and health services to the Palestinian refugees. Palestine is a fundamental and critical issue for all Muslims, he asserted.
Also significant on the Council's agenda this year were resolutions aimed at promoting women empowerment in the member states, youth capacity building, initiating an OIC prize for outstanding achievement in promoting the values and principles of the Organization, along with other issues.
AlOthaimeen stressed that the OIC countries are working in earnest to curb extremism, bigotry, intolerance and Islamophobia, and keen to spread the true and moderate message of Islam. He affirmed that an invaluable asset to our Muslim community, the youth need to be saved from succumbing to destructive ideology and drifting away from the true teachings of Islam.
The secretary general pointed out that the CFM also dealt with issues related to Yemen, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Djibouti, Comoros, and Central Africa. He explained that the Council viewed with deep concern the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and called for restraint and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Source: International Islamic News Agency