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Wrapping up of their 34th annual session here, foreign ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned the growing trend of Islamophobia and stressed the need for effectively countering it. The conference approved decisions and recommendations about some 85 political, cultural, economic and legal issues concerning the Muslim Ummah. It has also been decided to hold next session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in the African country of Uganda.


In a communiqué issued at the end of the three-day conference, the foreign ministers called upon the international community to prevent incitement to hatred and discrimination against the Muslims and take effective measures to combat defamation of religions and acts of negative stereotyping of people based on religion, belief or ethnicity. “We request the Secretary General to continue the OIC initiatives to effectively counter Islamophobia through discussions and debates at various international fora,” the communiqué said.


The concluding session of the conference was conspicuous with an address by Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. In his speech, Shaukat Aziz urged Muslims to strive for achieving development in the scientific, industrial and technological fields and to uplift the situation of Muslim community in all walks of life. He called upon them to shun violence, terrorism and extremism as well as propagandas for engaging in clashes with the international community.


“We should combat terrorism in all its manifestations and work hard to promote moderation. It is the duty of Muslims to hold dialogue with followers of other religions,” he said while underlining the need for removing disparity between religions and achieving peaceful coexistence. (By Abdul Wahhab Kashif/IINA)

In one of the largest charitable donations in history, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that he is giving $10 billion to set up an educational foundation in the Middle East. The money is meant to improve the standard of education and research in the region, and aims to stimulate job creation, Sheikh Mohammed said. The announcement was made to widespread applause at the World Economic Forum, which was held in Jordan.


Sheikh Mohammed said his personal initiative was aimed at creating what he called “a knowledge-based society” in the Middle East. At the moment, he explained, there was high illiteracy in the region - where more than 40 per cent of Arab women cannot read or write. The whole Arab world publishes fewer books than the country of Turkey. And spending on scientific research is only a tiny fraction of that in developed countries.

“There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by knowledge,” the sheikh said.


Sheikh Mohammed hopes to increase research, and also to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the region. Gulf News reported. “In order to realise these objectives, I have decided to establish the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to focus on human development, and I have decided to endow a fund of $10 billion to finance its projects,” he said. As ruler of Dubai, he can share the success of his principality, which is known the world over as the economic success story of the Middle East.