IN THE NAME OF GOD

THE MOST COMPASSIONATE THE MOST MERCIFUL

Praise be to God and blessings and peace be upon His Prophet,

Your Majesties, Highnesses and Excellencies,

Leaders of the Islamic Countries,

Your Excellency The Secretary-General

of the Islamic Conference Organization,

Your Excellency The Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Your Excellency the Secretary-General of the Arab League,

Your Excellencies, Members of the Delegations

And Honourable Guests,

Dear Brothers,

 In the Name of Allah and with His blessing, I declare the opening of the 9th Islamic Summit Conference. I would like, at the outset, to greet and welcome you in your country and amidst your people and brothers. I would also like to thank my brother His Excellency President Sayed Mohammad Khatami, President of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran, for his good efforts during his Chairmanship of the previous session of our Organization in the last three years.

  Our conference is held under exceptional circumstances that are clear to us all, and amidst grave events through which our Islamic nation is passing. The size of dangers and challenges facing this nation and threatening its interests and future is great.

 I do not mean here the political aspect of these challenges only, but also all the other basic aspects of our life. We as Muslims are faced at present with drastic challenges at all spheres, in our identity, heritage, creed and values as well as civilizationally, scientifically, technologically and economically. We have no alternative but to face these challenges and overcome them.

 Frankly speaking, this task will not be easy at all. It is no longer admissible to speak only about glories of the past and weep over its relics, because time does not stop. The wheel of history turns on in a world of a fast tempo and changes, that does not bear rigidity and does not have mercy on those who accept it. Therefore we have no other choice but to work to accomplish a comprehensive renaissance that secures for our peoples and societies opportunities of progress and development, and opens for our Muslim nation as a whole horizons of contribution in building our contemporary world so that we become an active party and effective partner in this world.

This, undoubtedly, requires from us a lot of self criticism and rethinking, and calls for further consistent hard work.

 Brothers,

 You undoubtedly share with me the view that the circumstances under which this summit meeting is held are almost similar to those that were the reason for creating the Organization of Islamic Conference more than thirty years ago.

 The sanctity of the Islamic and Christian sacred places in Palestine is being defiled; hundreds of Palestinians are being killed, in addition to thousands who are being injured and wounded in the blessed Aqsa Intifada for no reason other than demanding their right to life, existence and national sovereignty, all of which have been established by heavenly laws and international conventions. Is it not strange that at a time when various international organizations and active forces in the world are raising the slogans of human rights, freedom, security and stability, the Palestinian people alone are denied these rights that are enjoyed by most peoples of the world?

 That is why I say unequivocally that we all have a great responsibility towards these proud people who have shown their steadfastness, adamant determination and strong mettle in facing up to the hard daily pressures to which they are exposed.

 The least we can do is to come up from this meeting with a practical strategy that contributes effectively to restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. This way and only this way can we be true to the Almighty God and to the expectations of our peoples who consider the question of Al-Quds Ash-Sharif on top of their sacred issues.

  We have also to reaffirm to the entire world our unweaving position that there can be no settlement to the Middle East conflict except through the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied territories in Palestine, the Golan Heights and Lebanon, as well as its implementation of all U.N. resolutions and its abiding by the principles of international legality. Israel can neither remain outside the framework of this legality, nor continue to fail to implement its binding resolutions and conventions.

 Peace cannot be realized under continued occupation. It will certainly not be achieved under the continued judaization attempts, provocative acts, threats and desecration of our sacred places. Israel has to choose between the prospect of living in peace and security in this region or the dragging on of this conflict for decades and generations, with all the resulting catastrophes and tragedies for all countries of the region and their peoples.

 This firm and unwavering position on the Palestinian issue and Holy Al-Quds is required of us now more than ever before. We have confirmed it at the emergency Arab Summit that was lately held in Cairo. We are also looking forward to arrive at firm, clear practicable resolutions in which we also stress on the firmness and unity of our position as Arabs and Muslims.

