Index

RESOLUTIONS ON MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AND MINORITIES

Adopted by the 29th SESSION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE OF FOREIGN MINISTERS

(SESSION OF SOLIDARITY AND DIALOGUE)

KHARTOUM, REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN

14-16 RABIUL THANI 1423H (25-27 JUNE 2002)

RESOLUTION NO. 1/29-MM

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

          The Twenty-ninth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session of Solidarity and Dialogue), held in Khartoum, the Republic of the Sudan from 14-16 Rabiul Thani 1423H (25-27 June 2002),

          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 conventions, 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. ICFM/29-2002/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, as stipulated in Para. 5 of Resolution No. 38/24-P adopted by the Twenty-fourth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.

5.       CALLS UPON Member States and OIC Subsidiary, Specialized and Affiliated Institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Education, Science, and Culture 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 General Secretariat may fulfil 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 cultural and educational Islamic activities as well as various 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.       URGES the Member States to exert efforts with governments of Non-OIC Member States where violations of the rights of Muslim communities and minorities take place to urge them to take necessary and immediate measures to stop these violations and restore conditions to normal order.

10.     EXPRESSES grave concern over the killing of Muslims in the Indian State of Gujrat in anti-Muslim violence and urges the Government of India to take measures to protect lives and properties of the Muslim minority in India.

11.     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 a report thereon to the next meeting of the OIC Intergovernmental Experts Group on considering the conditions of Muslim communities and minorities.

12.     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.

13.     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; and REQUESTS the Intergovernmental Experts Group to pay special attention to this issue in its forthcoming meetings.

14.     CALLS ON the Intergovernmental Experts Group on Following up the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and the Intergovernmental Experts Group on considering the Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States, to establish coordination between them in the future with a view to conducting a comprehensive survey of the conditions of these   Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States, and taking the necessary measures in international forums to help these communities and minorities to safeguard their rights.

15.     APPROVES the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Experts Group on Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-member States adopted during its Seventh meeting (Document No. GEMM-7/2002/REP.1-FINAL); 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.

16.     INVITES the Non-Governmental Experts Group of the committee on the Coordination of Joint Islamic Action entrusted with following up the implementation of the Plan of Action to Safeguard the Rights of Muslim Communities and Minorities in non-OIC Member States, composed of eminent Muslim personalities to continue its meetings, and upon invitation from the Secretary General to hold expanded conferences on Muslim minority affairs in order to define the best means of solving their problems and the challenges they face. The aim is also to help these minorities safeguard their Muslim identity. These meetings are to be held in the home states of Muslim communities and minorities.

17. REQUESTS the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and to submit a report thereon to the Thirtieth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.