The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emphasized the centrality of the cause of Palestine and affirmed Islamic identity of Al Quds against any attempts for judaizing the occupied Jerusalem and the holy shrine, the OIC official website said. 

During the 13th Islamic Summit titled ‘Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace’ in Istanbul on Friday, they reaffirmed its principled support for the right of the Palestinians to regain their inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the territory occupied since June 1967, with Al Quds Sharif as its capital. 

The communique reaffirmed the need for the early convening of an International Peace Conference to set mechanisms to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 including East Jerusalem, in implementation of the relevant UN Resolutions and the Arab peace initiative. 

They strongly condemned all acts of terrorism and violent extremism who continue to seek to destabilize the countries and the region and emphasized that such heinous acts of criminality negate the well-known Islamic values of moderation and the protection of the sanctity of human life. 

The Conference encouraged all Member States to promote inter-faith and inter-religious dialogues within the OIC Member States to raise awareness about religious interpretations and beliefs, and open space for further discussion about Islam and faith and to initiate relevant projects at the level of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. 

They encouraged all Member States to work with the media to promote the understanding of responsible use of freedom of speech, to hold the media accountable for perpetuating hate speech and extremism, and to speed up the implementation of the OIC Media Strategy in Countering Islamophobia.

The communique further expressed deep concern over the serious humanitarian situation prevailing in Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, West and Central Africa, Myanmar and in other countries in the Islamic world due to various complex humanitarian situations that undermine decades of socioeconomic development efforts. 

They decided to convene the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in the Islamic Republic of the Gambia at a date to be determined in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat.

Source : MENA