Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 10/06/2008
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 10-11, 2008 Excellency Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan, Distinguished Panelists Let me at the outset congratulate Her Excellency First Lady of Azerbaijan Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, for convening this very important Forum on expanding the role of women in cross cultural dialogue which I believe is a matter of utmost importance and necessity. The myth of women being the weaker partner in the society has long been broken. The awareness for their empowerment and their integration into the mainstream of society is now universal and widespread. However, the culmination of prejudices and discrimination over the centuries obviously cannot be all removed overnight. Even in the information society of the globalized world that we live in today, stereotypes against women continue to prevail in different forms and manifestations both in the West and in the East. Despite the fact that women comprise almost half of the world's population, their full empowerment as an equal partner in society remains a distant call. Women continue to suffer gender discrimination and prejudices, and denial of access to equal opportunities of education and other community services. Their involvement in the decision making process is also inadequate. The struggle to address these issues is universal although the problem is more acute in the less developed countries in comparison to the economically and technologically advanced ones. One has to accept the fact that problems faced by women in the developing countries are compounded by poverty and weak social infrastructure. I believe that addressing this issue is the key element that would contribute to development of women. The global initiative to empower women must therefore be pursued with greater vigor and seriousness. Any expanded role of women in cross cultural dialogue should include political, economic, social and cultural dimensions. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that women issues are high on the agenda of the OIC, the intergovernmental organization with 57 member countries second only to the United Nations. The Ten Year Program of Action adopted by the 3rd Extraordinary Summit of the OIC in 2005 called for strengthening laws aimed at enhancing the advancement of women in Muslim societies in economic, cultural, social and political fields in accordance with Islamic values of justice and equality; and aimed also at protecting women from all forms of violence and discrimination and adhering to the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, in line with the Islamic values of justice and equality. The First OIC Ministerial Meeting on Women in Istanbul in 2006 had mandated the member states to draw up a Plan of Action for Women. The General Secretariat has prepared a draft of the Plan and the first meting of experts to work on the draft was held last April at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. The Experts are expected to hold their second meeting in October to finalize and submit their draft to the Islamic Meeting of Ministers for Women’s Affairs scheduled to be held in Cairo, on November 23-24, this year, for its adoption. In the meanwhile, the member states and OIC affiliated bodies including the ISESCO have been proactive in holding several meetings and workshops on women issues underscoring the importance of cross cultural dialogue. Let me now come to the topic of our panel discussion: East and West: How do we view each other? This is indeed a question of crucial importance to the success or failure of a cross cultural dialogue between the two sides. It is well known that our behavior and characteristics are influenced by our surroundings. The differences in geographical and climatic conditions, our varied cultural and religious beliefs, literature, history and traditions, determine our way of life, the dietary habits, our way of dressing and our attitudes. Those are the factors which make up the diversity of the world population. The realization of this fact is therefore essential for a successful cross cultural dialogue The first ingredient to a successful dialogue therefore that has to be a two way communication that should not be influenced by any bias or any presumptuous judgmental mindset. The interlocutors would have to rise above stereotypes and tendencies of looking down at the other that will surely make the dialogue a farce. The agenda of the dialogue must be dominated by clear cut issues of common concern for all women without any bias or prejudice linked to religious and cultural beliefs, practices or racial backgrounds. As the Secretary General of the OIC, I must be frank in drawing your attention to widespread misperception that I feel exist in many parts of the West about the status of women in Muslim societies. From the reports that published in western media and deliberations and lectures at workshops and conferences, one can clearly sense the misconception which depicts the women in Muslim societies as treated as second class citizens, downtrodden and deprived of their rights and face innumerable restrictions in leading a free life. In this context, Islam has been a pioneer in upholding the rights of women. If you were to go through the Hadith, you would come across a number of instances where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had upheld the rights of women, to ensure their rightful place in society as a mother and a homemaker, business women etc. He also came out strongly against girl infanticide of the dark ages. Today Muslim women are increasingly getting aware of their rights to equal opportunities and gradually getting integrated into the mainstream of society. They are taking up leadership roles in politics and business. With the passing of time, and with the alleviation of poverty, their status will be further strengthened. The negative view of Muslims in western society has been created by a smear campaign launched by motivated radical groups and individuals to defame Islam and profile Muslims. I would very sincerely put to you that if this state of affairs is allowed to prolong or go uncorrected, it