- H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,

President of the Republic of Turkey

- H.E. Prof. Mustafa Şentop,

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey;

- Excellencies, Speakers of Parliament

and Heads and Members of Participating Delegations,

- Excellencies, Members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,

- Excellencies, the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions;

- Ladies and Gentlemen,

السلام علیکم و رحمة الله وبركاته

Here we are meeting again, by the grace and generosity of Allah, after the circumstances of Covid-19 Pandemic have precluded the convening of our conference on its regular date.

Here we meet on the land of great Turkey, Land of ancient history and great glory, land of construction, advancement, and effective presence in the successive developments and events unfolding in today’s world.

It is a great honour for us that the inaugural session is also attended by His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, which is proof of the attention accorded by the Turkish state to the PUIC, and indeed to the causes of the entire Islamic Ummah.

Offering sincere thanks to His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his kind gesture, we feel good omen that the Istanbul Conference will be a successful one, and will be at the level of the hopes expected of it.

We offer ample thanks to His Excellency Professor Mustafa Şentop, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for his invitation to hold the 16th PUIC Conference after it became impossible to convene it in Tunisia this year.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is not obscure to you that the circumstances experienced by the world during the past two years (from December 2019 to December 2021), are like which present generations have not seen, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic which has raised horror in all places.

Its impacts have been hard on all; however, the less developed states, including the majority of Islamic States, have suffered much, despite the efforts exerted by their governments and parliaments to protect their peoples.

As there is a recovery from this pandemic, yet further solidarity is requested among the states of our Union in order to alleviate its effects on the economy and growth, and for the sake of developing scientific research in collaboration between our Islamic States so as to enable us to possess the tools with which to remove the peril away from our peoples, particularly in the field of vaccines and combating epidemics.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The host state has opted for “sharing, conscience and Islam: Palestine, Migration and Afghanistan”, as a theme for our Conference This title has connotations and inspirations which requires us to engage in deep thinking about these matters.

The cause of Palestine remains the central issue for Muslims until the Palestinian people achieve victory and establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.

The first meeting held by the PUIC, after the world moved to coexist with the Covid-19 pandemic, was the Palestine Committee meeting in Tehran, with the attendance of (14) Islamic Parliaments on 24 May, 2021.

This meeting affirmed support for all forms of resistance of the Palestinian people against the Zionist entity, considered as a legitimate right until the realization of the national rights of the Palestinian people. The meeting also stressed that action taken by the Palestinians is an exercise of their legitimate right to self-defence, and defence of their properties and homeland.

The meeting called on Islamic Countries to renounce differences, close ranks, and enhance the bonds of Islamic brotherhood in order to confront the fierce attack launched by enemies of the Islamic Ummah, especially the Zionist entity which is counting on and utilizing the current regional condition to ignite the fire of sedition and turmoil so as to distract the attention of the states of the region away from the grave violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.

At the fourth meeting of this Committee, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, H.E. Professor Mustafa Şentop proposed to convene the PUIC Standing Palestine Committee at the level of Parliament Speakers in Istanbul, based on the fact that the Palestinian cause embodies the essence meaning of the PUIC, and that the need necessitates addressing it in a well-studied manner and resolve at the highest levels. It also necessitates serious follow up. During the preparation for this meeting the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has shown its readiness to host this conference, considered as the most important and of the biggest momentum.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Afghanistan and its people, have suffered for a period of twenty years from foreign intervention and the resulting wars and seditions. Afghanistan needs its brothers in religion, especially its neighbors, in order to address many existing problems until it goes back to the way of stability and reconstruction.

Millions of Muslims suffer severe conditions of migration and dispersion due to wars, conflicts and seditions, as well as because of hunger and unemployment.

It is painful to watch, in this severe winter, hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern, and south Asia peoples, living in camps, without the simplest means of livelihood, and without protection from the cold or heat.

It is also painful to watch tens of thousands of African youths, being buffeted by waves, in search of decent living which they have not found in their homelands. And in many cases, they end up as easy food for fish in high seas.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Palestine; there is a people suffering injustice for more than seventy years; in Afghanistan there is a people who need someone to stand by its side in the time of hardship; in refugee camps there are women, children and men who deserve to be relieved of their miseries; in high seas there are young people who need those who make them settle in their homelands by establishing projects that ensure for them decent living.

All of this requires awakening the vitalities of people with live consciences, who cooperate in charity, and inspired by the teachings of our true Islamic religion, sent to us by Almighty God, who said “Help you one another in Al-Birr and Al-Taqwa (Virtue, righteousness and piety), but do not help one another in sin and transgression.” This religion was brought to us by our Master Mohammed (Pbuh) who said “The believers, in their compassion and mercy are like a single body, if one part of it is ill, the other parts suffer sleeplessness and fever.”

Our Conviction that cooperation, compassion and brotherhood are enjoined on us by the Creator of the universe and they, obligate us to be inspired by all this in our behavior and embody them in our practices so as to be nearer to Almighty Allah who said: “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (ie. This Quran) and be not divided among yourselves.”

والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته