Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, has sent a goodwill message expressing profound gratitude and deep appreciation to President Jammeh’s personal presence and participation at the 11th Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), held in Dakar, recently.

President Wade prayed for the continuous good health and success of his Gambian counterpart.

Meanwhile, Jacques Diouf, the director general of Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, has sent best wishes and congratulations to President Jammeh on his 43rd birthday.

“On the occasion of your Excellency’s birthday, may I extend, in the name of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and on my own behalf, congratulations and best wishes for your happiness and for the peace and prosperity of the people of the Republic of The Gambia,” the FAO boss stated.

Mr Diouf then assured the president of his highest consideration and that of his organisation.

As a designated date marking Senegal National Day, April 4 was punctuated in The Gambia by colourful activities held at Sunbeach Hotel, Bakau. Convened by Mamadou Fall, Senegalese plenipotentiary, the commemorative event was graced by Government officials, members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corp as well as a big crowd.

In his address, Ambassador Fall seized the opportunity to express satisfaction at the excellent relations that historically exist between The Gambia and the sister Republic of Senegal. He then added that the two Heads of State continue to work closely in order to strengthen these bonds for the betterment of the Senegambian people.

He further stated that the Consultative Committee will meet very soon and gave assurance that two countries plans ahead so as to revive the Senegambian Secretariat.

Deputising for Dr Omar Touray, secretary of state for Foreign Affairs, Fatim Badjie, secretary of state for Communication, Information and Information Technology, recalled that the relations between The Gambia and Senegal have been nurtured over time and have become a beacon of hope for the realisation of African integration.

‘‘Our common ancestry and history have enabled us to forge powerful bonds of friendship and cooperation that have survived the test of time,’’ she hinted.

Re-affirming Gambia’s stance in the international arena, she noted that the government is commited to peace, progress and prosperity. As such, she indicated that this new dynamism is characterized by a strong desire to foster good relationship for the two peoples, but aslo for all Africans has been testified by the African Union (AU), the United Nations , Ecowas and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) where their Excellencies Presidents Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh and MaÓtre Abdoulaye Wade have fully played their roles to the satisfaction of all and sundry.

The Every Mbye Cultural troup and the Police Band enhanced the cultural dimension of the event by revisiting the Senegambian wide repertoire of songs.

Editor

Please spare me a space in your widely read paper to yet again congratulate and salute our charismatic and visionary leader, the president, Dr Yahya Jammeh, for having the courage to tell the truth to the leaders and representatives at the Organisation of Islamic Conference, held in Dakar Senegal.

Gambians, honestly president Jammeh is a leader we should be proud of because he believes in telling the truth even in the midst of his fellow leaders.  What he said is indeed the fact because the OIC fails to address problems within the Muslim Umma.

I have this conviction that the president believes in the saying that a harmful truth is better than a useful lie.  If the belief he has could be shared by all the leaders, our world would be free from war, famine, diseases etc.

President Jammeh keep up the spirit!

Fakebba Camara

New Jeshwang

President Urges Muslim Umma at OIC Conference

In a hard-hitting and inspirational speech reminiscent of the late great President Nasser, President Jammeh called on the Muslim Umma attending the IOC gathering in Dakar to be true: true to the teachings of the Holy Koran; and true to the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a brief interview at Banjul Airport on his return yesterday, the President underlined the fact that the Muslim Umma has big problems that they should unite and solve. "Why is Gaza a prison camp in which the state of Israel is able to attack the population at will while the Muslim Umma does nothing?" asked the President.

"Why does Israel flaunt UN Resolutions with impunity while other countries face sanctions and even war?" "Why does the population of Palestine depend on European Union donations to pay their civil servants salaries and electricity bill when the Muslim Umma collectively are the richest people on earth?" It is the lack of steadfastness to the tenets of Islam, and the disunity amongst Muslims that has led to the current dismal condition of the Muslim Umma, stated the President:

"We must unite and come together … to disassociate ourselves and our religion from such terrorist elements if we are to be seen as credible in the eyes of our followers and in defence of our NOBLE RELIGION".

The President’s speech in full

“Mr Chairman

Your Majesties

Your Excellencies

Your Highnesses

Distinguished Delegates

I wish to extend my delegation’s thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Abdoulaye Wade, the government and people of the Sister Republic of Senegal, for the warm welcome and excellent hospitality accorded us during our stay in this beautiful city of Dakar, and for the leadership they have demonstrated in hosting this important Summit of our noble organisation, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). May I also seize this opportunity to congratulate H.E. Maitre Abdoulaye Wade on his election as Chairman of the 11th Session of the OIC and I wish him and the Senegalese Government success in their endeavours.

Islam as a religion and Muslims as followers or believers of this religion, are sweepingly branded and categorised; Islam as a terrorist religion and its followers simply as terrorists. Do we blame these non-Muslims, especially in the so-called developed world, who see us and our noble religion as synonymous with terrorism? I believe not.

Mr Chairman

Your Majesties

Your Excellencies

Your Highnesses

Distinguished Delegates

I think that we the leaders of the Islamic Ummah are to be blamed squarely for this outrageous perception of Islam and Muslims. The perception is outrageous and diametrically opposed to the true meaning of Islam because Islam is the embodiment of PEACE.

Why have I put the blame on all of us who are gathered here as leaders of the Islamic Ummah, including of course the leadership of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as allied organisations like the Arab League?

The simple reason is that we are not UNITED and our words and deeds do not truly reflect the spirit and letter of Islam. Quite often we allow ourselves to be used by and for the cynical purposes of, the enemies of Islam.

By the way, the enemies of Islam are not just the non-believers or non Muslims but in fact the worst perpetrators are the enemies within. You have in today’s world people who claim to be Muslims but who highjack the Islamic faith and rain terror on earth in the name of Islam! They bomb Mosques during Friday prayers killing countless Muslims who are there to worship Allah according to Islam! To me such elements are not Muslims but indeed terrorists.

Those who kill and maim indiscriminately including women and children cannot lay claim on a religion that preaches peace and tolerance. They call themselves Muslims but target only Muslims in their most heinous and outrageous killing sprees.

We as leaders of the Islamic Ummah must come out on a united front not only to fight but to also disassociate ourselves and our religion from such terrorist elements if we are to be seen as credible in the eyes of our followers and in defence of our NOBLE RELIGION. However, such an action alone would not suffice as a panacea to bring respect and dignity to Islam and Muslims around the world.

To be able to achieve such a feat, we must turn to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Hadiths. If we do, we will INSHALLAH regain our dignity and our lost glory. We should also not ally ourselves to those powers that are waging war on islam.

They encourage division in and promote hatred amongst our ranks. In the name of Democracy, they are waging war on Islam in Muslim countries as well s in their countries and what is outrageous, is the fact that there are Muslim countries that are supporting these anti-Islam Fascists. They have burnt the Quran, they have desecrated our Noble and Glorious Quran, they have raped and killed our women and children in our Islamic countries; they are now creating tension and recipes for war between and among key Muslims Nations, they have ridiculed and caricatured our beloved Prophet of Islam yet some of us call them our strategic allies and friends. What type of Muslims are we?

Mr Chairman

Your Majesties

Your Excellencies

Your Highnesses

Distinguished Delegates

The problems of Muslims all over the world can be solved not by turning to others who are only interested in our resources but by we the Muslims ourselves. Allah has endowed us with all that it takes to solve those problems.

We are endowed with the material riches of the earth in terms of oil and precious minerals in such abundant quantities that there is absolutely no reason for any Muslim anywhere to go hungry, to die from preventable or curable diseases, to lack access to education and decent life. Perhaps the greatest gift we Muslims have from Allah is the Holy Quran and the teachings of our Prophet, Muhammad (SAW). This is our divine constitution. There is no problem on the face of the earth whose solution is not found in the Quran and the Hadiths.

In the world we live in today, Muslims in most parts of the world especially Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from abject poverty and deprivation. The same is true for our brothers and sisters of Palestine. With all the resources at our disposal, there is no justification for such suffering. We have virtually turned our backs on our suffering peoples for which Allah will hold us accountable. We have let them down. Should we do things contrary to the teachings of our religion which lays emphasis on the spirit of sharing and caring for each other?

Mr Chairman

Your Majesties

Your Excellencies

Your Highnesses

Distinguished Delegates

It is a virtue in Islam to say the truth no matter what is takes. The truth also can be bitter but as a Muslim, I believe in telling the truth. Telling each other the truth will make us live with peace in ourselves and with each other. It is the truth that Allah wants from any human being, more so from a Muslim.

Mr Chairman, I am confident and sincerely believe that all hope is not lost. We still have a chance. The OIC can be turned around as a forum where meaningful decisions can be taken and implemented in line with the teachings of Islam; and decisions that are capable of impacting positively on the less fortunate among us and at the same time enable us to be respected and dignified in the world at large. It is also within our powers to eradicate the myth and unsavory perception or link between Islam and Muslims to terrorism.

This is the challenge that we face as leaders and as an organisation. We must start by first respecting ourselves and regain our dignity and ensure that the others see us in that dignified light. We must invest a lot of resources in basic social sectors such as education, health, agriculture and infrastructure development. Investments in education destroy the greatest enemy in man - IGNORANCE which is the root cause of many problems in the world. We must look after the welfare of our Muslim populations.

These key areas mentioned will make us Muslims live dignified lives and in a decent and respectable environment where our common religion can be practiced with respect and Muslims become respected the world over.

We  do not need those from outside our faith to help us do what we can do ourselves. In order to create development in the less endowed Muslim countries, I take this opportunity to call on the richer countries to increase their funding of our various financing institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the Saudi Fund, BADEA, Kuwaiti Fund and all other development finance institutions. The terms and conditions of these institutions must equally be flexible and highly concessionary in nature. They must be based on Sharia laws and principles of lending and borrowing.

Mr Chairman

Excellencies

Distinguished Delegates

Let me conclude by expressing the hope that this Summit will gear the Muslim world towards more resolute action in bringing about the transformation in our relationship necessary to facilitate peace and mutual trust and respect; amongst Members of the Islamic Ummah for the sustained development of the peoples of the Ummah. I pray that the Almighty Allah provide us the strength, courage and goodwill to take the decisions that would positively transform our image as an organisation but above all bring back hope, dignity and respect to all our people wherever they may be living

“WASSALUMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULAH WABARAKATUH”

We, the Kings and the Heads of State and Government of memberstates of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting onthe occasion of our 11th Ordinary Conference in Dakar, capital of theRepublic of Senegal, from 6 to 7 Rabiul Awwal 1429H (13 – 14 March

2008),Have taken stock of the Summit’s historic importance in these earlyyears of the third millennium, which is marked by major worlddevelopments at the ideological, political, economic, scientific andtechnological levels.

Furthermore, the 11th OIC Summit Conference is the first to be held since the 3rd Extraordinary Session was held in Makkah Al Mukarramah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 5 to 6 Dhul Qa’ada

2. 1426H (7 – 8 December 2005), which was a landmark and a source of pride for the Ummah as illustrated by the Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted on the occasion.

We have underscored, once again, the guidelines of the Programme in order to rise up to the challenges facing the Ummah in the 21st century in its bid to seize any opportunity to ensure sustainable development in peace, brotherhood for the sake Allah and solidarity.

We are proud to proclaim, once again, to the entire world that theUmmah is fortunate, in the face of such challenges, to find in the Holy Quran’s lofty teachings the right solutions to the problems currently besetting human societies. Islam, a religion of total devotion to Allah the Almighty, is also an irreplaceable vector of progress in this world in that its message of human salvation encompasses all walks of life. In light of the foregoing, we believe that the 11th OIC Summit

Conference (The Ummah’s 21st Century Session) is a happy continuation of the Makkah Al Mukarramah Extraordinary Summit because it has helped to give impetus to our collective willingness to achieve gradually the Ummah’s set objectives.

In this vein, we believe that the Ummah’s unity should remain, in our hearts and minds, an ultimate goal that dictates on our countries a conduct that prefers abnegation, values and common interests to division, hatred and confrontation.

