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ABDUL WAHID OSMAN BELAL
--- On Wed, 7/10/09, OIC News <news@oic-oci.org> wrote:
From: OIC News <news@oic-oci.org>
Subject: OIC Newsletter 39 (2009)
To:
Date: Wednesday, 7 October, 2009, 18:00
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| | | | | | Issue 39 (07 October 2009) | | | | In this issue | | · OIC Secretary General condemns the gravest spate of attacks against Al-Aqsa Mosque · Ihsanoglu meets French Minister of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO Director General-Elect · OIC Chief dispatches humanitarian mission to Indonesia · OIC commits to sensitizing support to OISA corporate bodies · Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs receives Charge d’Affaires of Mozambique · Ihsanoglu and Clinton discuss bilateral relations and cooperation in Washington DC · Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor’s and Moody's assign (AAA) to IDB $1.5 Billion Sukuk Program | | 
| | OIC In Brief | | The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the nterests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. |
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| | | | For Inquiry | | Dr. Isam Salim Shanti
Director & Coordinator of Media Affairs
Editor in chief of OIC Journal Tel/Fax: +966-2-6839421
Tel: +966-2-6900001 x.308
Cell: +966-551177670 Email: ishanti@oic-oci.org Maha Mostafa Akeel
Managing editor of OIC Journal
Editor of OIC Newsletter Tel: +966-2-6900001 x.508
Cell: +966-503007533 Email: maha@oic-oci.org | | |
| | | | OIC Secretary General condemns the gravest spate of attacks against Al-Aqsa Mosque | | The Secretary General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, vigorously condemned the escalation of Israeli aggressions against Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also denounced the imposition of a security cordon on the Mosque and the rising calls launched by Jewish extremist groups to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to hold Talmudic rituals. Ihsanoglu also condemned the continued Israeli attacks on Jerusalemites, wounding many in the confrontations around Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli authorities have also recently apprehended and banished Sheikh Raed Salah from Al-Quds city for a month. The Secretary General pointedly said that the actions conducted by Israeli occupation forces embody the most direful spate of attacks targeting so far Al-Aqsa Mosque. He warned that the attacks seek to lay control over the Mosque and turn its compound into a venue for Jewish religious rites as a prelude to the construction of the alleged Temple Mount . The Secretary General called on the Muslim Ummah [nation] to exert through the international community all possible forms of pressure on Israel to put an end to the attacks that could bear grievous ramifications in the event Islamic sanctuaries continue to suffer arbitrary aggressions and Muslim feelings are continually provoked. Ihsanoglu called for international pressures to be exerted on Israel so that it refrains from committing violations against the occupied Palestinian territories, especially Al-Quds al-Sharif, and coerce it into compliance with the provisions of international law and the Geneva Conventions. | | | | Ihsanoglu meets French Minister of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO Director General-Elect OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu met on October 5, 2009 with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Bernard Kouchner at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Diplomatic Adviser to the French President Jean-David Levitte at the Elysée palace. He discussed with them important regional issues of concern to the OIC and France including ways and means to support the legitimate government in Somalia and the current situation in Guinea . They also discussed modes of cooperation in the social and economic fields. The Secretary General and his counterparts also elaborated on issues related to the agenda of the UN Human Rights Council and bilateral relations between the OIC and France and mechanisms of consultation and cooperation between the OIC General Secretariat and France. While in Paris , Ihsanoglu held a meeting with the OIC Ambassadorial Group in the UNESCO. The Secretary General is expected to address the 35th session of the General Conference of UNESCO on October 7, 2009. It is also anticipated that he would have a bilateral meeting with UNESCO Director General-Elect, Irina Bokova on 6 October to discuss with her mutual relations between the OIC and the UNESCO and issues of cooperation. After his visit to Paris , Ihsanoglu will head for Geneva to meet the OIC Ambassadorial Group at the UN Human Rights Council and host a reception on the occasion of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the OIC. | | OIC Chief dispatches humanitarian mission to Indonesia | | | | | | The Secretary General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, dispatched a humanitarian mission to West Sumatra Province , Indonesia , to assess first hand the situation in the wake of the earthquake that rocked the coastal city of Padang on September 30, 2009. The quake left a heavy death toll and wreaked widespread damage. The OIC mission will inspect the conditions of affected Padang residents. It will also take stock of the scope of the disaster and put together a report on the findings. The mission will subsequently submit the report to the OIC Secretary General , who will in turn present it to the OIC Member States in the lead up to the OIC's articulation of a far-reaching strategy for disaster relief and the best ways of handling the catastrophic situation caused by the earthquake in Indonesia . The Secretary General appealed earlier