Pan-islamic body called to preserve Islamic world identity, cultural unity

Participants to a conference, held in Rabat on Friday to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), called on the pan-Islamic body to preserve the Islamic world identity and cultural unity.

Participants emphasized OIC's responsibilities related to different challenges which the Islamic world needs to face up, and which have become even more crucial after the 9/11 events in the USA.

Muslims must act in a "civilized way" to stymie western attempts aiming at vilifying the Islamic world, labelled "the Western world's unique enemy" after the fall of the communist bloc, according to many Western strategists and decision-makers, said the participants.

They also pointed out to the urgent necessity for the Islamic world to preserve its identity against perverse effects of rampant globalization, adding that immunizing the cultural unity of the Islamic world must figure high on OIC's agenda.

The meeting was sponsored by the Moroccan Culture Department.