Exclusive: Resolution by the “Islamic Conference relating to Greek Thrace”

The text below is a resolution adapted by the intergovermental organization “Islamic Conference” in relation to the Greek region of Thrace and the Muslim minority there.

The link with the other resolutions could be found in : http://www.oic-oci.org/english/conf/is/10/10%20IS-MM-E.htm#RESOLUTION%20NO.3/10-MM%20(IS

RESOLUTIONS ON MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AND MINORITIES
 

ADOPTED BY THE 10TH SESSION OF THE ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE

(SESSION OF KNOWLEDGE AND MORALITY FOR THE PROGRESS OF UMMAH)

PUTRAJAYA – MALAYSIA

20-21 SHAABAN 1424H (16-17 OCTOBER 2003)

  

Resolution No. 1/10-MM (IS)

on Safeguarding the Rights of Muslim Communities and Minorities in non-OIC Member States.

Resolution No. 2/10-MM (IS)

on Question of Muslims in Southern Philippines.

Resolution No. 3/10-MM (IS)

on the Situation of the Muslim Minority in Western Thrace in Greece.

Resolution No. 4/10-MM (IS)

on the Muslim Minority in Myanmar

Resolution No. 5/10-MM (IS)

on Changing the Term “Minorities“ Used to Describe Muslims in Non-Member States.  (Referred to the 10th Islamic Summit from the 30th ICFM, for consideration and decision).

RESOLUTION NO. 1/10-MM (IS)

ON SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS OF MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AND MINORITIES IN NON-OIC MEMBER STATES
 

            The Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 20-21 Shaaban 1424H (16-17 October 2003),

            Recalling that Muslim communities and minorities living in Non-OIC Member States account for over one third of the Islamic Ummah;

            Recalling also the principles and objectives of the OIC Charter, the Resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit Conferences, Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers and international covenants, declarations and agreements, particularly those calling for observance of human rights in the political, social, cultural, economic and religious fields;

            Further recalling UN General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief;

            Reaffirming its commitment to Muslim communities and minorities living in Non-

OIC Member States and expressing its concern at the forms of intolerance towards some of these communities and minorities in particular in the western hemisphere;

                       

Condemning the persecution and violations committed against Muslim communities and minorities in a number of non-OIC Member States;

           

    Having considered the Report submitted by the Secretary General on the situation of Muslim Communities and minorities (Document No. IS/10-2003/MM/D.1):

1.         Commends the efforts made by the Secretary-General for the implementation of the resolutions adopted on the Islamic Communities and Minorities in Non-Member States, and URGES the Contact Group, composed of the Permanent Missions of Member States to the United Nations in New York and Geneva to follow-up cases of violation of the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-Member States and report thereon to the General Secretariat.

2.         Affirms that the preservation of the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States is, essentially, a responsibility of the governments of these states based on commitment to the principles of International Law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

3.         Emphasizes the need for action to enable Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States to preserve their religious and cultural identity, enjoy equal treatment in terms of rights, obligations and duties, and have access to all their civil and religious rights without discrimination or segregation.

4.         Invites the General Secretariat to continue to receive representatives of Muslim Communities and Minorities in non-OIC Member States and to meet them whenever possible with a view to closely monitoring the conditions of the Muslim communities and minorities they represent. These activities, however, should be carried out within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of their home states.

5.         Calls Upon Member States and OIC Subsidiary, Specialized and Affiliated Institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) as well as Islamic non-governmental organisations, bodies and institutions, to continue to provide the General Secretariat with available updated information, studies and statistics on the condition of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States so that the department of Muslim Minorities can create a database enabling it to fulfill  the tasks entrusted to it in this respect.

6.         Urges Member States to pay special attention to Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States who are subjected to persecution or oppression because of their religious beliefs and to determine their needs and communicate them to Member States so as to provide the necessary material, human, and financial capabilities, and also to intensify Islamic cultural and educational activities as well as multifarious humanitarian assistance to these Muslim communities and minorities.

7.         Urges Member States to coordinate efforts to train able workers who can perform Islamic Dawa missions among Muslim communities and minorities in various countries of the world. These workers should include qualified women. A series of integrated educational books on Islam, its rites and principles should be prepared in the form of simplified publications or audio-visual material to be carefully translated to the languages of the countries where these Muslim communities and minorities live.

8.         Requests the General Secretariat to make contacts with the governments of the states that have Muslim communities and minorities in order to identify their problems and needs and elicit the view of these States on ways to develop a cooperation formula with the OIC aimed at making the required contributions for improving the conditions of these Muslim communities and minorities and preserving their religious and cultural identity, while giving priority to contacts with governments of non-OIC Member States in which Muslim communities and minorities are facing pressing problems.

