2011 US –Islamic World Forum ,

April 12, Washington DC

 
The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, participated in the 2011 US – Islamic World Forum organized by the Saban Center of the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, 12 April 2011. He discussed the need to boost mutual relationships between the Muslim world and the United States, and stated that President Barrack Obama's speech which he delivered in Cairo in June 2009 was a landmark address wherein he reached out to the Muslim world seeking a new beginning for a relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect. However, he also emphasized on the need to have mutual understanding which is a necessary condition to achieve the desired objective.
 
Ihsanoglu pointed out to the profound transformation taking place in some parts of the Muslim world and noted that the people must be afforded the opportunity to translate their aspirations into the necessary political will to find home-grown solutions to their problems. He also raised the problems faced by Muslims in the West and noted that the growing anti Islamic feeling in the West is a contemporary manifestation of racism and must be addressed in that context, adding that Muslims have been subjected to various forms of scrutiny, suspicion and negative stereotyping in the entire Western world. Ihsanoglu called for dialogue, structured and sustained engagement to address the whole range of similar issues. In this context, he underscored the role of the OIC, which is driven by its vision of moderation and modernization, and underlined that the OIC is engaged in implementing a diverse agenda including Human Rights, Good Governance and cultural diplomacy as stated in the Organization's Ten Year Programme of Action.
 
The Secretary General expressed his hope that the 2011 US – Islamic World Forum will come out with concrete recommendations for closer relations between the USA and the Islamic World. He presented some proposals for consideration by the Forum, which included a call for a constructive partnership between the USA and Muslim world; giving prevalence for the Middle East Peace process in US-Muslim world relations; proactive role by the USA in OIC countries' initiatives such as fostering result-oriented dialogue for peace and tolerance; and working towards abandoning double standards and discriminatory practices like racial profiling.
 
It is important to mention that the OIC Secretary General, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, wrote an open letter to President Obama on the day of his inauguration, which was published on the New York Times and International Herald Tribune newspapers, calling for partnership to enhance relations between the Muslim world and the USA based on understanding and mutual interest.

Draft  Statement by H.E. Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,

Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

 for the 2011 US –Islamic World Forum ,

April 12, Washington DC

Excellencies,
Distinguished panelists and participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
          
 Let me, at the outset, express my sincere thanks to the Saban Center of the Brookings Institute for organizing the 2011 US-Islamic World Forum and for honoring me with the opportunity to make some welcoming remarks. The last time I had addressed this Forum was in 2006.I remember drawing attention to the complex nature of the US-Muslim World relations marred by the impression of US indifference to the concerns of the Muslims. Ambassador Indyk was there and I am happy to see him today as one of the co-speakers to welcome you. As I recall, Ambassador Indyk in his comments on the presentations made, had underscored the common concern of a growing “chasm” between the US and the Islamic world and the challenge of reversing the widening gap.
 
The 2011 Forum is being held in the 10th anniversary year of the 9/11. Over the next three days the constellation of policy makers, diplomats, academicians and media personnel attending this forum would engage in an intellectually charged discourse on where things stand today. How to proceed and on what basis? Have we been able to bridge the gap and put across a more optimistic outlook? On my part, I would say that we may have begun to see some signs of tangible progress in relations between the US and the Muslim world. It is in this context that I intend - in the paucity of available time – to only flag and not elaborate on some important issues. I hope my submissions would merit detailed discussion to bring out a synthesis of views during this Forum.
 
I had the opportunity to be invited to Cairo to listen to the historic speech delivered by President Barrack Obama in June 2009. It was a landmark address wherein he reached out to the Muslim World seeking a new beginning a relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect. I can vouch for the resonance and the deep impact his words found in the Muslim World. I would, however, add the element of mutual understanding as the necessary condition to achieve the desired objective. Events like this Forum constitute important milestones on this road and must be utilized in that context.
 
