X X X Islamic action In his opening speech, Abulkalam Abdul Momen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister and outgoing Chair of the OIC, said Bangladesh’s leadership in the OIC was guided by the principles of peace, prosperity and development
ABU DHABI (Pakistan Point News - 01st Mar, 2019) X X X Islamic action In his opening speech, Abulkalam Abdul Momen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister and outgoing Chair of the OIC, said Bangladesh’s leadership in the OIC was guided by the principles of peace, prosperity and development.
"Our emphasis was "Islamic values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development." For, the pursuit of eternal Islamic values alone such as fraternity, justice, moderation and compassion can show us the way forward. Let us assure the new chair UAE our full cooperation and support and wish UAE success in the forthcoming session of the CFM," he added.
The session saw Bangladesh handing over the presidency to the UAE and the election of the new board. The UAE will chair the CFM, assisted by Afghanistan, Uganda and Palestine as Vice Chairs and Bangladesh as a Rapporteur.
Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, the OIC Secretary General, delivered a speech where he thanked the leadership and people of the UAE for the warm hospitality. He added that the session is being held after the UAE celebrated the 'Year of Zayed', which was an opportunity to remember with pride the deeds of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his noble services to his people and to the Muslim nations.
"Under its wise leadership, the UAE is currently undergoing massive progress in all fields and is confidently striding to a more stable and prosperous future."
He thanked the previous CFM Chair Bangladesh for the efforts made during that tenure. He also thanked Saudi Arabia for continuous support as the host country of the OIC.
Al-Othaimeen said that Palestine remains the leading issue of concern for the OIC. He renewed support to the Palestinian people’s struggle to regain the legitimate tights, including the right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital under the two-state solution.
He also underlined the organisation’s ongoing efforts to counter misconceptions about islam through its initiatives to reject Islamophobia.
Al-Othaimeen also warned of the perils of violent extremism and terrorism as a scourge that undermines regional peace and security and leads to loss of innocent lives due to acts by groups and individuals that are alien to Islam.
He reiterated the OIC’s keenness on the peace and stability of Iraq and expressed relief over the positive developments there, including the elimination of the Daesh terrorist group.
The OIC Secretary-General announced that during 2019, the organisation will mark its 50th anniversary with a celebration in its headquarters in Saudi Arabia.
He thanked Egypt for hosting the OIC festival which was held in February 2018 under the theme: "One Nation, Various Culture, Palestine in Our Hearts."
Al-Othaimeen also revealed that the OIC will participate in EXPO Dubai 2020 and urged members states to take part in this important event.
Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India and the Guest of Honour, said in her speech that she was proud to be invited to this conference.
"I am honoured to join my colleagues from nations that represent a great religion and ancient civilisations. I stand here as a representative of a land that has been for ages a fountain of knowledge, a beacon of peace, a source of faiths and traditions, home to many religions – and now, one of the major economies of the world."
She added, "I carry the greetings of my Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji and 1.3 billion Indians, including more than 185 million Muslim brothers and sisters. Our Muslims brothers and sisters are a microcosm of the diversity of India. They speak Tamil and Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, Bangla and Bhojpuri and any of the numerous languages of India."
Swaraj also expressed deep appreciation to Sheikh Abdullah "for his sagacious leadership and for his invitation."
"In the past four years, few relationships have seen as much engagement, as India’s relationship with UAE and, indeed, with the entire Gulf and West Asia Region. It is a return of history. The UAE has shown, how a nation can power its progress, with a grand vision, with the openness to the world, with an embrace of technology, with investment in human resources and with an environment that nurtures talent and cultures from around the world."
At the end of the session, Sheikh Abdullah and the heads of delegations performed Friday prayer at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. He then hosted a lunch banquet in their honour.
