Pan-Islamic body deplores Western fallacious perception of Islam
Regional, Religion, 3/25/2000

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Friday deplored the West's unhealthy perception of Islam.

"What lies behind that fallacious impression is the conflict that lasted for the past centuries between Islam and the West," Azeddine Laraki, OIC secretary-general told the Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Laraki noted that the truth is that Islam was always the first to adopt the principles of human rights, in the most evident manner and on the largest scale.

"Human rights in Islam emanate from the essence of Islam itself, from the divine revelation which can be stained with no wrong whatsoever. The Islamic Sharia (Islamic law) honored the human being, regardless of the person's gender, religion or color," added Laraki.

The OIC Secretary-General noted the violations against the Palestinians who are still experiencing the tragedy of a continuous and violent Israeli occupation. "The violent aggression against the Al-Aqsa mosque (Islam's third holy shrine) and the building of more settlements, all constitute blatant violations of the 4th Geneva convention of 1949 on the protection of civilians in times of war," added Laraki.

"The killing, destruction and terror to which the Muslim people of Chechnya are subjected in broad daylight, while the world turns a deaf ear and a blind eye, constitute another flagrant violation of individual human rights," stressed Laraki.

Laraki reiterated his call for an end to the Russian aggression upon such a small people.

The OIC Secretary-General announced that the OIC is working to realize dialogue between civilizations, slated for the year 2001, MAP reported.

Previous Stories:
  Islamic banks in Thailand expand   (3/22/2000)
  Saudi authorities say pilgrimage season was epidemic-free   (3/18/2000)
  Changing al-Kaaba cloth   (3/16/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search