Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 06/12/2008
On the occasion of the blessed Eid Al Adha for the year 1429 AH, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, released the following statement: 'On the occasion of the blessed Eid El Adha, I am pleased to extend my sincere and warm congratulations to all peoples of the Islamic Ummah. I hope that the advent of this occasion will augur well-being and hope for the entire Islamic Ummah. May Allah grant the Islamic Ummah and the rest of the world greater security, progress and prosperity. Eid Al Adha carries a special meaning and is rife with symbolism that brings out the value of sacrifice as an act of submission to God's Will. This occasion, with its associated rites involving millions of Muslims assembling on the plain of Arafat in an awe-inspiring religious image, is a reminder for Muslims of the imperatives of unity, solidarity and sincerity in discharging their duties of helping one another to achieve strength and empowerment. This will make Muslims readier to defend their sanctuaries and support their Muslim brothers to regain their usurped rights, and provide them with the means to acquire might and preserve dignity. As the third anniversary of the Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah Al Mukarramah approaches, we need to recall and laud the initiative launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, during the pilgrimage of 1425 AH/2005 AD. The Summit proved a success by the grace and help of Allah and thanks to the unprecedented preparations undertaken by Islamic scholars coming from all disciplines, who managed to articulate a roadmap for joint Islamic action and bring about a qualitative change in this field by adopting the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action. We are convinced that the political will demonstrated by the OIC Member States, together with the commitment shown by the institutions and the various components of society, underscore their interest and their expectations about the Ten-Year Programme of Action. They feel that the endeavors slated to implement the Program and achieve its stipulations, especially in light of the amended OIC Charter as adopted at the 2008 Dakar Summit, will culminate in securing the right conditions for the triumph of the causes of our Islamic nation and raise the profile of the Ummah and Islam in the world. Finally, I pray to the Almighty Allah to make us witness more of the Eid, hoping that the Islamic Ummah would have regained by then its outstanding position among the nations of the world, that the bonds of unity would have strengthened among Muslims, that the Muslims would have reclaimed their usurped rights, and that the Islamic Ummah would have achieved the progress and prosperity we all aspire to. Wa assalamou allaykoum wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatou
