JEDDAH: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), yesterday ruled out normalization of relations with Israel before the Jewish state meets the peace requirements.
“The OIC has adopted the Arab peace initiative, which is based on the principle of land for peace, return of Palestinian rights and endorsement of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine,” the OIC chief said in an interview with Tunisia’s Al-Sabah newspaper.
Ihsanoglu backed the two-state proposal and hoped Israel would accept it. “The Israeli government should stop building new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories to prove its good intentions,” he told the newspaper.
Referring to the speech of US President Barack Obama from Cairo addressing the Arab Muslim world, Ihsanoglu said it showed the president’s strong desire to open a new chapter in relations with the Islamic world. “We should deal with it positively,” he said.
He praised Saudi Arabia for its tremendous support to the OIC, which groups 57 Muslim countries. He noted the results of the extraordinary Islamic summit in Makkah called by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in 2005.
Ihsanoglu called upon Muslim states to work for achieving greater economic, social and technological development. “Islamic countries have made considerable progress during the past 50 years. Three of them — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Indonesia — have become members of G-20 countries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the OIC has launched a major media campaign to mark its 40th anniversary. “This campaign is aimed at highlighting OIC’s political and professional strength and effectiveness,” said Atta Al-Mannan, assistant secretary-general for cultural affairs.
The media campaign titled “40 Years of Solidarity” sheds light on OIC’s efforts to protect human rights, especially the rights of Palestinians. The OIC has produced a documentary to highlight its history and achievements.
“We’ll organize a number of cultural, educational and sports activities in member countries to create a good impression about the organization, especially among the youth,” Al-Mannan said. Two major events will be held in Jeddah and New York on Sept. 25 to mark the anniversary.
