UAQ Ruler addresses 13th Islamic Summit in Istanbul

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, delivered a speech during the inaugural session of the 13th Islamic Summit, which kicked off today in Istanbul.

Sheikh Humaid heads the UAE delegation to the event. In his speech on behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Saud said, ''At the onset, l would like to congratulate Turkey on hosting the 13th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, (OIC). We extend thanks and appreciation to Turkey for the warm reception and hospitality. We also wish luck and success for our meeting. We extend thanks and appreciation to Egypt for chairing previous summit, and achievements accomplished for the benefit of the Islamic world, as well as enhancement of OIC's position.

He also extended thanks to Iyad Madani, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the organising Secretariat General, for their continuous efforts to achieve the aspirations and objectives of the organisation in the best interests of the peoples of the Islamic nations.

He said, ''We meet today in an exceptional circumstances witnessed by the Muslim world in view of the crisis surrounding it and the accelerating intensity and complicated dangers, which require all of us to redouble and intensify the ongoing work to confront them and deal with them in a collective, serious and effective way."

The UAQ Ruler reiterated, ''Today, the Muslim world faces great challenges represented by foreign attempts to interfere in its countries' internal affairs and internal risks represented in groups that have goals which are far from the national interests."

He said that terrorist and criminal acts threatening the Islamic world have unfortunately found an incubator environment in addition to receiving support and finance from other powers, whether through funding or armaments in order to undermine the Islamic nations.

He also confirmed, ''The volume of the challenge facing us requires effective measures to deal with these dangers, particularly to protect the youth of the Islamic nations from falling prey to the subversive propaganda of terrorist groups and to try to dry up their supportive sources."

Sheikh Saud re-affirmed that today terrorism targets to undermine the pillars of the modern nation-state, destruct its institutions, endanger its sovereignty and independence and the unity of its territories to real risks. From this standpoint, the UAE calls for rapid and effective steps to eliminate this phenomenon by working to publish and promote a moderate religious discourse that exposes terrorism and sectarian, and extremist ideas.

He concluded, ''I wish success and luck to achieve the good and stability of the Islamic nations."

Among those who attended the summit were Rashid Al Mualla, Chairman of the Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla Award For Holy Quran and Islamic Culture, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and members of the accompanying delegation of UAQ Ruler.

Source:WAM