By IINA,
Jeddah : The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Muslim world to exert efforts to regain their past glory and stand united in confronting challenges facing them effectively. He also underlined the need for further strengthening the pillars of moderation in Islam and project the true image of Islam, which is a religion of tolerance, compassion and fraternity, and it is nothing to do with radicalism and extremism. The OIC Chief made these remarks in his message addressed to the Islamic Ummah on the advent of the new Hijra Year 1430.
The full text of the message is the following: Our Islamic nation celebrates these days the 1430th new Hijra year. It is a fortunate coincidence that this new Hijra year falls synchronously with the new Gregorian year. On this occasion, I am pleased to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all Muslims in particular and all the people throughout in general. May Allah make the New Year one filled with good fortune, prosperity and blessing for all human beings. We pray to Allah to grant Muslims on this and other similar occasions strength, glory and dignity, especially that our Muslim Ummah possesses the capacity and the natural, human and financial potential, as well as unique spiritual resources, that equip it to overcome the crises it undergoes and the challenges it faces.
The Muslim world is, indeed, in a position to move out of the conditions of frustration, regression and stagnation that cast a pall over it, particularly at the beginning of the 21st century. It can do so by embracing and implementing the principle of solidarity in action, which is the fundamental principle that informed the Makkah Summit in 2005 and the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action. The Islamic Ummah is confronted with conditions that entail efforts to restore its self-confidence and the confidence in the loftiness of its message. It should deploy extensive efforts and try to recover an active and visible presence in the world today. Only by so doing can it contribute to shaping the future by further protecting human rights, developing good governance, reinforcing democratization, prevailing over underdevelopment, and moving down the path of progress and development.
It is by the special grace of Allah that we in the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which will celebrates in the new Hijra year the 40th anniversary of its establishment, will seek to achieve these noble objectives for our great Ummah in collaboration with the Member States. We have been destined to fend for Islam and Muslims, through serious and purposeful dialogue, by facing up to the prejudices orchestrated by some against our religion and against the attempts seeking to distort our values and corrupt our holy places and our fundamental principles. We also ought to strengthen the pillars of moderation in Islam and project the true image of our religion as one founded on the principles of tolerance, compassion and fraternity, and to pull it away from radicalism and extremism.
This also calls on us all to exercise self-examination and objective self-criticism to identify the real causes behind the current situation. We thank Allah that in our Muslim world we have successful models for overcoming the crises and meeting the challenges through collaboration and unity among the members of the Ummah. As we celebrate the advent of both Hijra and Gregorian new years, the importance and the value of dialogue between the adepts of the various religions and the alliance of the followers of the various human civilizations are reconfirmed. The OIC hopes dialogue will continue through a coherent approach and programs with clear-cut goals. We are confident that dialogue will be infused with a new dimension on the international scene as the new U.S. administration headed by Barack Obama moves into place. We do welcome Obama’s show of interest in the issues of the Islamic world. May Allah guide us all to the path of truth and righteousness.