MUSLIM WORLD

Organization of Islamic Conference

Documents on Status of Muslim Communities

I-22nd Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Casablanca (10-12 December, 1994): Recommendations on Muslim Communities in Non-Members States -Excerpts

Urges Member States to pay due attention to the problems faced by the Islamic communities and minorities living in Non-OIC Member States, to play an effective role in protecting them, and to do their utmost to induce the countries where they live to recognize their right to full citizenship, grant them all their civil and religious rights and treat them equitably in accordance with the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms stipulated in international conventions and treaties.

Requests the Secretary General to make contacts with the Member States having communities of their nationals living in Non-Member States to become acquainted with their experiences and efforts to preserve their identity and authentic heritage.

Calls upon the OIC member States to carry out individual and collective contacts with Governments of Non-OIC Member States concerned so as to ensure the safety and integrity for the values and rights of the Non-OIC Member States concerned so as to ensure the safety and integrity for the values and rights of the Muslim communities and minorities and further calls upon the OIC Member States to consult among  themselves about action to be taken in cases of violation, aggression and occupation against Muslim communities and minorities.

Appreciates the Secretary General's recent statements which highlighted the anxiety and concern of the Islamic Ummah over the desecration of Islamic Holy Places and requests the Secretary General to continue his efforts aimed at protecting the heritage and sacred values of Islam in non-Member States.

Requests the Secretary General to continue to monitor the developments concerning the situation of the Muslim communities and minorities in various non-OIC Member States, to contact the governments of States with Islamic minorities and communities and to cooperate with Islamic associations and institutions, as well as with international organisations, for implementation adopted in this regard.

II - General on Muslim Member State, 1994

Practice religious fanaticism vis-a-vis Islam and Muslims. Indeed, ever since the partition of the Indian sub-continent into two States: Pakistan and India in 1947, the Indian Muslims have been living under difficult conditions and facing increasing threats and aggression, for reasons that are absolutely unfounded. There emerged on the Indian political scene an extremist Hindu trend adopted by fundamentalist Hindu Organisations and parties. These parties launched a vehement campaign of hostility against Muslims by focusing on a fallacious claim that the historical Al-Babari Mosque, which is a symbol of the religious culture of Muslims in India, as well as over three thousand other mosques in India, were built on the sites that witnessed the genesis of Hindu gods.

On 6 December 1992, hundreds of thousands of Hindu extremists in the city of Ayodhya in the province of Uttar Pradesh, assailed the historical Babari Mosque, demolished it and set up on its ruins a temple to worship their god Ram, with the support of the local government of Uttar Pradesh which was then in the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and due to the failure of the Central Government to take any measures to protect the mosque from the attacks of the extremist Hindus, though the time and place of the attack were both known in advance. After the destruction of the mosque, there were violent clashes which resulted in the devastation of the houses of thousands of Muslims many of whom were killed. Since then the life and property of Muslims, as and political rights, are well as their religious jeopardized.

The Indian Government which unfortunately took no effective measure to honour its responsibilities towards the Indian Muslims, laid the blame at the doorstep of the Bharatiya Janata Party in this respect, dismissed the local government of Uttar Pradesh, banned the activities of three Hindu and two Muslim organisations, and declared its intention to rebuild the mosque. However, it did not commit itself concerning the location of the proposed new mosque, whereas it allowed Hindus to perform their worship at the makeshift temple that was erected on the site of the demolished mosque. Such a state of affairs does not give any guarantees to the Indian Muslims, nor would it be conducive for return to normalcy.

In an official statement issued on 7 December, 1992, the OIC Secretary General strongly condemned the demolition of the Al-Babari Mosque and urged the Indian Government to promptly adopt adequate measures for the protection of the life and property of Muslims, and the preservation of their religious and cultural rights. And on the basis of a recommendation from the Secretary General, the enlarged meeting of the Sixth Islamic Summit Bureau and the Chairmen of the Standing Committees strongly condemned in its final declaration, issued in Dakar, Republic of Senegal on 11 January, 1993 the acts of destruction perpetrated by the extremist Hindus against the Al-Babari Mosque which is considered as one of the Islamic time honoured antiquities, and expressed deep regret at the loss of thousands of lives. The Bureau also expressed the Muslims deploration of the fact that the extremist Hindus were allowed to perform their religious practices on the site of the mosque they had demolished.

The Bureau also called upon the Indian Government to adopt every necessary measure to ensure prompt implementation of its commitment to rebuild the mosque, and at its original location. The Bureau further urged the Indian Government to take effective measures to protect the human rights of Muslim in Indian, and particularly their religious and cultural rights, their mosques and other sacred shrines. The Bureau invited the Islamic States to make effective and concerted efforts, both individually and collectively to ensure the protection and preservation of the Islamic Shrines. The Twenty-first Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Karachi, 1993) expressed deep concern over the exactions perpetrated against Muslims in India in the Ministers (Karachi, 1993) expressed deep concern over the exactions perpetrated against Muslims in India in the form of killings and aggressions against their shrines. The Conference also strongly condemned the demolition of the historic Al-Babari Mosque in Ayodhya (India) act the hands of extremist Hindus. The Conference called upon the Indian Government to ensure the reconstitution of the mosque on its original site without delay.

The Indian Government is responsible for the protection of the lives and property of Muslims and the preservation of their mosques in conformity with the stipulations of the Indian Constitution providing guarantee for all minorities to practice their religious rites in freedom and to live in peace.

