By IINA,
Kuwait City : Addressing the Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), which kicked off here yesterday, several leaders and heads of State voiced concern over the current food scarcity and steep price hike of essential goods across the world. Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa said that development was a humanitarian act and practiced as part of the Islamic economic values. “Such forums are a practical response to the wave of allegations against Muslims and prove that the values of this religion push for the development of people and civilizations,” he said. Sheikh Khalifa was speaking at the Leadership Panel of the WIEF, entitled “Islamic Countries in a Competitive World.” The panel was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
Sheikh Khalifa called for benefiting from such events in making Muslim countries present in the world of development, especially as this was a world that respected large economic blocks. Al-Khalifa pointed out that the Islamic world was able to prove itself by participating in global development in a fast-changing world that required increasing cooperation among countries. Many challenges need to be countered, he said, including poverty, ignorance, and diseases. Economic and political reform in Islamic countries should not stop and should ensure effective participation in development, he stressed.
The Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said that the government of Kuwait attached great importance to education, adding that no country could develop without providing care for the coming generations. In an open discussion session following the Leadership Panel on “Islamic Countries in a Competitive World,” held as part of the Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum, he lauded the role of the Arab League’s educational organizations in the development of education and learning in the Arab world.
On a different note, Sheikh Nasser expressed his pride at the diversity of natural resources in Muslim states, noting that Kazakhstan sat on the second largest uranium resource in the world. He also said that wealth and poverty in Muslim countries was linked to the availability of natural resources, pointing out that rich countries tried to assist impoverished ones so that they may stand on their own feet.
Jordan’s King Abdallah II said Tuesday that the Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) was one that would discuss important issues that affected the Muslim world. Speaking at the inauguration of the forum, he said that this was not an ordinary international meeting, and that the efforts that were exerted were aimed at achieving economic goals, including development, growth, and creating opportunities for youth.
He added that in order to create economic opportunities, sustainable development had to be achieved in order to face financial and oil shocks, among others. He also said that a large percentage of the population in Muslim countries were youth, which was resource that needed to be utilized and invested in., saying that it was unfortunate that 70,000 Arab university graduates were leaving their countries every year. He stressed the need for forging alliances among Muslim countries so that they may face the challenges that they encountered.
On his part, President of the Senegal Abdoulaye Wade said the high-level representation at the forum reflected the importance of the topics that would be discussed. He said African countries suffered from the hike in oil prices and basic products, adding that despite lack of sufficient resources, Senegal succeeded in raising the rate of its economic growth and subsidized foodstuff to alleviate the suffering of its people. Wade noted the establishment of the Poverty Fund, saying that despite the $15 billion he had called for, only $2.6 billion had so far been pledged.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said this forum was an opportunity to exchange views over means to encourage trade and investment among Muslim countries. He noted the power of youth, but said that the greatest problem at present was the education of women, unemployment, shortage in food resources and internal conflicts, as well as the negative image with which the rest of the world looked at Muslim states. He called for focusing on education and training, as well as countering extremism, which he said was preventing the advancement of the Muslim world.
As for President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr Haris Silajdzic, he said that the world of globalization required tolerance and mutual respect, adding that what was needed was co-existence and peace. He said his country was an example of multi-culturalism, saying that during the war, the civil image of Islam was displayed because the Bosnian people were killed and an attempt was made to distort their identity, but they did not retaliate and maintained a positive example of tolerance. On economy, he said his country’s economy was growing and that it had the water and energy resources that it hoped to exploit in the future, welcoming friends and brother to invest in his country. He noted that Bosnia would soon be signing an important agreement with the European Union.
The Prime Minister of Ivory Coast Guillaume Soro expressed his admiration as to the WIEF preparations, describing them as excellent. He said the event was an opportunity to hold dialogue among Islamic countries which faced extraordinary challenges. Islamic countries are mature and able to resolve their problems single-handedly, he said. He thanked all the countries that financially supported Ivory Coast to reach peace, stressing that the peace process should be supported and that it would be unfortunate if it stopped because of lack of financial resources. Soro said his people suffered from the shortage in food and high living costs. He emphasized that Islam called for cooperating and supporting others, adding that trade exchange could contribute to combating poverty. He called for coordinating efforts towards advancement and providing better conditions for the Islamic societies.