Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 16/11/2012
Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Heads of Delegations, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you Mr. Chairman – and through you the Government of Republic of Djibouti for convening this Ministerial brainstorming session. The topic selected for this session aptly reflects a singularly significant challenge faced by the Muslim world. The importance of addressing this issue at this Ministerial gathering could not be over emphasized. The General Secretariat has circulated a concept paper with a view to refreshing memory on the backdrop of our discussion today. It also suggests some ideas to stimulate deliberations by the Ministers. The objective of this brainstorming session lies in the General Secretariat receiving clear guidance from Member States in terms of both the road map and parameters of a unified position of Member States on this matter of utmost importance. Accordingly, a draft resolution has been circulated for consideration and adoption at the end of this session. The concept paper provides with the General Secretariat’s perspective on the issue. I would, however, like to share some information and views to trigger objective analyses and substantive outcome at this session. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Islamophobia constitutes a contemporary manifestation of racism and discrimination. It must, therefore, be viewed and addressed in that context. Our deliberations on this issue of vital concern to OIC are rendered even more pertinent by the fact that this session is being conducted on the African soil. The history of this continent is riddled with colonization and conflict. It is replete with the most notorious instances of racism and discrimination characterized by wide spread violation of human rights. With the advantage of hindsight it can safely be concluded that some of the major conflicts – including the most gruesome episode of genocide in recent history - could have been avoided had the clear signs of simmering tensions and social unrest not been ignored by the international community. It, similarly, needs to be appreciated that in a globalized world, the increasing trend of Islamophobia is indeed ominous. There has been an alarming increase in intolerance and discrimination against Muslims since we met in Astana. The fifth report of Islamophobia Observatory released, as mandated, at this session of the Council of Foreign Ministers reveals an alarming upsurge over the reporting period. It has been a period punctuated by utterly reprehensible episodes including burning of the holy Quran by a Pastor, the Utoya massacre in Norway and most recently the release of the trailer of ‘innocence of Muslims’ on YouTube. In confirming our worst fears, increasing frequency of such events and their aftermath vindicated OIC’s warnings of serious repercussions. The long term implications with regard to peaceful coexistence in an interdependent and interconnected world go beyond these repercussions. During the last five years, a succession of steps taken even by some governments in the West - indicating institutionalization and constitutionalization of Islamophobia - are disturbing. Most disconcerting is the emerging pattern of its use as an instrument of local, regional and international politics - documented by the Observatory over the last five years. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, On the diplomatic front, I have personally been raising this matter of utmost importance during a frequency of interaction with the political, economic, religious and academic elite around the globe. We have all witnessed the violence emanated from the emotions aroused by the trailer that hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims all over the world. Since the reprehensible release , I have been actively making high level contacts to seek a concerted international response. The joint statement issued with League of Arab States, EU and AU must be seen in that context. The statement acknowledged the importance of the OIC sponsored Human Rights Council resolution 16/18 as the basis for further work towards evolving an international consensus on tolerance and full respect of religion. The consensual passage of HRC resolution 16/18 has been widely acknowledged as a positive development. It demonstrated OIC’s ability to forge consensus on the most sensitive of issues in contemporary international relations. The resolution codified the eight points identified in my address to the 15th Session of the Human Rights Council. I am glad that they could form the basis of consensus. It afforded the opportunity to focus on the real issues away from the politicization and polarization of a decade. We did not stop at mere passage of a resolution. I took the initiative to launch the Istanbul Process for its consensual implementation. The process moved forward with the second event organized in Washington and the third due to be organized in London, later this year. There is mounting public pressure on OIC Member States to draw a line and take concrete action. The response coming out of this CFM must be proportionate to expectations of the Muslim World from OIC - being their political voice. It must be substantive and credible to wrest the initiative away from the street to the table of meaningful and result oriented multilateral discourse. OIC needs to put its entire political weight behind a resolute effort on this matter of transcendental priority. We must avoid fragmentation of effort and initiatives and speak with one voice. We must reaffirm and reinforce the Declaration adopted by the ACM in September. We have to build on the process of consensus building that went into adoption of resolution 16/18. It signified a triumph of multilateralism. Its merit lies in being the least common denominator - accepted as a framework for the way forward. It strengthened OIC’s visibility as an intergovernmental organization according primacy to multilateralism in seeking solutions to contemporary issues. We need to draw a roadmap indicating measured steps towards evolving legally entrenched and politically sustainable parameters of a unified OIC approach for combating intolerance and discrimination against Muslims. Hence the suggestion in the concept paper of a stepwise process – a panel of eminent persons including legal experts and human rights practitioners feeding into the intergovernmental process. Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Heads of Delegations, OIC’s position has all along been entrenched in international legal instruments and we need to build on this tradition. We must emphasize that there is no hierarchy of human rights whereby a single right can trump others. Freedom of opinion and expression is among the fundamental rights.It does not include a licence to hate mongering. Freedom of expression does not mean the right to vilify. Our position must also be rooted in history and culture. Having indicated our seriousness at building consensus, we must seek to be reciprocated in the same spirit. We need to seek multi-stakeholder support for an international discourse seeking an intercultural solution – A solution that acknowledges that denigration of symbols and personalities sacred in Islam must be viewed as a matter of identity. It inflicts the psyche of Muslim all over the world. It is in that cotext that we seek an end to the systematic pattern and increasing frequency of events that contribute towards stereotyping, stigmatization and alienation of Muslims. Such events constitute an affront to human dignity violating the whole range of human rights of victims. The unfolding geo-political situation could exacerbate this trend. The need for concerted action by the international community, therefore, constitutes an imperative. OIC will have to lead this effort on a matter of vital concern. We would be listening carefully to all interventions at this important brainstorming session. We expect clear guidance and mandate in the resolution to be adopted as an outcome of our deliberations today. I thank you all.
