Speech by the Saudi Foreign Minister (at the Foreign Ministers Conference in Jeddah)

 Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim
Praise be to Allah the Almighty.
Prayer and peace be upon the Prophet
Highnesses,
Excellencies,
Heads of delegation,
Delegates,
Secretary-General,

Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

I have the pleasure to welcome you in your hospitable and holy land, the land of the Qibla, our destination, divine revelation, which fostered brotherhood among us.

I would also like to commend His Excellency Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference for his efforts to promote the Organization at this difficult moment of the Ummah's history. I would also like to laud him for his wit and wisdom, which, I believe, will help boost the role and standing of the Organization on the international scene. This is no wonder since he is the son of a great nation with a glorious history of service to Islam and Muslims.

Distinguished brothers,

Conscious of the major challenges facing the Muslim Ummah and the serious threats to the pillars of its civilization as well as its religious and cultural tenets, and of attempts to foment disunity within the Ummah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz, in consultation with the Chair of the Islamic Summit, has called on his brothers, leaders of Muslim countries, to convene an extraordinary summit conference in Makkah Al Mukarramah, the land of divine revelation and Muslim affection, in order to draw up an action plan to overcome the obstacles preventing the Ummah from achieving its aspirations and from promoting the spirit of tolerance and dialogue among nations and civilizations.

In an unprecedented attempt to promote joint Islamic action, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, proposed that a forum of eminent Muslim scholars and intellectuals be held to consider the Ummah's condition, come up with views and ideas ahead of the meeting of Muslim leaders, and propose the best way to overcome the various challenges facing the Ummah.

Based on the ideas and views that emanated from the Makkah Al Mukarramah forum of scholars and intellectuals, collated by the General Secretariat, after adding the observations of OIC member States, a ten-year programme of action was drawn up. The programme of action outlines the major intellectual, cultural, political, economic, scientific and developmental challenges facing the Muslim world, as well as a practical way of addressing them so that the programme could be implemented by all OIC Member States.

Distinguished brothers,

Indeed, you appreciate that we are shouldering a heavy responsibility and that we have very limited time to carry out our task. Since I look forward to your understanding and cooperation, as well as your willingness to facilitate our proceedings, I would like to propose the following work plan:

I- I would like to recall that the upcoming Islamic Summit, which Muslims the world over are looking forward to, is an extraordinary summit in the full sense of the word. It is convened by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to consider a specific issue i.e. the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah, and to draw up a remedial programme of action. Consequently, we should defer all other issues to the next ordinary meetings instead of being distracted from the extraordinary character of this historic summit.

II- We are expected to consider the documents before us and draft them in such a way that our leaders could adopt resolutions to meet the challenges facing the Ummah in the twenty-first century.

III- The most important document to be submitted to the leaders is the "Draft Makkah Al Mukarramah Declaration". You are therefore required to consider it before it is submitted to the Summit by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Draft Makkah Al Mukarramah Declaration depicts a general picture of our Ummah's condition and aspirations i.e. an Ummah that promotes virtue, prevents vice, upholds justice, ensures equality, fosters tolerance, understanding and brotherhood among peoples, fights against injustice and corruption.

IV- This is followed by the “Ten-Year Programme of Action” on how to meet the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah in the twenty-first century. The Programme is primarily based on the recommendations, views and ideas of the scholars and intellectuals as well as on the observations of Member States. It was also discussed by the ambassadors at a meeting held in preparation for this meeting. The programme spells out ways and means of countering the current smear campaign against Islam not only by non-Muslim conspirators but even by some Muslims harbouring deviant ideas. The other issues covered in the document are the means to achieve Islamic solidarity and advancement of Muslims; how to solve their problems and achieve cooperation among them in areas that contribute to their progress; and how to correct the image of Islam and defend its principles through dialogue, wisdom and good counsel. The document also contains the ways and means of restructuring the Islamic Fiqh Academy for it to become the highest juristic reference for the peoples of our Ummah, illuminate the way for them and erase our state of indecision which are the results of multiple references and differences of religious rulings. Added to all these is the introduction of necessary development in the structure of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and its mode of operation in such a way as to enable it to discharge its desired role.

Certainly all of you share the view on the necessity and importance of exerting the utmost efforts to submit this document to our leaders in a distinctive form that takes into consideration meticulousness and brevity, expresses credibility, seriousness and objectivity as well as focuses only on subjects that are directly relevant. For this purpose the General Secretariat and the Chair have reformulated this all-encompassing document which has been prepared by the meeting of the ambassadors in a succinct and more objective form, which, in our view, does not prejudice its content. The document has been submitted to the African, Asian and Arab Groups. It is now put before you for discussion. We have to note that the work methodology necessitates, according the directive of the Summit, that no document may be submitted before being fully discussed and pending only its adoption by the Summit.

V- There is the Final Communique which will be adopted by the Conference. It includes thorough review of the proceedings of the Conference, its conclusions and resolutions, including proposed political issues. The General Secretariat has prepared the draft of this communiqué, therefore, it is necessary to constitute a committee to draft the communiqué so that it may be considered and adopted before the conclusion of our meetings this evening.

Dear brothers,

Responding to its religious and historical obligation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants this Extraordinary Summit to be a turning point in the history of our Ummah and a momentous juncture in its march so that our future will become, God willing, better than our present, that genuine Islamic solidarity will replace formal solidarity and that our resolutions and positions will enjoy a degree of seriousness and credibility to which our peoples aspire and which is necessitated by imminent challenges.

I welcome you once again. I pray to Almighty and All-powerful Allah to crown our efforts with resounding success so as to prepare the ground for our leaders to realize the objectives and aims expected of this good assembly meeting in the confines of this blessed place.

Towards Allah we aim our endeavours, and we pray to Him to direct us to the straight path.

Al Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

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