3. The Leaders of Muslim countries hereby renew their pledge to preserve world peace and security, one of the OIC’s objectives, and thus to fully adhere to the United Nations’ key mission in this regard as well as international legality as a rule for all without any political double standards.

This is the reason why we proclaim, once again, our resolve to make sure that the Ummah’s entire causes prevail in accordance with resolutions adopted in this regard by the Islamic Conference and the United Nations.

From this standpoint, in order to ensure just and lasting peace in the Middle East, we reaffirm solemnly the need to comply with all Security Council resolutions on Al Quds, an issue for which the OIC was established, and on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state within internationally guaranteed borders.

We reiterate our condemnation of Israel’s pattern of refusal to fully comply with the resolutions in question, to allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital without any territorial discontinuity, to pull out of the Golan Heights of Syria and to respect Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

4. We reaffirm our respective countries’ solidarity with the Palestinian people’s heroic struggle and applaud their exemplary courage, which appears prominently on the most beautiful pages of the Ummah’s history.

We proclaim, once again, our common position on the overall settlement of the Palestinian question in accordance with OIC and UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map of the Quartet within the spirit of the OIC’s constant commitment to theMiddle East peace process.

Our faith in such a strategic option for the quest for peace in that part of the world, where had originated many spiritual messages that advocate love for one’s fellow human being, illustrates our strict adherence to the values of Islam, a religion of peace that forbids all forms of exclusivity and extremism and that warrants the following quotation "You have been made a Prophet only to restore peace in the world", which is based on a verse from the Holy Quran.

Based on this deep conviction, we the Kings and the Heads of State and Government of the OIC renew our pledge to work harder to make sure that Islam’s true image is better projected the world over in line with the guidelines contained in the Ten-Year Programme of Action issued by the 3rd Extraordinary Summit of Makkah Al Mukarramah, which seek to combat an Islamophobia with designs to distort our religion.

5. Consequently, we continue to strongly condemn all forms of extremism and dogmatism, which are incompatible with Islam, a religion of moderation and peaceful coexistence.

It is in this vein that we support the dialogue of civilizations, and we believe that it is important to plan along such lines a preparatory phase by organizing a major international gathering on Islamic – Christian dialogue that involves governments, among other players.

Owing to such considerations based on our religious beliefs, we reiterate our condemnation of all forms of terrorism by referring to the Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted at our 3rd Extraordinary Summit and in which it is stated that terrorism is a ‘’global phenomenon that is not related to any religion, race, colour or country" and that the scourge should be distinguished from "legitimate resistance against foreign occupation that prevents one from shedding the blood of innocent civilians’’.

The adoption of an OIC convention on terrorism and other international initiatives by the Islamic geographical sphere to combat terrorism as well as the OIC’s involvement in efforts to adopt an international code of conduct on how to fight against the heinous phenomenon are an indication of our total rejection of it. Since we share the international community’s major concerns over terrorism, we would like to confirm that the OIC always seeks to make sure that it is not found wanting when it comes to joint actions designed to overcome the major challenges facing nations as a result of globalization. We therefore set great store by human rights and good governance so that our respective countries would uphold

6. them continuously as essential factors of human progress and prosperity.

It is the same drive of enabling the OIC to play fully its role in handling problems brought about by globalization that we reaffirm our political will to take or support any initiative designed, among others, to combat natural disasters, overcome the environmental problems endengering mankind, eradicate poverty and take part fully in the global campaign to bridge the digital divide through voluntary contributions so as to address the blighting energy problem as a vital development factor and to promote women, the family and children as a major social requirement.

Since the OIC is keenly interested in helping to gradually overcome challenges currently facing the world, it cannot but work harder for its member states and Muslim minorities by taking inspiring from the precepts of Islam, especially the obligation to ensure Islamic solidarity.

Intra-Islamic cooperation in the areas of competence of the OIC’s standing committees is a duty dictated by the foregoing lessons as well as the new development requirements, whose advantages our governments should make use of and identify their adverse effects, especially on our Islamic culture, so as to combat them effectively.

