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OIC calls on India to abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir

OIC calls on India to abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir

OIC ‪Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen

OIC ‪Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen

New Delhi: In a big embarrassment for Indian government the OIC has passed a resolution on Monday calling on India to abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir and engage in dialogue to calm the situation in the region.

OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen while addressing   the emergency virtual meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir to review the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir said   “OIC is committed to finding a peaceful settlement for the Jammu and Kashmir issue as per the relevant resolutions of the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers, and the international legitimacy.”

Foreign ministers of the Jammu and Kashmir Contact Group member states: Azerbaijan,  Niger, Pakistan SaudiArabia and  Turkey joined in the virtual   meeting. ‪

‪ “I call on the international community to strengthen its efforts to assist the people of Kashmir to decisively practice their legitimate rights denied for decades.”  OIC Secretary General said.

‪The Contact Group reaffirmed the continued support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called on the UN Secretary General to use his good offices to make India abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions and  engage in dialogue to calm the situation in the region.

The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir issued a statement on the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir region in which it welcomed the efforts made by some member states to calm the situation between India and Pakistan.

OIC calls on India to abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir

OIC: New domicile law a measure to alter demographics of Jammu and Kashmir

OIC ‪Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen

OIC ‪Secretary General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen

New Delhi : The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has criticised India’s new domicile law, calling it a measure to alter the demographics of and undermine the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a release the OIC hailed the law as “baseless”. “The General Secretariat [of OIC] reaffirmed the importance of complying with international law and UN Security Council resolutions, considering the recent notification of ‘Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules 2020’ as baseless, running counter to international law and UN Security Council resolution 122” the release read.

The OIC maintained that it reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It also called on the international community to gear up its efforts to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has enacted the domicile law easing conditions for people to get domicile rights in the disputed region. This comes after New Delhi abrogated the region’s semi-autonomous status, which had allowed the regional government to restrict people of mainland India to have domicile rights there.

Sushma says Muslims in India microcosm of its diversity, not influenced by extremist ideology

Sushma says Muslims in India microcosm of its diversity, not influenced by extremist ideology

Sushma Swaraj at OICAbu Dhabi : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference that Muslims in India were a microcosm of its diversity and very few of them have fallen prey to the poisonous propaganda of radical and extremist ideologies.

Addressing the plenary of the conference as a “Guest of Honour”, a first for India, she referred to India’ strong bonds with several member countries of the OIC including Bangladesh, Maldives and Afghanistan which are in its neighbourhood.

Swaraj expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and others friends for their strong support for hearing India’s voice in this forum.

She also referred to Iran, saying the mutual partnership was vital for stability and prosperity in the region.

The minister said she was honoured to join her colleagues from nations that represent a great religion and ancient civilisations.

She said she was carrying greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 1.3 billion Indians, including more than 185 million Muslim brothers and sisters, and was representative of a land that has been for ages a fountain of knowledge, a beacon of peace, a source of faiths and traditions and home to religions from the world.

“Our Muslims brothers and sisters are a microcosm of the diversity of India. They speak Tamil and Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, Bangla and Bhojpuri or any of the numerous languages of India.

“They have diverse culinary tastes, myriad choices of traditional attire, and they maintain strong cultural and linguistic heritage of the regions they loved and have lived for generations.”

She said Muslims in India practice their respective beliefs and live in harmony with each other and with their non-Muslim brethren.

“It is this appreciation of diversity and co-existence, that has ensured that very few Muslims in India have fallen prey to poisonous propaganda of radical and extremist ideologies.”

She said 2019 was a very special year as OIC is celebrating its Golden Jubilee, United Arab Emirates is celebrating Year of Tolerance and India is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a global symbol of Truth and Non-violence.

“It is, therefore, a matter of pride for me,and for India, to be invited in this special year, to be your Guest of Honour, and to be extended a hand of friendship.”

She expressed her deep appreciation to UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed for his sagacious leadership and for his invitation.

Swaraj said that in the past four years, few relationships have seen as much engagement as India’s relationship with UAE and indeed, with the entire Gulf and West Asia Region. “It is a return of history.”

