The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dakar

The kings and heads of state and government attending the 11th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Friday renewed their pledge to preserve the world peace and security.

In a declaration adopted at the end of the two-day OIC Summit on Friday they reaffirmed the need to comply with all Security Council resolutions on Al-Quds and on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state to ensure a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

The 5-page declaration also reiterated condemnation of Israel's pattern of refusal to fully comply with the resolutions to allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and to respect Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

In the declaration, they announced their common position on the overall settlement of the Palestinian question in accordance with OIC and UN resolutions and the Arab peace initiative and reaffirmed their respective countries' solidarity with the Palestinian people's heroic struggle and applauded their exemplary courage.

Underlining the need for combating Islamophobia, the declaration said the kings and the heads of state and government of the OIC renewed their pledge to work harder to project the true image of Islam in line with the guidelines of the Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted by the 3rd Extraordinary Summit of Makkah Al Mukarramah.

"Consequently, we continue to strongly condemn all forms of extremism and dogmatism, which are incompatible with Islam, a religion of moderation and peaceful coexistence," it said.

In this connection, the OIC leaders supported the dialogue of civilisations, and organising a major international gathering on Islamic-Christian dialogue that involves governments among other players.

"Since we share the international community's major concerns over terrorism, we would like to confirm that the OIC always seeks to make sure that it is not found wanting when it comes to joint actions designed to overcome the major challenges facing nations as a result of globalisation." It added.

The declaration said the OIC member states have set great store by human rights and good governance so that the respective countries would uphold them continuously as essential factors of human progress and prosperity.

The OIC leaders reaffirmed their political will to take or support any initiative to combat natural disasters, overcome the environmental problems endangering mankind, eradicate poverty and take part fully in the global campaign to bridge the digital divide through voluntary contributions and to promote women, the family and children as a major social requirement.

"Since the OIC is keenly interested in helping to gradually overcome challenges currently facing the world, it cannot but work harder for its member states and Muslim minorities by taking inspiring from the precepts of Islam, especially the obligation to ensure Islamic solidarity," they added.

They also made a pledge, in the same spirit of solidarity, to make contributions amounting to US$ 10 billion to the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, established within the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

The OIC leaders put emphasis on increasing Intra-Islamic cooperation for the benefit of the Muslim Ummah and attached utmost priority on urgently implementing the provisions of the Ten-Year Programme of Action on "development assistance and the fights against poverty in Africa".

"We have thus agreed to include among the priorities of the joint Islamic action bilateral and multilateral debt relief by donor member states in favour of low- income OIC African member countries," the declaration said.

They said that as part of their common desire to make the 11th Islamic Summit in Dakar a landmark of Islamic solidarity, they had shown great interest in the need to mobilise Zakaat funds in the OIC geographical area and allocate them rationally and efficiently to the needy.

The OIC declaration also includes a strong pledge of the member states that they would make further contributions to the benefit of the Muslim Ummah through cooperation and promoting creativity, research innovation and developments as outlined under the Ten-Year Programme of Action.

"Within the same drive of Islamic renewal, we call on member states and their scholars to seek to unify the Islamic calendar and thus boost Islam's image in the world," the declaration added.