Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 26/09/2009
Distinguished Heads of States and Governments Distinguished Ministers Honorable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored and delighted to join you in cherishing the noble values of diversity, dialogue and mutual respect for one another, as they are very well fostered by this wonderful reception tonight. When I look around the room, I see all the beautiful colors of the Balkans. And, I can only imagine how beautiful a rainbow they can create when they get together in harmony. I would like to extend to all of you my greetings and best wishes. I would like to also avail of this opportunity to congratulate, and express my deepest gratitude to the organizers of this beautiful reception: the distinguished representatives of the Federation of Balkan Americans and the Rutgers University. I thank them for bringing together very prominent political, intellectual and public figure in order to foster a fresh thinking in finding ways to a peace, harmony and prosperity in the Balkans and within the Balkan-American communities. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, We are living in a world that is shrinking day by day, and in a world where the different cultures, ethnicities, religions have to encounter one another ever more as with the advancement of globalization the borders disappear, and no nation remains immune to interaction with the others. Making such an encounter a productive one and avoiding possible clashes between different ethnicities and cultures require extreme attention. Failing to do so has unfortunately cost many lives in the Balkans, in the heart of Europe only little more than a decade ago. At the root of those clashes were the lack of understanding of the self, and the lack of understanding and respect for the other. Today, as a direct or indirect result of those clashes, there are quite many Balkan-Americans living in the United States where they came to find tranquility and prosperity in this country. It is a responsibility for all of us; the regional and international organizations, the Balkan states, and most importantly civil society and academic institutions like the FEBA and the Rutgers University, to help the Balkan-Americans successfully integrate into the American society. The better and faster they integrate, the more they will benefit the American society, and the stronger and better representatives of their homelands they will be in this country. On its part, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has been quite active in contributing to the establishment of peace and prosperity in the Balkans. The Balkan Americans live in Pax-America in harmony, peace and welfare, similar to the conditions of Pax-Ottomana when for centuries harmony, co-existence and tolerance prevailed in the Balkans. When commonalities and shared values take precedence over differences, we should not be worried about the future of the Balkans and Balkan diasporas elsewhere. As I conclude my remarks, once again I thank you all for your ceaseless efforts to promote a productive regional and international cooperation in bringing peace and prosperity to the Balkans, and solidarity and sense of identity among the Balkan-Americans. Thank you very much for your attention.