We the Kings and the Heads of State and Government of OIC member states, being fully aware of such a duty, which should always

7. underpin Islamic solidarity, reaffirm the priority that we give to the implementation of such an exalting objective by mobilizing both governments and the private sector, whose pivotal role in achieving such a huge enterprise of intra-Islamic cooperation is quite obvious.

On this score, Africa’s situation, while the 11th Islamic Summit is taking place in Senegal, has drawn our attention because the problems of poverty besetting the continent should give rise to a solidarity drive among the other sections of the Ummah on account of the huge economic resources and potentials that Allah the Almighty has endowed them with to purposely address such livelihood difficulties and to bring their weight to bear on the international scene.

In view of such a fact, we, the leaders of OIC member states, have given utmost importance to the need to urgently implement the provisions of the Ten-Year Programme of Action on "development assistance and the fight against poverty in Africa’’.

We have thus agreed to include among the priorities of the joint Islamic action bilateral and multilateral debt relief by donor member states in favour of low-income OIC African member countries in view of the fact that, under the Ten-Year Programme of Action, "special attention should be given to Africa, the region most plagued by poverty, disease, illiteracy, famine and debt". The debt relief should be conducted according proportions and deadlines taking into account the heavy debt burden on African economies.

It is in the same spirit of solidarity that we pledge that our Governments will do whatever it takes to make contributions amounting to US$ 10 billion, as soon as possible, to the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, established within the Islamic

8. Development Bank (IDB). In this regard, we applaud the pledges made so far by some OIC donor countries.

As part of our common desire to make the 11th Islamic Summit in Dakar a landmark in the embodiment of Islamic solidarity, we have shown great interest in the need to mobilize Zakaat funds in the OIC geographical area and allocate them rationally and efficiently to the needy so that such a pillar of Islam is made a vital aspect of Islamic solidarity.

The Islamic renewal we have sought to introduce since the 3rd Extraordinary Summit in Makkah Al Mukarramah should also materialize through a speedy human resource development process of high quality in OIC member states by giving special importance to science and technology, among other educational disciplines, outlined as priorities under our Ten-Year Programme of Action.

Consequently, we urge OIC member states to strive for high-level training, good quality education designed to promote creativity, research, innovation and development as outlined under the Ten- Year Programme of Action, particularly with the IDB’s support under its Scholarship Programme. Within the same drive of Islamic renewal, we call on member states and their scholars to seek to unify the Islamic calendar and thus boost Islam’s image in the world.

9. For all the foregoing aspirations to materialize progressively and resolutely, not only must OIC member states make a contribution but the OIC General Secretariat’s capacity to take action must be boosted properly and its operational mechanisms improved continuously through a review of its charter. We have pledged to comply with its orientations so as to ensure that the OIC remains increasingly credible on the international scene.

In these early years of the 3rd millennium, we stretch our arms to other leaders of the world and to inter-governmental organizations pursuing the OIC’s same goals of peace and cooperation so that, in a collective drive, we would build a humanity that is in harmony with itself by promoting values shared by peoples and fostering their interdependence through fruitful cooperation while respecting religious and cultural idiosyncrasies.

This is the true meaning of the dialogue of civilizations that took the shape of a declaration at the 8th Islamic Summit in Tehran; a noble idea that the United Nations endorsed by adopting an international convention for a code of conduct on mutual knowledge and closer ties between the peoples of our planet.

Enda

President Abdoulaye Wade, who is today elected Chairman of OIC, delivered his address to the Muslim Ummah. He said, “the rekindling of the Islamic Ummah in the 21st century will be done with a revitalized organisation, endowed institutional capacities, and human and financial resources commensurate with our ambitions. The OIC revision process complies with this requirement and it is only through this urgent reform that our organisation will meet our expectations. On your behalf I would like to express the Ummah’s gratitude to the various teams which have been working interminably, particularly our foreign Ministers and Secretary General, to present us with a draft charter that takes all the proposals into consideration and should normally register the full consensus of member states represented in Dakar.”