 In this respect, too, we feel it is necessary to put an end to the harsh suffering that has afflicted the brotherly people of Iraq as a result of the sanctions imposed upon them since the invasion of Kuwait a decade ago. Dear Kuwait has been liberated; it regained its sovereignty, its legality and well-being. But the crisis is still looming before us, and is continuing to cast its heavy shadows on the security and stability of this region, and the Arab and Muslim unity of position and solidarity. We have therefore to do our best to put an end to this crisis through a political settlement for it in accordance with the relevant international resolutions and respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the parties concerned.

 What applies to this crisis should also apply to other crises and calamities faced by our Muslim peoples in several regions of the world, whether here in our region or in the Horn of Africa, West Africa and Central Africa. The same situation is there now in the Caucasians, Central Asia and the Far East, and even in some parts of Europe. In all these parts, we saw how these strives managed to increase the sufferings of Muslims, dissipate their resources and energies and prevent them from realizing their hopes.

 In this respect, I am happy to welcome my brother His Excellency the President of the brotherly Republic of Somalia, President Abdi Gassem Slad Hassan, after a long absence of his dear country. We look forward to the day when we also see sisterly Afghanistan regaining its well-being and its natural place among us..

 Before this situation that reflects some aspects of the reality of our Islamic world, there arises the significance of choosing the subject matter of this summit. Peace and development are two objective conditions for the formulation, within our Islamic world, of positive relations that turn it into an active community which competently contributes to the building of contemporary human civilization and influences it. For that to be realized, it is helpful to say that there are still many obstacles which hinder the fulfillment of our hopes in peace and aspirations to development.

  We are among those who believe that there can be no real development without peace and no real peace can be established unless it is based on justice, equity, mutual respect and common interests. Of course, such desired peace means settlement of conflicts, elimination of their causes, dealing with their roots and eradication of their impacts and repercussions.

 Before we speak about the necessity of achieving that at the international level, we have first to work for establishing the grounds of peace in dealings amongst ourselves. It is no longer permissible for us as Muslims to go on wasting our energies and disrupting our ranks in civil, racial or ideological conflicts amongst ourselves, and regional crises, as we are enjoined by the Almighty in the Holy Verse: “Obey God and His Messenger; and do not dispute, then you fail and your might is lost. Be patient, then God is on the side of those who are patient.” And as in the Holy words of the Quran “Help one another to piety and God-fearing; do not help each other to sin and enmity.”

 As theology has basics and branches, politics, too, has the same requirements. Let us unite on the basics, and excuse one another for that on which we disagree in the branches as long as we are guided by sincerity and dedication to the basics and fundamental principles.

 On this basis, we all have to accept the principle of settling any dispute or conflict between Islamic states through dialogue, negotiations, mediation or international arbitration, away from the use, or threat of use, of force.

 As you are aware, brothers, the 5th Islamic Summit held in Kuwait in January 1987 endorsed the proposal to establish the International Islamic Court of Justice to settle disputes that may arise between members of the Organization of Islamic Conference. Though this Court will be the judicial organ of the OIC, and its jurisdiction in hearing the disputes is based on the principle of non-binding power, i.e. it is necessary to have the consent of the countries concerned to refer the dispute to it, the number of countries that have ratified the statute of the Court has not exceeded nine countries till now, which is by far less than the number required for the Court to be established and carry out its authorities. I think it is time to activate the procedures of creating this court by ratifying its statute, and amending the Third Article of the Charter, which makes the Court the fourth principal organ of the Organization, and thus provide the Islamic countries with the proper legal mechanism for the settlement of their disputes in such manner as to prevent their escalation and help achieve peace and stability in the relations of the OIC member states.

 There is no doubt that the realization of security, the establishing of peace and consolidation of stability in relations between countries of the islamic nation are the basic pillars that will open for us vistas of cooperation and solidarity and contribute to boosting the potentials of progress and fields of economic, social, cultural and other aspects of development for which we are in dire need.