will pose a danger to the diversity of world civilizations and cultural beliefs and endanger global peace and security. I believe that the primary objective of a cross culture dialogue would be an understanding of diversity of values and removal of misperceptions. The misconceptions, the prejudices, the lack of knowledge or proper understanding of Islamic teachings and values must be removed and corrected for the sake of a meaningful engagement between civilizations. In this important objective, the role of the media is very important. Ladies and Gentlemen Here I must underscore the crucial role of the media for a successful cross cultural dialogue. In present day information society, the media can use its influence to shape state policies and the attitudes of the leadership and of the common person. It can inflame the insignificant into major conflagrations and at the same time, suppress a major issue by simply ignoring or down playing it. It all depends on the question of responsible and sensible exercise of the right to freedom of expression. I am a strong supporter of people's right to know and therefore believe in the freedom of the media and expression. But I also believe that this freedom cannot be a license to do anything at will. It carries a great responsibility that has to be exercised with care and that much sagacity that it is not inflammatory, discriminatory or causing hurt and insult to people of other religious and cultural beliefs. Perhaps the greatest harm done by the media in cross cultural relationship has been its insensitivity to sentiments held most sacred by religions and cultures. This has been inflicted on the Muslims than others. The two most glaring examples of this are the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad by a Danish newspaper in 2005 and repeated earlier this year and the film Fitna produced by a Dutch politician denigrating the Holy Quran. These are just two examples of a motivated campaign by a marginal few who are active in driving a wedge between the West and Islam. Regretfully, these actions were defended in the name of freedom of expression.. Women can play a crucial role in addressing this issue by including it as a priority issue in the agenda of their cross cultural dialogue. I raised issue of Islamophobia and religious intolerance because women are increasingly getting involved and playing a decisive role in the information society. And in view of the unprecedented power of modern day media to influence events and attitudes, they have a crucial role in the responsible and correct handling of the media and help in raising awareness of the dangerous implications of religious intolerance including Islamophobia. I however feel that it would not be fair to put the whole blame on the western media on the question of intolerance. Some Muslim media organizations should also bear the responsibility of contributing to intolerance and distorting other cultures and civilizations. I am referring to certain Muslim websites and media organizations run by extremist elements that are active in encouraging Muslims to believe that the West is a decadent and impure society. I do not concur with these views. Ladies and Gentlemen The globalization of our present day world has transformed our lifestyle, our outlook and attitudes totally. Civilizations and communities have been brought closer in proximity and there is nothing that one can hide or ignore. It is therefore of utmost importance how we handle globalization because it is a tool that can bring us immense benefits or harm us. The developments in ICT such as the internet, satellite and cable television have brought cultures that were once distant and obscure, right into our living room. Men, women and children are exposed to this intrusion, if I may use the term. The internet is like a wild horse that needs to be tamed so that we can control it rather than be controlled by it. I would urge the distinguished panelists here to put their minds together on this issue of vital importance. Considering the all important role of women as mothers and homemakers and genuine partners in society, their voice on this issue must be strong and their message heeded by the managers of internet websites. Can we imagine the horror and perilous consequences on a child having access to the revolting images posted on many internet websites. The media therefore has to exercise its responsibility and caution to take into account the sensitivities of cultural diversity and avoid disrespect or denigration of religious and cultural values as well the exposure of children to images that would be damaging to their overall growth The issue of morality often comes up in a cross cultural debate. But morality can acquire different definition and its dimension is a matter of perception. What is moral in one society can be perceived as immoral in another. But there is also a common meeting point, when we consider its implications on a given society. One has to accept that changes and transformation of some social values that have taken place in the West since the later part of the last century may be perceived as not conforming to what was traditionally considered moral. This perception, in my view should not be a bone of contention. The West would have to understand and appreciate that Muslim societies are based on strong traditional values and very strong family ties which would differ from the one that prevails in the West. At the same time it would not be correct for the East to view the West as decadent society, where family values are disintegrating, where unrestricted permissiveness are destroying the social fabric of the Western society. Such attitudes are more than often influenced by some movies which surely do not mirror the Western society truthfully or with responsibility. In conclusion let me say that in this world, we have to live and let live. This would be best achieved when we are in a position to know and learn more about each other in a cross cultural dialogue. It has been my experience that in certain cases, women are more serious than men in achieving the targets. I therefore feel confident that this meeting will set forth a momentum that will only gain in strength in the days ahead. I thank you.
