Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 24/11/2009
On the occasion of the blessed Eid Al-Adha for the year 1430AH, 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 Al-Adha for the year 1430 AH, I am pleased to extend my sincere and warm congratulations to all peoples of the Islamic Ummah. I hope that the advent of this religious occasion will augur well-being and hope for the entire Islamic Ummah. May Allah guide us all to the right path. The advent of Eid Al-Adha and the concomitant congregation of millions of Muslims in Mount Arafah in a grandiose religious scene is a reminder for Muslims of the ordinances of unity, solidarity and mutual support while keeping away from all forms of discord, rivalry and difference. In unity lie the elements of power and empowerment, whereas in discord lie the seeds of weakness and humiliation. Today, Muslims really need, more than ever before, to close their ranks to defeat the machinations hatched against them, defend their sanctities, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque, support their brothers to recover their usurped rights and provide them with the means to defend their dignity. We feel much sorrow as we watch wide parts of the Muslim world face the scourge of war, destruction, devastation and manifestations of extremism, moving us into an unfathomable vicious circle, while Islam has absolutely nothing to do with all that. In fact, Islam is a religion of mercy, moderation and peace. The upside, however, is that Eid Al-Adha this year occurs just a few days following the first Islamic economic summit hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, at the initiative of the Turkish President, H.E. President Abdullah Gul, who chairs the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The summit has confirmed the political will of the leaders of the Islamic Ummah [nation] to endeavor to strengthen economic cooperation and boost trade exchange, which are the pillars of power, solidarity, empowerment and sturdiness of Muslims. The summit was an opportunity to underline the importance the Islamic Ummah attaches to the economic and social issues on its agenda, including poverty alleviation, trade facilitation among Muslim countries, in a bid to achieve the realizable objective of increasing by 20 percent the volume of intra-OIC trade as inscribed in the Ten-year Program of Action (TYPOA). Building a platform for human development, progress and prosperity for our countries and peoples, addressing the socio-economic challenges they face, intensifying efforts to acquire and develop science and technology, and enhancing the values of modernity and moderation, are the right path towards optimal utilization of the tremendous possibilities that abound in our countries, in such a way as to construct a promising present and bright future for Muslims, and resolve the various problems they face. Finally, I pray to Almighty Allah that we relive many more such Eid, hoping that the Islamic Ummah would have regained by then its outstanding position among the nations of the world, and that it would have achieved the progress and prosperity its aspires to. Wa assalamou allaykoum wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatou
