MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 — On the final day of the Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) the mood among the delegates was quite upbeat. If body language is any indication, then this summit has been a great success. Everyone who addressed the media or who discussed various issues on the sidelines of conference spoke with confidence and aplomb. When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his comments to the media, happiness was written large on his face. This was also the case with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Even when asked the ubiquitous and tedious question on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden, Musharraf stayed calm. “I know a lot about these people,” he replied, “but I don’t know if Bin Laden is dead or alive.” Throughout the press conference, President Musharraf fielded all queries in a smart, playful manner. At one point while discussing the GDP of Turkey (the highest in the Muslim world) he couldn’t remember the correct figures and actually stopped, looked at the assembled journalists and called out for any Turkish reporter in the room to provide him with the right numbers.
On Wednesday night, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, OIC Secretary-General Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Iyad Madani addressed the press. Their body language was quite positive, indicating that a major breakthrough had been reached at the summit. At one point Ihsanoglu leaned forward for emphasis and said, “I am excited like a child is excited on the first day of Eid.” Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
If there is once person, apart from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who should be credited for the extraordinary success of this extraordinary summit it is this extraordinary OIC secretary-general. King Abdullah acknowledged this in his inaugural address and all through the conference many people reiterated this view. All believe that professor Ihsanoglu made a big difference in helping the delegates come to consensus and steering the OIC states to a positive summit outcome. The secretary-general proved that he is a man of action and has demonstrated his superb administrative skills.
One of Professor Ihsanoglu’s major strengths during the conference is his excellent command of Arabic, spoken with a Syrian accent. This is unusual for a former Turkish diplomat, but as a professor of history he must have been aware that language proficiency is a talent that should not be discounted in international relations. His ability to communicate in Arabic has endeared him to the delegates from the Arab world. All of his addresses during the summit have been in Arabic and he is quite at ease in articulating his views to the OIC’s Arab nations.
There is much to observe both at the conference and after hours. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference in Indian Kashmir, has been prominently meeting numerous diplomats during the summit. He accompanied Musharraf at the president’s press conference. A young, savvy representative of his people, Umar Farooq takes every opportunity to present his point of view. Encountering him during a visit to the Grand Mosque, Umar Farooq stated that he was on his way to perform Umrah. He said that he feels that his people have many expectations of him. He expressed hope that during his Umrah he would receive further inspiration on how to help achieve those expectations and that God would hear his supplications.
While everyone at the summit is pleased with the achievements of the past few days, not all those watching the proceedings are as delighted with the outcome. There is a strong opinion among many journalists that to make a plan for ten years of action is unrealistic. Prominent Pakistani television journalist, Dr. Shahid Masood, host of the ARY television channel’s “Views on News” program, is one who believes that different tactics are needed in our modern fast-paced world. Described by one Arab journalist as the Urdu version of Larry King and Dr. Phil combined, Dr. Masood said that it is impossible to envisage what the Muslim world will be like in five years, let alone ten. “By 2015 how many of these delegates will still be on the scene to review the progress of this last decade?” he asked. “All of this is good on paper, but in real terms the Muslim world needs immediate and concrete action. In ten years time there will be a different set of problems.” One major issue he mentioned that there is nothing binding on the membership to help ensure that the strategic plan will be carried out. The OIC has put out a call to increase its resources, but there is no firm agreement to see that such action takes place.