 Brothers,

 Before dealing with the question of development, which is the second element in the motto of “Peace and Development” under which this conference is held, I would like to deal with an issue I deem basic not only in the field of national action in each country but also in the sphere of our collective action under the shelter of this Organization of which we are proud, that is the promotion of popular participation and widening its scope.

 Undoubtedly, you agree with me that the principle of “Shura” and the practice by the people of their political rights should strengthen the role and effectiveness of regional and international organizations and blocs. The European Parliament and the big role it plays in the European Union is perhaps the best example for this. Such bodies that represent the popular will in the member states and conduct the aspirations and hopes of the citizens as they are the most concerned with the resolutions issued by those organizations, and the prime beneficiary of their activities, are indispensable for pushing forward and boosting the march of joint action in those organizations and bodies, and making it part of the daily life.

 Gentlemen,

 Development, which is the objective of all of us, must be accomplished through boosting all means of growth and modernization in the structure of our economies and the adoption of the principle of competition. This requires all our countries to reach a high degree of performance, increase of productivity, assimilation of technology, training of manpower, reduction of public expenditure and the consideration of economic return an important factor in production. We have no choice but to endeavour to increase our share in international economy and world trade, and raise the per capita income of our citizens. Hence, it is inevitable for us to coordinate our joint capabilities by proceeding to establish the Islamic Common Market.

 The creation of the Islamic Common Market is an important step on which a resolution was passed in the 8th Islamic Summit in Tehran in 1997, in which the member states, institutions and experts were entrusted with the study of the issue. We have enough natural resources and wealth that make us capable of establishing an integrated economic system through which to arrive at the realization of a comprehensive economic cycle among the islamic countries which, in turn, achieves the required integration and becomes a vital, major part and an effective and active partner in the international economic and financial system as a whole.

 We have begun by concluding agreements of preferential trade among our countries. The existing organs within our organization, such as COMCEC, the Islamic Centre for the Promotion of Trade, The Islamic Development Bank, The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other joint institutions, have to work for establishing the required effective mechanism that has the necessary powers for a gradual and planned foundation of this common market. The first step in this direction could be the creation of a free zone. Such a step would activate the signed accords, reduce the bureaucratic red tape and create a framework for the desired cooperation.

 Gentlemen,

 We meet here representing more than 55 countries, with more than a billion inhabitants, and areas extending to comprise about half the lands of the earth and have a great cultural heritage. Can we say that the influence and effectiveness of this nation and its position in the map of the contemporary world is proportionate to the size, weight and importance assumed for it? I do not think that anyone of us will reply in the affirmative.

 This is what, in my belief, requires that we work in the first place for restoring the unity of our purpose and arrive, as already mentioned, at drawing joint strategies in the political, economic, social, cultural and scientific fields. It also requires the readiness to embark on reforming and modernizing our societies to ensure for our peoples the necessary ability and competence to face the challenges and requirements of the age.

 We should not fear globalization. We should rather prepare ourselves to face it and deal with it so as to become partners in it, contributing to its formulation, benefiting from its positive outcome and be able at the same time to avert its negative sides.

 Our success in achieving this will change the balance of power in the world and bring to light the bright civilizational countenance of Islam, which has been falsely associated with backwardness, rigidity and fanaticism. It is the duty of our scholars, writers and media to counter these biased allegations, and rectify the wrong image resulting from them. I think that the media organs of the Organization, on top of which is the Permanent Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs and the Islamic Conference for Ministers of Information, have basic tasks which they have to execute in this respect.

 After all, we have to be frank, my brothers, so as to face our problems and handle their causes and roots, and thus be able to overcome them. We also have to be united in solidarity, and help and stand by each other in justice and truth, because it is our duty before God and history.

 We pray to the Almighty God to bestow success on us and guide us along the path of virtue and make of our meeting here a union of bliss and blessing for our countries and the peoples of our nation.

 “Our Lord, give us mercy from Thee, and furnish us with rectitude in our affairs.”

 May the peace and blessing of God be upon you.