Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (Dakar)
30 March 2008
document
Dakar — This the speech made by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal at the opening ceremony of the 11th summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) held in Dakar (13 - 14 March).
Ashadou An La Ilaha Illa Llah Wa Ashadou Anna Muhammadane Rassouloullah A Ouzou Billahi Mina Ashaytani Arrajimi Bimallahi Arrahmani Arrahimi Assalamou Aleykoum Warakhmatou Lahi Wa Barakatouhou Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Excellencies Heads of state and government, Ministers, Representatives of the people, Ambassadors, Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Secretary General of the OIC, Mr. Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mr. Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Representatives of international institutions and organizations, General caliphs and religious leaders, Ulemas, scientists, and researchers, Professors and students, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear guests,
Let us thank God the Almighty and Merciful for wanting and allowing by His Single Grace the organization today, 13 March, 2008 corresponding to 6 Rabiul Awwal 1429 of Hegira, of the 11th summit of the Islamic Ummah senior leaders here in Dakar, capital of Senegal, on this African land of Teranga [hospitality].
In fact, this summit is not only that of Senegal, but that of Muslim Africa, the summit of the whole Africa.
Before going further, allow me to thank you all for accepting our invitation and coming to Senegal, in a large number, sometimes from a distance despite your schedules that I know are busy. I see in this massive presence the renewed mark of esteem that you have for my country, Senegal, its authorities, and Africa.
Senegal, the country in charge of hosting this summit, for the second time, realizes the extent of this exceptional privilege it has been given. For this, I must, on my behalf, on behalf of Senegalese women and men, on behalf of all Africans, thank deep from my heart His Majesty King Abdallah ben Abdel Aziz Al Saoud, Servant and Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, for supporting from the beginning and then constantly Senegal's bid to host the 11th summit.
I must also thank my fellow African heads of state and government for spontaneously supporting Senegal and I express my profound gratitude to my fellow leaders of the Ummah, who have made Senegal's bid their own by abstaining from making any other bid.
As we have noted it for several months, the Senegalese women and men have all stood up to give you a warm, exceptional welcome in fervor.
I express my profound gratitude to you, Majesties and Highnesses, Excellencies Heads of state and government, who have brought a significant material and financial contribution to the organization of the summit. You have helped me transform and modernize our capital. Allow me now to congratulate strongly our secretary general, Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, that I have been appreciating for last three years that we have worked together. Though his modesty will suffer from it, I express him before you my most positive appreciation for his commitment, his availability, his sharp intelligence, and his haste in dealing with things. I extend my thanks to all the officials of the OIC general secretariat and all those who, at the national and international levels, have contributed to the achievement of this remarkable work that has been done.
Finally, I would like to turn now to my compatriots, who are living outside and inside the country, who have very early made the summit their own and permanently prayed intensely, in the towns and in the remotest hamlets, individually or together, in the mosques and in public, for the total success of the summit. You have understood that it is our country, Senegal, which has been honored by the choice of our capital as capital of Islam.
I thank also all Muslims in Africa, who have united in fervent prayers, in the mosques and on the occasion of social events, for the Almighty to make the Dakar summit an unprecedented success.
I know that each of our brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren from all areas in Senegal and Africa would have liked to be here on this day to express their gratitude to our illustrious guests and tell them their happiness and pride to welcome you in this African land of Senegal, land of the Islamic Ummah.
I can tell them from now on that our prayers have been widely granted as this Dakar summit has broken all records of participation in the OIC's history with the officially announced presence of 35 heads of state.
I cannot pass such a marvelous coincidence over in silence. The NGOs from the Islamic Ummah member countries have held their first summit in Dakar at the invitation of Dr Cire Ly's Islamic Solidarity Action NGO and the support of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. Ayyouhal Ikhwa Wal Ikhwat Marhababane Bi Koum [Welcome] Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Excellencies Heads of state and government,
The renewal of the Islamic Ummah in the 21st century will be done with a revitalized organization provided with institutional capacities and human and financial means commensurate with our ambitions. The OIC charter revision process obeys requirements and by dint of this urgent reform that our organization will meet our expectations efficiently.
On your behalf, I extend the thanks of the Islamic Ummah to the numerous teams, which have been working for a long time, particularly our foreign ministers and our secretary general, to put forward a draft charter taking all suggestions into account and which is normally expected to receive total consensus of the member states in Dakar. However, it is incumbent to us, member heads of state, to finally take the historic decision to put our organization on an upward trajectory to make it keep the torch of the Islamic Ummah enduring and meet our peoples' hopes.
We have tried to overcome the last difficulties then suggested that all new proposals, on which there has not been total consensus, be not eliminated, but their examination be postponed after the Ummah summit, for us to adopt unanimously the charter unreservedly.
I promise to utilize the ways opened by the charter, which, like any fundamental law, provides for revision, to put quickly these questions, if any, under consideration. A document with all these deferred proposals will be possibly sent to all members and the discussion will open. Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Excellencies Heads of state and government, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Almost 39 years ago, our Ummah, following a criminal arson in the Al Aqsa mosque, third holy place of Islam, established the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to face together the challenges, among which criminal intolerance was only one aspect.
Still now, the just and legitimate Palestinian cause, the historical justification of our organization, remains in the heart of our concerns. I wish to repeat vigorously our indefectible support to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. However, I urge all Palestinian political forces to unite first by organizing immediately a congress of the Palestinian people, from the West Bank to Gaza, on the most important thing, in its legitimate fight for the advent of an independent and viable Palestinian state.
I would like to tell our Palestinian brothers and sisters : your unity is the first guarantee of your success and salvation. Unite ! Instead of internecine clashes, discuss among brothers to establish a collegial direction, unifying all your sensibilities for the achievement of your common goals.
Your brothers and sisters of the Islamic Ummah, who have always supported you unequivocally, are still ready to assist you and defend with you the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people on its lands and resources.
Through me, Senegal offers to host your congress if such a proposal suits you.
In the meantime, I ask solemnly the Israeli Government, as occupying power, to immediately stop all illegal activities in the occupied territories, blind suppression inflicted to the Palestinian people and disproportionate reactions.
If by Allah's will my colleagues appoint me as chairperson of our organization, my priority will be the Palestinian issue, with the establishment of a internationally recognized Palestinian state within safe borders and peace between Palestine and Israel will be my priority in the search for global peace in the Middle East. Our will is to reach just and lasting peace between Palestine and Israel. That is my answer to all questions asked to me on this issue and President Shimon Peres, who, several years ago, in the time of Arafat, asked me to accept a mediation between Palestine and Israel and who is now the president of Israel, asks me officially to intervene in favor of peace between the two countries.
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