Azerbaijan, Baku, April 22 / corr. Trend U.Sadigova/
The Secretary General of the Organization Of The Islamic Conference, Mr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoghlu interview with Trend Middle East Desk.
Question: On Summit of the Alliance of Civilizations in Istanbul was called to the beginning of a dialogue between Muslim and Western communities. How do you estimate the West-Muslim relations today? What steps should be taken to begin the dialogue the parties?
Answer: The Summit of Alliance of civilization was the latest initiative to ensure the prevalence of establishing good relations between Islam and the West. The OIC was the vanguard in this domain. In 1999 a resolution sponsored by the OIC and adopted by the UN General Assembly, called for a dialogue among civilizations as a counterpart to the theory of "clash of civilizations" predicted by a section of Western intelligentia. The AoC is an important tributary to the momentum generated by the calls of dialogue of civilizations. It is also a promising initiative as it benefit from a direct support of the United Nations.
The main thrust of the AoC is to put an end to the state of latent and entrenched alienation and estrangement between Islam and the West. The effort of AoC in this regard is still at a preliminary stage. The OIC has undertaken a host of initiative to deal with this alienation with the leading European organizations and constitutions. Much more efforts are still needed to clarify the atmosphere between Islam and the West. The OIC and the Alliance of Civilizations are working hard on key sectors to bring about a real reconciliation. Moreover, the OIC is constantly calling for a "historic reconciliation" between Islam and Christianity as a possible strong factor that might alleviate the acrimony still plaguing the relations between the two universal faiths.
Question: The latest military actions in the Gaza Strip have forced many Islamic countries, including Turkey, to reconsider their positions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What measures should be taken by the Muslim world to advance the settlement of the conflict?
Answer: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a very complex issue, resulted from foreign occupation of the Palestine, and the continued Israeli aggression aiming at denying the inalienable rights of the Palestinians as well as uprooting them from their ancestral lands.
This matter is discussed by many fora, and the OIC "raison d'etre" was and still is extending all kinds of help and support to the Palestinian people to reclaim its usurped rights, including genuine self-determination.
The Muslim world is championing the Palestinian cause and the OIC is exerting efforts and adopting resolutions underlining this support, as well as working with an array of international bodies to assist the Palestinian people to recover their rights.
Question: Despite the ongoing chaos in Iraq, there is observed the stabilization inside the national government, but the security issue is still unresolved. How can the Arab and Muslim countries help to improve the situation in Iraq?
Answer: The law and order situation in Iraq is improving steadily despite the fact that pockets of resistance and violence are still claiming lives. The OIC has played a primordial role in stemming the sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiites Iraqi on the basis of religion. The OIC has managed to bring a lasting reconciliation between the two sides in a meeting of Iraqi religious leaders held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah on 19-20 October 2006. A document signed by all Iraqi religious factions called "OIC Makkah Al-Mukarramah Document", had a wide-spread effect to stem sectarian violence in Iraq.
The OIC has opened an Office in Baghdad to deal directly with the Iraqi officials in a bid to develop and enhance the coordination of the efforts pertaining to mutual cooperation, in all domains.
We believe that the Muslim and Arab world have a historic and urgent duty to help the Iraqi Government to re-establish its authority, and regain the independence and sovereignty of Iraq from the foreign forces.
It is also incumbent upon the Muslim and Arab worlds to help in safeguarding Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity by variance means.
Question: This year Baku was elected the capital of Islamic culture. Except is rich culture and history, Azerbaijan in the East and West is an example of religious and national tolerance. What's the role of Azerbaijan in current political and social life of the Muslim countries?
Answer: Baku was elected as the capital of Islamic culture due to its rich cultural history and its illustrious thinkers, poets and philosophers. After emerging from the Soviet era, Azerbaijan is called upon to play an effective role in reviving the rich Islamic culture, to which Azerbaijan contributed. It is expected that Azerbaijan along with its Muslim neighbors in Central Asia, would contribute to disseminate ample information about the rich legacy of the region of Central Asia, and its everlasting contribution to Islamic civilization as well as to world's civilization.
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]