to all OIC Member States , as well as Islamic relief and charity organizations to provide all possible assistance to Indonesia , and offer aid and relief to affected people in these difficult times. He called upon the OIC Member States to take a laudable stance similar to the one they held in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami and assist Indonesia in overcoming the current humanitarian plight. | | | | | | | | OIC commits to sensitizing support to OISA corporate bodies | | The Secretary-General of OIC, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has hailed the current plans to rejuvenate the activities of the Organisation of the Islamic Ship-owners Association. In a message to the joint meeting of the 31st Executive Committee and 23rd General Assembly of the Organisation, which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 4-6 October 2009, Professor Ihsanoglu expressed that the activities of OISA, as a Private Sector establishment, have the potentials of supporting the on-going efforts at upgrading economic cooperation among member-states of the OIC. Similarly, the OIC expressed its commitment to sensitize member-states of the OIC on the need to increase the capacity of three corporate bodies of OISA, namely: Bakkah Shipping Company (BASCO), the Islamic Protection and Indemnity Club (IPIC), and the Cooperative Information System (CIS) and to ensure that their potentials for economic integration are fully utilized. | | | | | | | | Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs receives Charge d’Affaires of Mozambique The OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Abdallah A. Alem, received on October 4, 2009 at the General Secretariat on behalf of the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Mozambique in Cairo , Egypt , Jose Antonio Nhalungo, whose Mission is also concurrently accredited to the Saudi Arabia and the OIC. During the meeting, the Charge d’Affaires briefed on the latest political developments in his country and invited the OIC to send observers to the general elections scheduled for the end October 2009 in Mozambique . The two sides also reviewed OIC-Mozambique bilateral relations. | | | | | | | | | Ihsanoglu and Clinton discuss bilateral relations and cooperation in Washington DC 
| OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu met on October 1, 2009 with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Department of State in Washington DC . The discussion focused on issues of mutual interests, bilateral relations between the US and the OIC, and the appointment of new US special envoy to the OIC. The Secretary General started the discussion by welcoming the historic speech of President Barrack Obama, which he delivered in Cairo early this year, and reconfirmed the OIC role as a partner with the United States based on mutual interest and mutual respect. He stressed to Clinton that the OIC is the sole voice of the Muslim World based on its representation of a 57 Muslim countries and Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries, or 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, making it the 2nd largest organization after the United Nations. The Secretary General also exchanged views with the Secretary of State over the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, Somalia , Afghanistan , Iraq , Bosnia , and the role played by the OIC with regard to the issue of Muslim minorities in China . He asked that the United States support the OIC position vis-à-vis the Muslims in China . Ihsanoglu also stressed to Clinton the need for a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian - Israeli conflict. For her part, the Secretary of State welcomed the visit of the OIC Secretary General to Washington DC and emphasized the importance of building a partnership between the OIC and the United States based on mutual interests and mutual respect in the framework of the new US vision and approach towards the Muslim World, which was declared by President Obama. Clinton hailed the leadership of Ihsanoglu, and praised the OIC's role in Somalia and Afghanistan and agreed with Ihsanoglu's view that a comprehensive solution for the Afghanistan question is needed. She also praised the OIC position and support of Kosovo. Clinton expressed satisfaction over the OIC - US cooperation on eradicating Polio worldwide and stressed for continued cooperation in this regard and in other areas. She also praised the OIC's clear position against global terrorism and hailed the statement of the Secretary General with regard to the new OIC's vision of modernization and moderation. She expressed satisfaction over the adoption of a joint US-OIC resolution concerning the freedom of expression at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva . This resolution was jointly drafted by the American and Egyptian delegations. Both Ihsanoglu and Clinton concluded the meeting, which lasted nearly one hour, by agreeing to conduct further discussions over the means and ways for more cooperation and coordination. The Secretary General concluded his visit to Washington DC with a lecture he delivered at the Middle East Institute. He talked about the new vision and role the OIC is playing at the international arena and the importance of having one voice speaking on behalf of the 1.5 billion Muslims. He made a brief account of the recent development realized by the OIC General Secretariat and its specialized and affiliated bodies. Earlier, the Secretary General delivered different speeches at several American think tanks in Washington DC - the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Brooking Institution, Georgetown University , and Rumi Forum. The speeches focused on two topics "The Road Ahead: Strategies for Improving US-Islamic