He continued saying, “However, it is our responsibility as heads of Member states to take this historic decision to usher our organisation into an ascending path to ensure that it keeps the Ummah’s beacon bright and live up to expectations of our peoples.

We have tried to downsize the outstanding difficulties, then we suggested that new proposals on which full consensus has not been reached should not be thrust aside. These should be considered at a later date, during the period of the summit, to enable us adopt the charter unanimously, and without reservation. I promise to use the possibilities provided by the charter which, like all basic laws, lays down provisions, to rapidly have these issues considered, if they exist. Should the occasion arise, a document listing all these diverse proposals shall be distributed to all members and discussions opened.

My priority will be the Palestinian issue with the establishment of an internationally recognized Palestinian State within safe borders, and peace between Palestine and Israel as part of the quest for global peace in the Middle East. We are resolved to achieve a just and lasting peace between Palestine and Israel.
I would like to appeal to both Israelis and Palestinians, to immediately bring a halt to the violence regardless of its origin, whether in action or reaction and to observe a cease-fire to enable me to undertake consultations and make proposals on a peace process.”

President Wade said further: “Challenges are extremely numerous.
The primary challenge is the existential challenge confronting Muslims as human beings threatened by the continuing environmental degradation due to the climate change which is essentially man-induced.
Innovative Financing in the Fight against Poverty and Development. ” We hope that Arabs would invest as largely as possible in Africa, not only in Muslim Africa like Senegal, Morocco, Djibouti, among others, but all over the continent.
Investments are no longer a risk in Africa, where democracy is gaining momentum. Africa is the continent of the future with a projected consumer population of over 1.7 billion by 2050. Enhanced education would help to produce a highly qualified cadre and educated people.”

Mobilisation of Prohibited Interest
“I would like to propose some ideas on how to mobilize huge resources to combat poverty and finance development, in addition to the mobilization of Zakaat.
Islamic scholars do remind us that interest is prohibited by the Sharia. What should therefore be done with the huge interest generated by the deposits of oil-producing Muslim countries in Western banks?
I would like to make my view clear about sovereign Muslim funds. One has to distinguish between interests granted by Western banks on funds deposited by Muslim countries, whose religion prohibits interest, and the investment of oil money.

Today, our freedom to worship in peace should be a concern to us, since we are unfortunately witnessing a certain Islamophobia fuelled and sustained by evil spirited people, experts in the falsification of history and looming from all sides. We must admit that people in the West are developing a certain tolerance for Islam. An increasing number of mosques are surfacing in Europe, which could not be imagined some twenty years ago.

EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU, the substantive secretary general of the OIC said:
‘The situation in Palestine remains deplorable, due to successive crises fabricated by Israel to stall the peace process and to thwart the many peace plans and initiatives proposed by the international community. We have condemned these practices.
In our relations with the Western World, we are going through difficult times. We strongly feel that our religion, its sacred symbols, and on both community and individual levels, Muslims are being targeted by a campaign of defamation, denigration, stereotyping, intolerance and discrimination. It seems that ignorance about Islam and also calculated animosity with deep historic roots on a part of a minority in the West, as well as our failure do disseminate the true values of Islam are the reasons of this increasing wave of Islamophobia. We are confronted by hatred and bigotry of radical marginal groups of people who believe that it is only through insulting Muslims and their religious symbols that they can demonstrate their commitment to freedom of speech’.

President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh and a high powered delegation left Banjul this morning for Dakar, Senegal, to attend the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit scheduled for Thursday, 13th to Friday 14th March, 2008.

President Jammeh was seen off at the Banjul International Airport by Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, the vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, the speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay, secretaries of state, security chiefs, members of the diplomatic corps, amongst others.

The 11th Summit of OIC will focus on the theme "Islam in the 21st Century", as the event is significant due to the current events and challenges facing the Muslim Ummah including the issue of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, and Darfur. The issue of Islamophobia has high priority on the agenda whereupon the first report on Islamophobia by the OIC Islamophobia Observatory will be released. Also of priority is the Special Development Programme for Africa and raising intra-OIC trade among the Member States from 13% to 20% by 2015 in accordance with the OIC Ten-year Programme of Action.