III - General Recommendations

In order to establish bonds of solidarity and the closeness with these Muslim communities, Secretary General urges the following:

1. To further collect sufficient data on Islamic communities and minorities in each state and region of the world so as to recognize the reality, conditions and needs of every one of them.

2. That the OIC Member States should play an effective role in protecting Muslim communities by exerting official efforts to urge States with Muslim communities to recognize their right of citizenship, and abide, in dealing with them, by the principles of human rights which have been approved by international charters and conventions, to firmly act to stop all forms of aggression against basic freedoms, wealth, property, Islamic traditions and identity of these Muslim communities.

3. Action should be taken to intensify the various cultural, educational and humanitarian activities so as to extend further care aimed at improving the social and religious conditions of Islamic communities and minorities.

4. To pay attention to women culture and preparation of women groups who will perform the task of Islamic Dawah among the women of Islamic communities and minorities.

5. To intensify efforts aimed at issuing simplified Islamic books which contain basic information on Islam, its principles and rites, and translating them into languages understood by these Islamic communities and minorities. This is also one way to Arabize their slamic culture.

6. That action should be expedited for the drawing up of an Islamic plan of action to be adopted by Islamic bodies, members of the OIC Committee on Coordination Islamic Action, to ensure the realization by Muslim communities in all parts of the world of their objectives of dignity and honour as well as of preservation of their faith and its consolidation in the hearts of their future generations.

7. That the necessary material and financial resources should be provided to the Secretary General of the OIC, so that he may be able to continue to play his effective role in protecting Muslim communities in non-Member States from oppression due to their religious beliefs and to enable them also to fully and effectively contribute to the development of their respective communities. The possibility of establishing an OIC Fund, in which the Member States may contribute voluntarily, for the benefit of the Muslims in non-Member States, may be considered.

IV - General Secretariat's Paper on Situation of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Non-OIC Member States, November 1995

In India: where the number some 120 million, accounting for one third of the total world population of Muslim communities and minorities, Muslims are suffering various forms of sufferings, spearheaded by the extremist Hindu bias, adopted by hard line Hindu organizations and religious rites by destroying their worshiping places, particularly those whose construction dates back to many centuries ago such as the historical Babari Mosque, which dates back to the 14th century of the Christian era, and which was demolished on 6 December, 1992. And the Indian Government is still temporizing as to the implementation of the pledge it had taken for reconstruction of the mosque on its original historic site, despite the repeated appeals of the OIC, the international organizations and the Islamic world public opinion. Also, the Islamic minority in the Indian peninsula is facing a new problem stemming from a ruling issued by the Indian Court of appeal for the implementation of standardized civil legislation to all Indian citizens, including Muslims. This ruling gave rise to infuriated responses among Muslims in India. The Indian government needs to be called upon to pay due consideration to the feelings of Muslims, especially as to their religion, their culture, and their civilization, and not to apply this ruling to them.

In the usurped land of Kashmir: The Muslims who form a majority in this Muslim province are facing various forms of aggression and illegal and inhuman practices for no other reason than their claiming their right to self-determination as granted to them by the UN resolutions.

V - Resolution OIC: 23rd Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Conakry, 9-12 December, 1995 On Situation of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Non-Member States

Urges Member States to keep paying due attention to the Muslim communities and minorities living in Non-OIC Member States, to play an effective role in protecting them, and to do their utmost to induce the countries where they live to recognize their right to full citizenship, grant them all their civil and religious rights and treat them equitably in accordance with the principles of human. Rights and fundamental freedoms stipulated in international instruments and treaties.

Calls upon the OIC Member States to carryout individual and collective contacts with Governments of non-OIC Member States concerned so as to ensure the safety, dignity and integrity for the values and rights of the Muslim communities and minorities and further calls upon the OIC Member States to consult among themselves about action to be taken in cases of violation, suppression, aggression and occupation against Muslim communities and minorities.

Decides to form an open-ended Inter-governmental Group of Experts which is to commence work in 1996 to consider the situation of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Non-Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference as well as to consider the problems faced by these communities and minorities so as to find appropriate solutions within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of the States in which they live.

Saudi Arabia: Renovation of the Ka'aba

The Ka'aba the focal point of a billion Muslims worldwide needed renovation as the wooden pillars that supported its roof had decayed over the years.

The "Saudi Gazette", Jeddah, has reported that the three supporting columns and the roof have been completely, rebuilt with sandalwood. The stairs inside the Ka'aba that lead to the roof were also built with marble, along with the sides of the walls up to height of three metres.

The door of the Ka'aba made up of 270 kilos of gold, was not touched. The dimensions of the Ka'aba remain the same. The Bin Laden Group of Saudi Arabia which is one of the largest private construction companies in the world undertook the work. It was also responsible for the expansion of the two Holy Mosques.

The first time the Ka'aba was renovated in 1957 when the late King Saud ordered a new roof to be built and maintenance was carried out on the walls. At the time Holy Haram also underwent an expansion.

Government Statement On International Conference on Afghanistan

The Government of India participated in the International Conference on Afghanistan, sponsored by the UN Secretary General at New York on 18 November, 1996. Other participants were USA, Britain, France, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Japan, Pakistan, Iran Kazakhstan. Kvrevstan. Saudi Arabia. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

In his summation the UN Secretary General emphasised that the message to the Afghan parties was the unanimous conviction that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that an immediate cease-fire and demilitarisation of Kabul should take place. The central role of the UN in peace efforts in Afghanistan was supported by all participants.