Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday appreciated the efforts and hard work of secretary general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Professor Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanogulu to reform and revitalise the organisation and make it more vibrant.
The Foreign Minister was talking to secretary general OIC in Kampala during a meeting between the two on the sidelines of the 35th session of the OIC council of Foreign Ministers. The secretary general paid rich tributes to Pakistan for its efficient, effective and valuable contribution to the Ummah, especially during its chairmanship of the 34th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
He characterised revision of the OIC charter, accomplished under Pakistan's Chairmanship, as a landmark event. The Foreign Minister stated that Islamophobia is a subject of great concern to Pakistan and asked the OIC secretary general to give special attention to this issue.
"Our people have reacted strongly to the Danish caricatures. We firmly believe in freedom of speech but it should not be used to trample the feelings of Muslims," the Foreign Minister said. The OIC secretary general agreed and added that the struggle against defamation of Islam is a human rights issue. Incitement of religious hatred is an infringement on the human rights of Muslims and should be dealt with as such, he said.
The Foreign Minister thanked the Secretary General for his continued support and active role in the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the Kashmiri people greatly value the continued and consistent support of the Muslim Ummah in their just struggle against oppression and tyranny.
The secretary general assured the Foreign Minister that OIC would work for the achievement and fulfilment of this just and principled cause. The Foreign Minister assured the secretary general that Pakistan would be one of the first countries to ratify the new charter of the organisation.
He further assured the secretary general of Pakistan's active role on all matters of importance to OIC, including the issues of human rights, Islamophobia and matters pertaining to developments in science and technology.