Relations," and "Obama's Outreach to the Muslim World: Opportunities and Obstacles." The Secretary General stated that in order to build better relations between the United States and the Muslim World both parties should be able to bring to the fore the root causes of doubts and suspicions that negatively prevent having a sound relationship and changing the negative perceptions in both the Muslim World and the United States towards each other. He argued that although historically the US has never been a colonial power, this state of affairs underwent a dramatic change in the middle of the 20th century when the US pursued its political interests in the Muslim World to the detriment of Muslim causes. Ihsanoglu added that recent times have witnessed further deteriorations in the bilateral relationship as a result of the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan . In addition, the Secretary General mentioned that one of the principal reasons for the disenchantment of the Muslim World with the US is the latter's partisan policy on the Palestinian Question in favor of Israel , and that the US has not been an honest broker on the issue of peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He stressed that the Palestinian people have suffered from indignity and injustice over the last sixty years, in large part due to the unlimited support given to Israel by the US , though in total defiance of international law and international humanitarian law. Ihsanoglu reiterated his position about the new US administration and said that new positive trends arising from the Obama administration must be encouraged and sustained, and that there is a unique opportunity for a better relationship and more cooperation between the Muslim World and the United States . He added that both Muslims and Americans should work diligently to enhance and strengthen the relations between the two sides and to establish a lasting and cordial relationship between Muslims and the United States . The Secretary General stressed the importance of Obama's message emphasizing that the US is not at war with Islam and Muslims. The Secretary General admitted, however, that the relationship between the United States and the Muslim World are at critical crossroad. | | 
Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor’s and Moody's assign (AAA) to IDB $1.5 Billion Sukuk Program The main three international rating agencies, FitchRatings, Standard & Poor’s and Moody's assigned the highest credit ratings to the Islamic Development Bank $1.5 Billion Sukuk program. In this connection, Fitch Ratings released on September 21, 2009 its rating of AAA to IDB $1.5 Billion MTN program and $850 million Sukuk issue. Also, Moody's Investors Services issued its rating on August 26, 2009 assigning (Aaa) with a stable outlook to the IDB Trust Services Limited Trust Certificate Issuance Program. Moody's noted in its statement that the rating of the certificates was in line with the (Aaa) long-term foreign currency rating of IDB Ordinary Capital Resources. It added that: “The capital base of the Bank is strong, the Bank’s useable equity – paid-in capital plus reserves – exceeds its total operational assets and equity investment, and the Bank risk assets coverage ratios generally compare favorably with other MDB’s”. It added that “Although the weighted average sovereign credit quality of the IDB’s 56 member countries is lower than other Aaa rated MDB’s, IDB members are strongly committed to the organization”. In the same vein, Standard & Poor's affirmed its AAA senior unsecured debt rating on the increased $1.5 billion Islamic trust certificate issuance program of IDB.
In Brief | - A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on October 1, 2009 between the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Dakar-based African Regional Centre of Technology (ARCT). The MoU provides for the implementation of joint programs and activities, devising science and technology strategies and policies, developing human resources and promoting science and technology in ISESCO African member states.
- The Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) in conjunction with COMSATS Institute for Information Technology will be holding an International thematic workshop on "Advances in Bioinoculant/Biopesticide Production, Formulation and Application" to share the results and streamlining the future research on production and bioformulation of Biopesticide/Bioinoculant. The workshop will be held in Islamabad on October 20-22, 2009. This workshop's objective is to provide a platform for researchers from universities and research institutes of OIC countries to share their knowledge and develop collaborative research programs.
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| | | | Calendar of Meetings | - Oct. 5-8: Workshop on Manufacturing Coffee – Kampala , Uganda .
- Oct. 9-12: Regional Training Program for Cadres Working in the African Member Chambers – Kampala , Uganda .
- Oct. 11-16: 12th Trade Fair of Islamic Countries (OIC-EXPO 2009) – Cairo , Egypt .
- Oct. 11-16: Exhibition on Cotton and Textiles – Cairo , Egypt .
- Oct. 11-15: The Workshop for the Arab Countries on Tourism Statistics - Damascus , Syria .
- Oct. 13-15: 6th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers: “Cultural Tourism: Safeguarding Heritage and Promoting Cultural Communication Between Peoples” – Baku , Azerbaijan .
- Oct. 13-16: 1st International Multidisciplinary Women’s Congress - Izmir , Turkey .
- Oct. 15-17: The International Investment Forum of Turkmenistan – Ashgabat , Turkmenistan .
- Oct. 20-22: International Thematic Workshop on "Advances in Bioinoculant/Biopesticide Production, Formulation and Application" – Istanbul , Turkey .
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