She said OIC has a key role in shaping the world with countries coming together on the foundation of a common faith as also a shared desire for a better future for their people.

She said India has forged deep bonds of friendship and close partnerships with many members of OIC.

“As India’s economy has grown and become more integrated with the world, these partnerships have become stronger. We have excellent political ties, marked by warmth, respect and goodwill. With many, we have expanding defence and security cooperation.”

“Our economic engagement is robust and growing rapidly. Our digital partnerships are shaping the course of our future. And, our ties have the warm glow of deepening human and cultural links.”

She said countries to India’s east including Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia were important pillars of India’s Act East Policy and ties with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Maldives were forged in shared struggles, warmth and commitment to the security and prosperity of people and the region.

She said in Central Asia, India was rebuilding its relationship along new routes of possibilities.

“We do this, especially with and through Iran, a country, with which we not only share civilizational and cultural links, but a partnership, that is vital for stability and prosperity in our region.”

The minister said India’s solidarity with the aspirations of the Palestinian people has remained unwavering.

She referred to the close partnership with Egypt, India and Iraq standing together in our triumphs and trials and support for Jordan’s efforts “in strengthening the voices of moderation and building bridges of understanding between faiths”.

She said India has been working with countries like Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria with a shared desire for a more inclusive world.

“With Turkey, a nation, with which, we have many strands of connected history, we are imparting new momentum to our ties. Our many friends from Africa are here,” she said.

The minister said the Gulf region was India’s largest market, supplier of energy and source of remittances.

“More than 8 million Indians living in the region, are the 8 million vibrant threads of this partnership,” she said, adding that the relationship has vastly expanded in the past five years.

“It is an indispensable strategic and security partnership, and a natural economic partnership of immense value to our nations and for our shared region,” she said.

—IANS

Istanbul to host SESRIC-IsDB Symposium on Financing for Development today

Istanbul to host SESRIC-IsDB Symposium on Financing for Development today

Istanbul to host SESRIC-IsDB Symposium on Financing for Development todayIstanbul : The Turkish city of Istanbul will host Thursday the International Symposium on Financing for Development, under the theme of “Thinking Innovative Solutions to Persistent Development Challenges”.

The two-day event is being organized by the Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), a subsidiary organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

The symposium will provide a platform for dialogue and discussions among policymakers, policy-advisors, practitioners and academicians to address the problems related to financing for development.

The current 57 member states of the OIC are highly diversified in terms of their level of economic development and many of them require a substantial amount of resources to finance their development.

These countries continue to face persistent development challenges, mainly due lack of adequate resources and ineffective use of existing resources. Meanwhile, there are also a growing number of OIC member states that have been active in supporting development in other developing countries, but their role in development assistance is not properly recognized at global levels.

In order to address the development finance challenges, alternative mechanisms are being voiced across the globe. A particularly strong mechanism that becomes increasingly popular is the Islamic finance instruments in financing for development, which can be instrumental for OIC countries in fostering development when effectively utilized.

In this connection, the symposium aims to identify the opportunities for innovative financing mechanisms, including Islamic finance instruments, as well as effective utilization modalities of existing resources for financing development in developing countries, with a particular focus on OIC member countries. It will also highlight and discuss the growing role of some OIC countries as development financiers and emerging donors in achieving global development goals.

—AB/UNA-OIC

OIC hails UN resolution granting Palestine additional powers in 2019

OIC hails UN resolution granting Palestine additional powers in 2019

OICJeddah : The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s vote in favor of a resolution granting the State of Palestine additional powers to be able to assume the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China in 2019.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the OIC considered the resolution as reflecting a sound international position toward consolidating the status of the State of Palestine and its right to enjoy full UN membership.

OIC Secretary General of the Organization Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen commended the positions of all the countries that voted for Palestine. He said the resolution is a political, moral and humanitarian message from the international community toward supporting the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Meanwhile, the OIC chief called for taking advantage of this historic achievement in mobilizing international efforts for sponsoring a political process leading to the realization of the vision of a two-state solution, based on the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

—AB/UNA-OIC