9.         Expresses grave concern over the killing of Muslims in the Indian State of Gujarat in anti-Muslim violence, urges the Government of India to take necessary measures to protect the lives and properties of Muslim Minorities in India, and to ascertain that no such acts take place in the future, urges Member States as well as Islamic and international organizations to extend humanitarian assistance to the victims of such acts of violence.

10. Invites the General Secretariat to follow up the activities of the relevant organizations and international forums so as to keep abreast of developments on the situation of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States, and to submit reports thereon to the ministerial conferences.

11.       Reaffirms the commitment of Member States to respect the rights of non-Muslim communities and minorities living in their territories, in accordance with the tolerant teachings of Islam.

12.       Denounces the vilifications made by some circles in non-OIC Member States concerning the ill-treatment of non-Muslim communities and minorities in OIC Member States (in the name of religious freedoms and so on) as well as the allegations that the latter adopt procedures and measures and enact domestic laws in contradiction with the UN Charter and the principles of international law, with a view to using these allegations as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of these Member States.

13.  Invites the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the follow-up to the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on considering the Muslim Minority and Community Affairs in non-OIC Member States, to establish coordination between them in international quarters concerning the conditions of these minorities and communities in non-OIC Member States.

14.       Approves the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-Member States adopted during its previous meetings; calls on Member States and the General Secretariat to implement them, and invites this Group of Experts to continue its work on a regular basis.

15.       Invites the General Secretariat to hold the symposium which had been recommended by the Intergovernmental Group of Experts to be held at the United Nations Office in Geneva on Questions of Muslim Minorities in Non-OIC Member Countries, provided that the Symposium is preceded by proper preparation, particularly in determining the themes of the Symposium and the level of participants so as to achieve the desired objectives.

16.       Highly Appreciates and takes note of the recommendations of the first conference of Muslim Minorities in Africa held in Accra, Republic of Ghana from 20-22 January 2003.

17.       Invites the Non-Governmental Experts Group of the Committee on the Coordination of Joint Islamic Action entrusted with devising a Plan of Action to Safeguard the rights of Muslim Communities and Minorities in non-OIC Member States, composed of eminent Muslim figures to meet and finalize the setting up of a comprehensive plan to safeguard the identities of Muslim Communities and Minorities in non-Member States.

18.       Invites the General Secretariat to continue to hold regular meetings and extended conferences of Muslim Community and Minority affairs in non-OIC Member States in various parts of the world, preferably in a Muslim minority country, once preparations and planning have been done for these meetings. The General Secretariat may refer to the Intergovernmental Group on Muslim Minorities and Communities regarding anything it may require to hold these symposia in the best conditions.

19.       Requests the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and to submit a report thereon to the Eleventh Session of the Islamic Summit Conference.

RESOLUTION NO.3/10-MM (IS)

ON THE SITUATION OF THE TURKISH MUSLIM MINORITY IN WESTERN THRACE IN GREECE

                               

                

        The Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Knowledge of Morality for the Progress of Ummah) held in Putrajaya, Malaysia from 20-21 Shaaban 1424 H (16-17 October 2003),

Reaffirming its commitment to Muslim communities and minorities living in non-OIC Member States;

        Realizing that the Muslims in Greece, in general, and the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace in particular are an integral part of the Muslim World;

        Recalling the principles and objectives of the OIC Charter, the Resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit Conferences, Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers and international conventions, declarations and agreements, calling for observance of human rights, namely political, social, cultural and economic rights and freedom of worship, and most particularly the Lausanne Treaty which calls for observance of the right of the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace to use their Turkish language and practice their religious rites as well as to the free election of their representatives in all matters;

        Further recalling UN General Assembly Declaration on Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief;

        Deploring the continuing violation of the fundamental freedoms of Muslim Minorities in Greece and the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace;

        Realizing that the basic rights of freedoms of the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace are defined and protected by multilateral and bilateral Treaties and Agreements to which Greece is a party;

         Having considered the report of the Secretary General on the situation of the Muslim Minority in Western Thrace in Greece (Document No. IS/10-2003/MM/D.3);

1.         Condemns the juridical harassment aimed at the elected Mufti of Xanthi, Mr. Mehmet Emin Aga, and his sentencing to imprisonment.

2.         Demands that the steps for the election of the administration board of the Waqfs be taken to enable a better administration of the Waqfs which will promote the religious and educational activities.

3.         Urges Greece to take all measures to restore the rights of the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace and urgently recognize the elected Muftis of Xanthi and Komotini as the official Muftis.

4.         Requests the Secretary General to monitor the situation of the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace and to report to the Eleventh Session of Islamic Summit Conference.

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