MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH DECLARATION

 We, the Kings, Heads of State and Government, and Emirs of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), meeting in the Third Session of the Extraordinary of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah from 5 to 6 Dhul Quidah 1426H (7-8 December 2005), declare:

We praise high the Name of Almighty Allah, Who has blessed us with the grace of gathering together on the soil of this hallowed land, cradle of the revelation of Islam and its message, and Qibla of all Muslims, from which the light of Islam shone forth to guide humanity to the path of prosperity and peace, thus enabling the foundations to be laid of an Islamic civilization that was able to bring a much-needed, timely, and decisive contribution to human civilization.

Whereas the purport of the lofty essence of Islam was to ultimately bring the world out of the darkness of ignorance, oppression, and tyranny and into the light of truth, justice, developing sciences and knowledge, and peaceful co-existence, we find ourselves today at an age of muddled concepts, misguided values, and pervasive ignorance, as diseases and epidemics gain ever-greater grounds, injustice takes hold, and man's environment grows despoiled by the day. More than ever before, we stand in dire need of a fresh vision to turn the tide and the Ummah, as Almighty Allah has rightfully ordained, into a guiding beacon and source of light that radiates forth science, knowledge, and morality for the benefit of all humanity.

Protecting our Islamic identity, our basic values, and the higher interests of the Ummah can only be achieved through the sincere loyalty of Muslims to true Islam and their commitment to its original principles and values as their cherished way of life. Only then will the Ummah be able to rise to the challenge of playing an instrumental, proactive role in the service of humanity and human civilization.

Therefore, our conscience throbs in deep synchronicity with the hearts and minds of the Ummah as expressed by its scholars and intellectuals—may God bless them on our behalf---in their meeting only weeks before this Summit Conference. Thus are we only too aware of the political, developmental, social, cultural and educational challenges they brought to the fore; only too aware are we of the internal and external threats that have helped to exacerbate the Ummah's current plight, as they not only menace its very future but also that of the whole of humanity and civilization.

These challenges must, therefore, be dealt with through a strategic vision, which needs to plan for the future of the Ummah just as it needs to maintain a responsive pulse to international developments so as to gradually refine itself into a forward-looking vision that enables the Muslim world to tackle the challenges of the Twenty-first Century by leveraging the collective will and Joint Islamic Action.

At this stage, we are consequently called upon to take a pause for a sincere and firm reflection on reforming the Ummah, which is a process that starts with reforming the self by rallying round a common stand based on Almighty Allah's Holy Quran and the Noble Tradition of His Prophet (PBUH). This reform process should then naturally end in a staunch counteraction of any miscreants who would wantonly work evil sedition, who would misguide and mislead, and would distort the loftiest tenets of our Islamic faith enshrined in its intrinsic call for love, peace, harmony, and the civilized way out. How can they speak and act for such perverted ideas entrenched as they are in ignorance, isolationism, hatred, and blood-letting?

Nevertheless, our Muslim Ummah is called upon to meet today for the highest good and right in affirmation of Almighty Allah's words enjoining us to: "Hold fast to Allah's rope [in unity] and not to be divided". And that unity requires our scholars and experts of jurisprudence to unify their stand on exposing the corruption of these miscreants and the falsehood of their claims in a determined show of strength and undivided condemnation.

While we affirm, in this regard, that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is a global phenomenon that is not confined to any particular religion, race, color, or country, and that can in no way be justified or rationalized, we are determined—with Almighty Allah's help and grace--to develop our national laws and legislations to criminalize every single terrorist practice and every single practice leading to the financing or instigation of terrorism. Similarly, we are also called upon to redouble and orchestrate international efforts to combat terrorism, including the establishment of an International Counter-Terrorism Center as endorsed by the Riyadh International Conference on Combating Terrorism.

Even so, all the governments and peoples of the Ummah are unanimous in their conviction that reform and development are the priority to which all efforts should be channeled within a framework that is intimately molded in our Islamic social make-up. At the same time this framework needs to remain in harmony with the achievements of human civilization and steeped in the principles of consultation, justice, and equality in its drive to achieve good governance, widen political participation, establish the rule of law, protect human rights, apply social justice, transparency, and accountability, fight corruption, and build civil society institutions.

Indeed, the Islamic civilization is an integral part of human civilization, based on the ideals of dialogue, moderation, justice, righteousness, and tolerance as noble human values that counteract bigotry, isolationism, tyranny, and exclusion. It is therefore of paramount importance to celebrate and consecrate these magnanimous values in our Muslim discourse inside and outside our societies.

As we reaffirm our unwavering rejection of terrorism, and all forms of extremism and violence, we strongly voice our feelings of stigmatization and concern over the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia around the world as a form of racism and discrimination and declare our resolve to work hard to combat this phenomenon with all available means.

Given the deep import of economic and social cooperation in strengthening solidarity among Islamic States, maximizing the advantages and averting the pitfalls of globalization, we consider the eradication of illiteracy, diseases and epidemics, and the fight to alleviate poverty in Islamic States as urgent, strategic objectives requiring us to drum up all necessary resources.

If we are to succeed in achieving our desired objectives, then of necessity we must show commitment and credibility in our Joint Islamic Action. Therefore, proceeding from a new vision of the Muslim world that tackles head on international challenges, as well as political, economic, social, and cultural variables in a manner that safeguards the values and interests of the Ummah, we adopt and endorse the Ten-Year Programme of Action to face the challenges of the Muslim Ummah in the Twenty-first Century.

To Almighty Allah we pray that He may guide us onto the right path, crown our endeavors with success, and bless our lives with abundant prosperity.

"Allah has promised those who believe among you and who have done good deeds that He will surely empower them in the earth just as He did with their predecessors and that He will surely establish for them (therein) their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security (for) they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that—then those indeed are the evil doers." (Al-Nour 53, True are the Words of Allah).

Thank you for your attention.

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