Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, expressed his hope today that a working program due to be formulated by Makkah's Third Extraordinary Summit would be "a realistic one and liable for implementation by all member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)."
In an inaugural address at the preparatory meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers, now in progress in Jeddah, Prince Saud said the proposed program is based on discussion of challenges facing the Muslim nation and means of confronting them.
He called for carefully studying the available documents so as to take the required decisions that may contribute to confronting challenges facing the Muslim nation in the 21st century.
He noted that the available documents include the Makkah Declaration which will be presented to the Muslim leaders, prior to its delivery at the Summit, by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal hailed the efforts exerted by OIC's Secretary-General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu for the development of the OIC.
He noted that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz had called for convening the (Makkah) Summit for setting up a comprehensive plan that might tackle the obstacles impeding realization of the aspirations of the Muslim nation.
Prince Saud said the Makkah Declaration tackles the current situation of the Muslim nation and projects its aspirations.
"The Muslim nation is the nation which advocates virtues, values of justice and equality and enhances the pillars of tolerance, and fraternity among the nations and at the same time it fights injustice, aggression and corruption", he elaborated.
Prince Saud said the document of the working program for confronting the challenges facing the Muslim nation in the 21st century is based on the recommendations, visions and ideas of the Muslim scholars and thinkers, earlier discussed at the preparatory meeting of the ambassadors.
The document includes the means that can contribute to tackling the problems facing the Muslims.
"These problems may include the vicious attacks from their enemies, as well as the deviant ideas from some Muslims", he said.
The document underscores the importance of correcting wrong ideas about Islam and advocates dialogue with others in a rational and wise manner.
Prince Saud said: "The document stipulates the development of the performance of the OIC in a manner that enables it perform its mission in a satisfactory way."
The Saudi Foreign Minister pointed out that the working program includes the final communiqu due to be issued by the OIC extraordinary Summit.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, taking into account its historical and religious responsibility, is keen on making the Summit a turning point in the history of the Muslim nation, and it is keen on realizing a genuine Islamic solidarity, and at the same time it hopes that the resolutions to be adopted by the Summit will be characterized by seriousness and credibility."
On his part, OIC's Secretary-General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the preparatory meeting of the Islamic foreign ministers will undertake setting up the Summit's arrangements and working program, as well as preparation of the documents which will be submitted to the Muslim leaders at their Summit on Wednesday.
He highlighted the great efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for convening the Summit.
He hoped that the working plan due to be approved by the Summit would constitute a road map for the joint Islamic work.
He noted that the working plan is the result of the recommendations of the Muslim scholars and thinkers at their meeting earlier held in Makkah at the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
"The draft presented at the preparatory meeting was subject to study by ambassadors of the OIC's accredited members, and so numerous amendments were introduced in the draft", he said.
Prof. Ekmeleddin said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Summit's hosting country, will prepare Makkah Declaration, and it will conduct consultations with other member states before its approval by the Summit.
Shedding light on challenges facing the Muslim nation, he warned against the phenomenon of Islam-phobia, and said this phenomenon has become an obstacle to properly understanding Islam and Muslims.
"We cannot view this phenomenon without linking it with the phenomenon of the international terrorism, which has defamed the Muslims despite the fact that most of the Muslim countries are victims of this phenomenon", he elaborated, adding that these challenges have made King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to invite the Muslim leaders to meet at an extraordinary Summit so as to work collectively for the salvation of the Muslim nation.
He noted that the OIC's General Secretariat will play a crucial role in the implementation of the working program due to be approved by the Summit.
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