In response to an invitation from the General Secretariat, the representatives of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference held a meeting in the morning of July 22nd, 2009 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Adnan Al-Hamawi, representative of the Arab Syrian Republic, current chair of the OIC Ministerial Conference.

Ambassador Syed Kacim Al Masri, Special Envoy and Advisor of the Secretary General briefed the Member States on the various contacts and moves undertaken by the Secretary General within the framework of his follow up of the events witnessed in the Uyghur autonomous province of Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan) in China which is inhabited by a Muslim majority. The briefing included a historical overview on the province which is known for its past contributions to the Islamic civilization and for the many illustrious names it has offered to the mankind, a province which is currently striving to preserve its Islamic identity and cultural and ethnic specificity, in the face of an overwhelming and organized influx of non-Muslims immigrants from other parts of China who are coming as settlers, a move which is threatening to cause the Muslim indigenous people’s identity to dissolve.

Mr. Al Masri also reviewed the direct reasons that led to the recent agitations which have to do with deeper issues related to the human rights of the Muslims in the province, a problem which the Uyghur people share in fact with many Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States.

The review also included the contacts undertaken by the OIC Secretary General with the Member States, with UN experts on human rights and with representatives of the People’s Republic of China to whom the Secretary General made a point of providing a full clarification of the OIC’s position in a keen interest to ensure the preservation and consolidation of the great historical relations with China. He called upon the Chinese officials to address the problem at its roots and avoid focusing their action solely on the security aspects. These contacts have resulted in the Government of the People’s Republic of China addressing an invitation to the OIC Secretary General to visit China and take stock of the conditions of Muslims in the province of Xinjiang and in China in general.
Consultations are still underway between the two parties to fix an early date for this visit which will be preceded by a visit by an OIC advance team.

Amb. Syed Qacem Al Masri recalled during the meeting the OIC’s consistent stand in dealing with issues of Muslim minorities worldwide, including the Muslim minority in China, a stand which is based on the following principles:

1. Not encouraging any separatist claims or aspirations.

2. Undertaking contacts and making the OIC views known through the legitimate government of the country concerned.

3. Respecting the political sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states to which the minorities in question belong.

At the end of the briefing meeting, the permanent representative of Syria, who chaired the proceedings, expressed his thanks to the Secretary General for his initiative to keep the Member States informed on these developments and for his consistent support for the causes of the Muslim minorities across the world.