The growing phenomenon of dangerous extremist groups is on the high agenda of issues to be discussed during the upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of member states in Jeddah, asserted Ambassador Tariq Bakhit, director of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) political department.

Bakhit announced in a statement that the General Secretariat of the OIC is mobilizing its agencies and departments to address the threat posed by extremist groups who have hijacked Islam and are committing crimes in the name of religion.

The current crisis of female students abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria has brought the peril of extremist groups to the forefront of international concern in the past days.

The OIC is cooperating with its subsidiary organ the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and its Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to address the grave issue.

Bakhit emphasized the OIC’s solidarity with the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the crisis of the abducted girls, adding that the organization supports efforts undertaken by Nigeria at the internal, regional and international levels to end the crisis. He also expressed the organization’s sympathy with the families of the abducted girls.

He also underlined the OIC Secretary General’s strong condemnation of the kidnapping of innocent students, who described it as a “criminal act and contrary to Islamic values, which calls for tolerance, moderation and non-violence.”