This Forum takes place in the backdrop of unprecedented and profound transformation in some parts of the Muslim world. The scale of the emerging change is indeed tectonic. The context may be different in case of each of the countries experiencing this change. There, however, is a common element that runs across to form the defining characteristic. This is change from within. It has been indigenous and spontaneous inspired by aspirations of the people to democracy and good governance. It is for this very reason that the situation in each case needs to be afforded the time, space and opportunity to determine its own course. A series of political and economic transformations on the global scene in the recent past have provided ample evidence against standard solutions.  The lesson drawn must be applied in the current situation. Temptations to manage the change by imposing engineered polities suited to competing interests must be resisted. Let the people manage the change at their own time and pace. Let the change be incremental for it to be sustainable. The people in each country must be afforded the opportunity to translate their aspirations into the necessary political will to find home grown solutions to their problems.
Distinguished participants,
 
A decade after the tragedy, the 9/11 event continues to caste a shadow on US- Muslim World relations. The terrorist attack did not discriminate faiths in claiming lives but Muslims have been victims of collective guilt. Islam is monotheistic but not monolithic The growing anti Islamic feeling that is abound in the West is a contemporary manifestation of racism and must be addressed in that context. Muslims have been subjected to various forms of scrutiny, suspicion and negative stereotyping in the entire western world. I believe that US interests are being hampered by a small minority of extremists who are active in preaching anti-Islamism. Incidents like reprints of insulting caricatures of sacred personalities incite angry reprisals. The victims, in most cases are innocent people. A structured and sustained engagement to address the whole range of similar issues is the only way forward in this situation. We need to move beyond expressions of good intent and event based calls for action to a dialogue that can deliver. This Forum should help chart out the way forward in this regard.
 
 Let me now situate the significant role the OIC can play in this endeavor.. It must be appreciated that it is a political organization originally established to seek a political solution to a volatile situation. It has since grown into the second largest International Organization that serves wide ranging political, economic, social and cultural interests of the Member States in a multilateral setting. The ongoing important exercise of reform and restructuring at the OIC is essentially centered on strengthening this resolve to accord primacy to multilateralism in seeking solutions to contemporary issues in international politics. Propelled by the vision of ‘moderation and modernization’ the OIC today is engaged in implementing a diverse agenda including Human Rights, Good Governance and cultural diplomacy emanating from the Ten Year Programme of Action in a time-bound framework.
 
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
 
The OIC’s recent record as an effective and credible partner is well recognized . The OIC’s constructive role that helved to bring about the recent consensual adoption by the Human Rights Council of the resolution on incitement to violence, stigmatization and stereotyping on religious grounds is a testimony to our position. , We appreciate Secretary Clinton’s personal interest and the role played by the US with particular reference to bringing the EU on board in the consensual adoption of the resolution. It signifies a new approach to deal with the whole set of interrelated issues of vital interest and concern to the OIC.
 
Implementation of this resolution, in letter and spirit, would be of critical importance towards retaining this consensus. Effective measures aimed at putting an end to unfortunate and extremist practices like the burning of holy Quran must be taken with a view to sustaining the climate for  constructive engagement. States must not condone undesirable acts like racial profiling and double standards. It is a matter of tpriority to the OIC. We have yet again demonstrated our ability to engage in a result oriented fashion on even the most sensitive of matters. It now remains to be seen if the vital concerns that we seek to draw attention to, regardless of the title or the content of one or the other resolution, are duly and verifiably addressed and monitored by international mechanisms like Human Rights Council.
« Back to InboxSendDiscard 
 
I wish to conclude by expressing hope the 2011 Forum will come out with some concrete recommendations for closer relations between the USA and the Islamic World. I propose the following elements to form part consideration at this Forum:
 
·         A deeper appreciation by he US leadership and policy makers that the Islamic world constitutes constructive partner in international relations.
·         The Middle East Peace process should take prevalence in relations between the US and the Muslim World through Confidence Building Measures including more active US role seeking solutions to conflict ridden situations around the Muslim World
·         A proactive role by the US with regard to the initiatives taken by the OIC countries - like the Inter-faith Initiative by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz - in fostering result oriented Dialogue for peace and tolerance.
·         Greater sensitivity to the concerns of Muslims both within the country and outside by abandoning double standards and discriminatory practices like racial profiling.
·         Recognition and involvement of OIC as a bridge and a credible partner in the conduct of  wide ranging political, economic, social and cultural relations with the Muslim World.
·         Diplomatic recognition to the OIC Office in New York by the US Government  as a positive step for the OIC to conduct formal interaction with the American leadership and other important stakeholders
 
I look forward to benefiting from candid intellectually stimulating and solution providing deliberations at this Forum.
 
I thank you all.