Tehran, 9-11 December, 1997
The Islamic Summit Conference (Session of Dignity, Dialogue, Participation) held in Tehran, 9-11 December, 1997.
Recalling the resolutions of the OIC on the unified stand against the desecration of Islamic Holy Places, specially Resolution No. 3/6-C(IS) of the Sixth Islamic Summit Conference;
Recalling that the OIC made several appeals to the Indian Government to prevent any violation of the sanctity of the Mosque and emphasised the responsibility of the Government of India for safeguarding the inviolability of the mosque and protecting its building against attacks by Hindu extremists;
Expressing deep concern at acts of vandalism and violence perpetrated by Hindu extremists in India against the Muslim minority aimed at uprooting the Islamic culture and culture in India. ...
(a) Strongly condemns the destruction of the historic Babari Mosque in Ayodhya, India, by Hindu extremists and holds them responsible for this outrageous aet of desecration and sabotage.
(b) Express deep regret over the failure of the Indian authorities to take appropriate measures to protect this important Muslim holy site.
(c) Condemns the continued killing of thousands of innocent Muslims in various parts of India and expresses deep concern over the safety and security of the Muslim minority in India.
(d) Welcomes in this respect, the decision made by the Supreme Court of India on 24 October 1994 that "the settlement of disputes were outside its jurisdiction"
(e) Calls upon the Government of India to:
(i) Ensure the safety and protection of the Muslims and all Islamic Holy sites throughout India in accordance with its responsibilities and obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments.
(ii) Take immediate steps to implement its solemn commitment to reconstruct the Babari Mosque on its original site, to restore it as a holy place for Muslims, and to punish those guilty of the religious symbol of the Islamic world.
(ii) Remove the makeshift Hindu temple, put together on the site of the Babari Mosque which is a continuation of the acts of desecration and an affront to the feelings of the Muslims in India and all parts of the Muslim world.
(iv) Take immediate steps to ensure the protection of about 3,000 other mosques especially those at Mathura and Varanasi, which have been the targets of threats and destruction attempts by Hindu extremists.
2. Requests the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and submit a report thereon to the Ninth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference.
WAC Intercongress on the Destruction and Conservation of Cultural Property Brac (Croatia), 3-7 May, 1998
The Plenary Session of this Intercongress of WAC recognises WAC's commitment to the preservation of the cultural heritage and supports its uncompromising opposition to the infusion of racial, religious or national chauvinistic claims into archaeology. It also unreservedly condemns any use and manipulation of archaeological evidence to justify the destruction of, or damage to, historical, archaeological and sacred structures carried out in order to further such claims or in consequence thereof.
This Intercongress of WAC specifically condemns the demolition of the Babari mosque at Ayodhya in India and appeals to all governments to protect the cultural heritage and sacred sites against vandalism and deplores the failure to do so wherever such failures occur.
This conference condemns the use of archaeology to promote ethnic, religious and political conflict and calls on archaeologists world-wide to respect the full complexity of their country's history in the conservation of all aspects of cultural heritage.
