Time has come for OIC to strengthen & equip itself to address contemporary challenges confronting Muslim Ummah: Qureshi
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (SABAH): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi says the time has come for OIC to strengthen and equip itself to address contemporary challenges and conflicts confronting the Muslim Ummah. He said that Pakistan stands ready to play its part as a bridge-builder in promoting regional and OIC driven solutions to these conflicts and disputes. Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for a collective response of the Muslim Ummah to address common challenges under the theme of Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi was delivering his opening statement after assuming chairmanship of the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi emphasized on jointly addressing the challenges and conflicts within the Ummah and uniting for justice for the rights of Muslims under occupation and conflicts with countries beyond our Ummah. He said this should also include the urgency of addressing the pervasive Islamophobia facing Muslims in non-Muslim majority countries.
He also underlined partnering for development by effectively addressing the triple global crises of COVID-19, development, and climate change. The Foreign Minister said we must work to prevent outside interference in the Muslim World as we alone can find solutions to internal fissures and challenges.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Muslims of Palestine and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are still reeling under abominable subjugation. For the last seven decades, they have struggled to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination.
Highlighting the grave human rights situation in IIOJK, he said the RSS-BJP Hindutva-inspired government in India has unleashed a reign of terror by an occupation force of 900,000 in IIOJK since 5 August 2019. He said Indian actions violate the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the OIC on Jammu and Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister also called for a permanent solution to the Palestinian question with the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian State.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said to forge Partnership for Development, the OIC countries must mobilize international support for a comprehensive strategy for vaccine equity regarding Covid-19, increased development financing, accelerated climate action, and resolute action against illicit financial flows. He also called for promoting trade, research and technological innovation in the Muslim world.
Drawing attention toward the evolving situation in Afghanistan, he said addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and preventing a collapse of the Afghan economy must remain our top priorities. He said we must also encourage and support the efforts of the Afghan authorities to eliminate DAISH and other terrorist groups like TTP, ETIM, IMU, and Al-Qaida.
The Foreign Minister said we must guard against spoilers that wish to continue destabilizing Afghanistan and using its territory to promote terrorism. A peaceful, stable, inclusive, prosperous and connected Afghanistan is in the best interest of us all.
He said that the OIC is the collective voice of nearly two billion Muslims. It is a bridge among Muslim nations and between the Muslim world and the international community. He said that promoting solidarity and cooperation within the Muslim Ummah is one of the central pillars of Pakistan’s foreign policy. As Chair of the OIC-CFM during 2022-23, Pakistan’s overarching goal shall be to solidify this bridging role further.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that in this era of global turmoil, the situation of Muslims in many parts of the world is heart wrenching. Currently, more than 60 percent of all conflicts in the world exist in Muslim countries. He said that from Yemen to Syria to the Sahel, the range of conflicts in the Muslim world and their intensity is palpable. These are festering wounds on the body politic of Islam.
He said that more than two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia. Above all, the Muslim countries are hosting the largest number of refugees.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that while we must work to prevent outside interference in the Muslim World, we alone, can find solutions to internal fissures and challenges. The key to ending these conflicts and disputes is comprehensive engagement and cooperation among the Islamic countries.
He said that the Islamic world is endowed with both natural and human resources that are unmatchable. We are home to over a quarter of the world’s entire youth. This unparalleled youth bulge is yearning for opportunities and progress. It is a harbinger of innovation, industry and growth. Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared the year 2022 as investment in the youth.
He said that building on this potential, it is time for the Ummah to forge a collective response to the current turmoil inside its borders and the ongoing global transition. We must be a reliable partner in forging unity, justice, and development across the globe, but not anyone’s accomplice in aggression or domination.
“To this end, I propose convening an OIC Ministerial Conference during 2022-2023. This Conference, among others, could assess the need for establishing a peace and security architecture akin to all other regional organizations” he said.