OIC LOOKS AHEAD TO BECOMING ACTION-ORIENTED BODY

From Azeman Ariffin

ASTANA (Kazakhstan), July 1 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of the Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), whose foreign ministers concluded their three-day council
meeting here Thursday, is looking forward with renewed vigour to becoming an
action-oriented body.

Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov said OIC would reform in line
with its change of name and a new emblem.

On Tuesday, during the 38th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the
Organisation of the Islamic Conference changed its name to the Organisation of
the Islamic Cooperation, but retained its acronym OIC. It also adopted a new
emblem.

Kazykhanov said Thursday: "We are determined to give a new impetus to the
OIC and strengthen its role as a means of promoting cooperation among our
countries and implementing the new vision and goals for the Muslim world that
requires its reform, good governance and human rights in a way that meets the
hopes of the ummah.

"We therefore emphasise the need for further improvement of the mechanism of
action related to its implementation,” he told a news conference.

Meanwhile, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the OIC fully
supported the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at reaching a lasting, comprehensive
and just resolution of the Palestine issue.

“We call on the international community to acknowledge the progress achieved
and recognise the independent, sovereign state of Palestine based on the borders
of June 1967.

“We strongly condemn Israel’s settlement building and expansion which
constitute a flagrant violation of international law, which is an obstacle to
restart negotiations leading to end the Israel occupation of Palestine territory
occupied since 1967,” he said.

Ihsanoglu said the OIC also condemned Israel's illegal policies on action
aiming at altering the Arab and Islamic character of occupied East Jerusalem,
changing the demographic composition and isolating it from its Palestinian
surroundings.

“We also condemn Israel's persistent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights
and Lebanese territories and emphasise our support for these two countries in
regaining all their territories occupied by Israel,” he said.


He said the OIC reaffirmed its joint commitment to a long-term engagement in
Afghanistan in order to bring peace, stability and socio-economic development to
the country and to tackle new challenges emerging from it.

“We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and we
reaffirm that terrorism should never be linked to any religion, race, faith,
values, culture or society. We express our deepest sympathy and support for all
who fell victim to such attacks,” he said.

The OIC also called for tolerance and condemned Islamophobia and
discrimination against Muslims.

“We commend the continued initiatives to effectively counter Islamophobia in
various international forums and we call upon the international community to
take effective measures to combat the defamation of religions and stereotyping
of people on the basis of religion, faith or race," he said.

The 57 member countries of the OIC attended the meeting. The Malaysian
delegation was led by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

-- BERNAMA