Islamic conference calls for an end to Palestinians' suffering, settlement of India-Pakistan dispute
Regional, Religion, 5/25/2002

Participants at the 14th Islamic Conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Thursday called on Islamic governments and organizations and international bodies to confront all attempts of genocide against the striving Palestinian people and the flagrant attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities in the Palestinian territories.

Such attacks contradict with the UN Charter and international agreements which safeguard peoples under occupation.

The final communique called on all world powers and the UN to take all measures to protect the Palestinian people.

The communiqu asserted support for the Palestinian Intifada in facing the Israeli aggression, pointing out that the Intifada is a legitimate right of the Palestinians. "It is a right to self-defence and self-determination," the communique added.

The conference recommended the following:

Scientific, intellectual, cultural and media institutions inside and outside Islamic countries promptly undertake to highlight the sound definition of Islam and its teachings, and to project its reality in the sense that propagtess Da'waa, reinforces its evidence and refutes suspicions of relevance, with particular emphasis on the following facts:

Islam's persistence in necessarily integrating spiritual and materialistic aspects of human life.

Islam's paying homage to man in his capacity as Allah's viceroy in the process of populating the universe regardless of his race, colour or creed. This tribute is applicable to man alive or dead.

Islam exclusively is basked in regarding plurality, diversity and disparity in terms of denomination, Sharia, language, colour, and race as among, divine laws of Allah that are infallibly not subject to change of substitution.

Islam exclusively demonstrates affirmative freedom of faith and indisputably underscores non-compulsion as far as fundamental element validating the Muslim's belief.

Islam's acknowledgement, ever since its rise, of basic human rights, be they religious, political, social or economic.

The conference, thus, appeals to Islamic nations, to remain committed, in their effectuation of human rights, to Islamic stipulations.

Assertion that the Da'waa (call to Islam according to Quran's wording, is substantiated in wisdom, benevolent preaching and peaceful dialogue.

Islam's adoption of the principle of equality between Muslims and non-Muslims in rights and duties in tandem with the rule of (they have what we have, and are obligated the same as we are) besides the enforcement of non-Muslims' respective laws governing their religions and demonstrations as regards personal status affair.

The Conference solicits non-Muslim countries to empower Muslim minorities to exercise rights and duties articulated in international charter and to give effect to their Islamic regulations concerning matters of personal status in a manner that is not in contrast with the State public order.

The Conference stresses that international legality that determines the right of all peoples in occupied territories to have recourse to all means and ways to liberate their lands, decide their fate and regain their independence.

Further, this legality exhorts the international community to ensure providing material and moral support for national liberation movements.

The Conference rejects all attempts aimed at equating terrorism with people's legitimate rights to self-determination and struggle to liberate their land.

The Conference hopes that all causes leading to disagreement among certain Arab states will be eliminated in a bid to enhancing the Islamic Ummah's spiritual and material capabilities before the challenges confronting them.

The Conference reaffirms Islam's established stances that dialogue is the basis for relations between countries, peoples, civilizations and religions in order to consecrate the pillars of security, stability and peace.

Hence, the conference rejects all claims to deploy the conflict of civilizations as a campaign against Islam and Muslims.

The conference urges countries, peoples, scientists and intellectuals worldwide to cooperate, coordinate and endeavour to reactivate the principles and bases endorsed by international legitimacy and to be applied by all countries without exception.

The Conference reiterates its statement declared in the 13th General Conference of the Supreme council for Islamic Affairs on the Palestinian issue in terms of support of the Palestinian Intifada in face of aggression.

The participants asserted that the Intifada is but legitimate right to self-defence and self-determination, and called upon Islamic peoples to extend every possible support to the Intifada until cessation of aggression and achievement of the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establishing their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The participants urged Islamic governments and Islamic international organizations to resist all attempts of genocide and displacement perpetrated against the Palestinian people, as well as flagrant violations committed against Islamic and Christian sanctities in the occupied Palestinian territories in contravention of UN Charter of people under occupation.

They called upon all active players in the world as well as the UN to seek without delay appropriate ways and means to protect the unarmed Palestinian people from such threats.

The conference recommended the establishment of a satellite channel transmitted in English language in order to clarify facts about Islam.

The conference urged India and Pakistan to settle differences between them through dialogue in order to serve peace, stability and security in the region.

The Conference called for reviewing all information published about Islam and Muslims in schoolbooks and other education means.

The Conference asserted the need to increase seminars between Muslims and Non-Muslims so that each party would present its ideas and views.

The Conference asserted the need to protect Islamic values and traditions against globalization.

As for the repeated Israeli attacks on the Palestinians, Twegri said they are carried out within the framework of the expansionist Zionist policy which neither respects international laws nor humanitarian values and defies the entire world.

Israel's practices against the unarmed Palestinian people are considered state terrorism and war crimes, he said, asserting the need to punish the perpetrators.

He rejected accusations of terrorism against Islam, saying it is a religion of peace and tolerance.

All world nations have terrorist movements and extremists and none of these peoples was ever accused of terrorism, he said. Those who are trying to link Islam with terrorism are only trying to mar the true image of such great religion, he emphasized.

He praised the topic of the 14th Islamic conference which tackles the reality of Islam in a changeable world, saying this is one of the most important issues that discusses the relationship between Muslims and the world today.

The Cairo Declaration of the 14th Islamic Conference, which wound up in Cairo Thursday, called for the need to confront the blatant injustice aimed against Islam and Muslims by adopting an objective stand to determine and indicate the reality of Islam in this changing world.

"This could be done through Islam's fundamental and infallible texts as well as its sound teachings recognized by the world at large over fourteen centuries," the declaration added.

In fact, all this prompted the civilizational edifice established by Muslims in which they contributed over long centuries in enriching human civilization.

"Moreover, their contribution, in particular, to Western civilization in the Middle Age through Andalusia, is evident in history and have enabled Europe to step out of the Middle Age to the threshold of the modern age," the declaration said.

"Hopes are pinned on Ulema and men of letters to undertake their responsibility in enlightening the members of the nation with regard to the reality of Islam and meanwhile to double unfailing efforts to put right the blurred image of Islam and the unfair counter propaganda of relevance outside the Islamic world," the declaration added.

"In fact, misconception about Islam and its civilization at the world level is largely attributed to ignorance of Islam, as a creed and its teachings," the Declaration said.

The Cairo Declaration said familiarity of peoples, civilization and religions and their closer acquaintance definitely provides clearer vision about one another, thus doing away with pre-judgment and false impression each party entertains in relations to the other.

The declaration, as it reaffirms calls for dialogue and understanding among people's Islam similarly refutes intercivilization conflict allegation, because civilizations are not in clash, but rather interact and integrate, taking from each other and complementing one another, being the offspring of peoples' process of giving and the harvest of historic events which all peoples usually share in making.

"The world is in need of the civilization of Muslims who constitute one fifth of its population. Muslims, in turn, are in need of world civilization.

Isolation is no longer a recommended option, actually it has become impossible to materialize in the world of today," the declaration said.

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