Mecca Declaration condemns terrorism in all forms

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   Mecca Declaration condemns terrorism in all forms

SARAJEVO,
December 8 � The Third Extraordinary Summit of the Organization
of Islamic Conference (OIC) resulted in adoption of the Mecca
Declaration, which condemns terrorism in the world in all its forms and
manifestations, regarding it as a global problem that is not linked
with any religion, race or country, Bosnian President Sulejman
Tihic told the Federal News Agency. 

He said that the Declaration binds the Islamic countries to fight
terrorism decisively and to establish the International Antiterrorist
Centre. 

Participants of the Summit rejected the theories on terrorism being
linked with one religion only, and raised serious concerns over the
growth of Islamphobia throughout the world, as a type of racism and
discrimination. 

Tihic said that much of the talks focused on solidarity among the
Muslim countries, primarily in view of supporting economic and social
development. 

�The Declaration calls for openness of Islam to the world and others
for the purpose of promoting better understanding�, he declared. 

Apart from participating in the Summit and meeting with Saudi Arabia�s
King, Tihic also held a series of meetings with the presidents of
Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, prime ministers of Malaysia, Palestine and Gabon,
the Turkish Parliament Speaker and representatives of the Islamic
Development Bank. 

�In these talks I always accented the significance of advancing the
economic cooperation, and with regard to the Islamic Development Bank
and Malaysian officials, our talks focused on building corridor 5C�,
Tihic tells Fena. 

Bosnian President and the Iraqi President talked about establishing
diplomatic relations, which will soon be conducted at the UN.

Terrorists have neither faith nor nation

SARAJEVO,
December 8 � In address to the Extraordinary Summit of the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Mecca, Bosnian President Sulejman Tihic once again rejected the claims that the 1992-1995
conflict in Bosnia was a religious war, based on intolerance and inability
of coexistence of different religions and cultures. 

�We have always claimed that it was a conflict of two ways of life and
organizations of society. One, based on dominance, totalitarianism,
intolerance and denying everything that is different. The other, which
preaches equitability of all people, tolerance, multiethnic and
multi-religious society, in which diversity is a richness and an
advantage�, Tihic said. 

Bosnia is the place where the East and West, different cultures and the
four greatest monotheistic religions meet in the most direct and
intensive way, he added. 

For hundreds of years, Bosniaks-Muslims, Orthodox Serbs, Catholics,
Jews and many other national and religious minorities have lived
together, mainly in peace and tolerance. In mainly all cities, mosques,
Catholic and Orthodox churches, and in some places synagogues, have
stood side by side for centuries. The occasional conflicts throughout
the history were results of world wars, regional conflicts, or
interventions from the neighboring countries, he stressed. 

�Bosniaks, as an autochthonous European Muslim nation that has been
practicing Islam for approx. six centuries, after the withdrawal of the
Ottoman Empire, were often exposed to attacks, assimilation and
persecution, including genocide, which was shockingly repeated ten
times. The latest genocide happened in the period between 1992 and
1995, when Bosnia was subject of aggression with the aim of dividing the
country.. Approx. 10 percent of the Bosniak population were killed,
i.e. approx. 80 percent of victims of the past war�, said Tihic. 

Speaking about the present, Tihic said, �Together with the other Bosnian
peoples, we are building a state in which everybody will be equitable,
regardless of ethnical and religious origin. We are on a good path to
fulfill the conditions for BiH�s membership in NATO and the EU.
Democracy, human rights, freedoms, European standards, membership in
Euro-Atlantic structures are the guarantees of lasting peace,
prosperity and survival of our people with their tradition, culture and
faith�, Sulejman Tihic said. 

In his message to participants of the Summit, Tihic stressed that they
as both Muslims and statesmen must reject the innuendos in which Islam
is linked with terrorism, and Muslims, especially after September 11
2001, are mentioned in context of allegations on conflict of
civilizations and inability of coexistence of different religions. 

�Our response should be seen in intensifying cooperation and contacts
with the entire world. This is the best way for breaking prejudices. We
must not fall into the trap of certain circles in the Muslim world,
which constantly criticize the West and, a priori, discard everything
that comes from this part of the world. 

In spite of the critics of the West for failing to prevent the
suffering and genocide against the Bosnian Muslims, the West
nevertheless helped. 

�They stopped the war. They are supporting recovery and development of
the country, as well as refugee return. And regardless of different
opinions about the United States of America in the Muslim world, if it
was not for their engagement, military intervention, and later on their
help, the situation in our country would have been worse and even more
difficult. The United States prevented the genocide that happened in
Srebrenica from being repeated in other parts of Bosnia�, underlined
Sulejman Tihic. 

He decisively rejected all accusations by which Islamic is linked with
terrorism, stating that terrorists have neither faith nor nation and
that they are nothing but criminals. 

�However, we must not only condemn terrorist attacks and fight
terrorists, but we must also work on removing the causes of this
phenomenon. 

Terrorism is amoral and unproductive. It is amoral because it brings
innocent casualties. It is unproductive because it does not resolve,
but only complicate problems. We in Bosnia have managed to defend
ourselves and survive without falling into the trap of terrorism as a
method of battle. We were successful because we stuck by our faith and
tradition. We have never abandoned our moral values and accepted the
methods of our enemies, which, unfortunately, is done by others�, Tihic
said. 

A special strength can be created with faith and science, and the rich
and developed Muslim countries should help the poor and underdeveloped
areas. 

Tihic called on establishing funds for science, education and development, and rotting out illiteracy. 

We should also work on our inner unity, especially on enhancing OIC as
a strong force and factor in the world, as well as in the relations
among the Muslim countries. 

In conclusion, Tihic once again expressed gratitude for all the help
the states and peoples of the OIC had provided in Bosnia, especially in
her most difficult days when Bosniaks were threatened by genocide. 