BAGHDAD DECLARATION ADOPTED BY THE 11th SESSION OF THE PUIC CONFERENCE

(Session of United Against Terrorism and Extremism)
BAGHDAD – REPUBLIC OF IRAQ
13 – 14 RABI UL THANI 1438
24 -25JANUARY 2016

We, heads and members of delegations of the Parliaments of the OIC Member States, participating in the 11th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq, on 24-25 January, 2016, upon the kind invitation of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, and having discussed the developments and challenges facing the Islamic world, which are included in the agenda of the session:
UPHOLDING the motto for this Session (Standing Together Against Terrorism and Extremism) because both phenomena are destroying our societies and threating the reputation of our true religion.

STRESSING our commitment to materializing and achieving the PUIC objectives and principles which are considered, according to our conviction, an integral part of the process of achieving peace, democracy and stability in the Islamic world, and paving the way for adequately involving the Islamic Ummah in building a developed, secure and stable world and ensuring prosperity and happiness for all humankind;

COMMENDING the active, prominent and influential role of the Union in addressing the important and vital issues of the international community, as it encompasses Islamic parliaments and endeavors to conduct consultations and deal with the common affairs of Muslims and of humanity as a whole, on the basis of the sublime values of justice, democracy and beneficence for all. This undeniable reality as well as the popular identity of the legislative and consultative assemblies in our countries are indeed capable of practically changing the Union into an independent and truthful voice of Muslim peoples in the context of achieving independence, justice and equality;

REAFFIRMING the fact that justice, peace, and security on the one hand, and sustainable development on the other hand, constitute two mutually supportive pillars whose materialization, in a simultaneous, balanced and fair way, should rank first in national agendas and in those of regional and international organizations;

RECOGNIZING the importance of managing inter-state relations on the basis of respect for the principle of national sovereignty and common interests, as well as the firm rejection of any foreign interference, and the commitment of all countries to realize social justice, enhance mutual understanding, and develop balanced plans for economic growth, social development , and environment protection;

UNDERLINING that the diversity of traditions, cultures and beliefs of peoples constitutes a valuable factor to guarantee such noble values as freedom, justice, equality and tolerance;

APPRECIATING the enhancement of the culture of peace, dialogue, cultural diversity, justice and equality, the involvement of women and youth in local and international activities, as well as the guarantee of the respect and materialization of human rights principles;

REFERRING  to the political process in Iraq and the constructive steps accomplished to establish a democratic federal system and to build a civil State which respects Islamic rules, values, ethic  system and noble principles in light of the determination of political forces to abide by the Iraqi Constitution and the role played by the Iraqi people in achieving national sovereignty by putting an end to the occupation of the country and their attachment to the peaceful alternation of power, as expressed through the parliamentary  and local elections that follows the fall of the former regime. Recognizing the existence of problems and reservations which must be addressed through consultation and dialogue;

PAYING TRIBUTE to the will of the Iraqi people in their fight against terrorism and the victories that the Iraqi armed forces, popular mobilization, the Peshmerga and the zealous clans have achieved at the various fronts of confrontation with terrorism;  

HIGHLY APPRECIATING the role that the high religious authorities in  mobilizing the people and strengthening national unity in order to spare the country sectarian and nationalist conflicts and to mobilize all the potentialities to face terrorist groups;

DENOUNCING and condemning the barbaric acts, including murder, torture, detention and enslavement of women, violation of human rights, demolition of antiquities and places of worship, and attacks on public properties, perpetrated by the DAESH group and the other terrorist organizations against the Iraqi people and other peoples;

EXTENDING our sincere congratulations to the Iraqi Council of Representatives and to the Iraqi people on the successful organization of the 11th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, especially to HE Dr. Salim al-Jaboury, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, on his presidency of the Conference;

INSPIRED by the PUIC goals and principles, and for the effective implementation of the Final Communiqué of the 11th PUIC Conference in Baghdad, we DECLARE the general requests of the PUIC Member Parliaments as follows:

1-    UNDERLINE the need to establish a joint strategic plan of action for the member States with the aim of renouncing violence and intellectual, cultural and media extremism, entrenching the culture of tolerance, and moderation, enhancing dialogue in the face of  sectarian and ethnic polarizations, and supporting religious, cultural and media institutions in addressing sectarian and ethnic polarizations ; URGE member States to develop curricula in all cycles of education in a way that guarantees the fight against extremism and the respect for the rights of man whatever his religion and his religious doctrine, as well as establish the necessary regulations to curb the role of the media that incite to sectarian violence and extremism.

2-    STRESS  the condemnation of terrorism as a belief, thought and practice; URGE Member States to ban and criminalize the fatwas that encourage terrorism and crimes whatever its source, and to put an end to the fatwas that incite to hatred, perpetuate sectarianism and the rejection of the other.

3-    AFFIRM our commitment to the OIC Convention To Combat Terrorism; DEMAND the condemnation and criminalization of the terrorist acts perpetrated by DAESH and the other terrorist organizations which include acts of mass murder of the members of sects and religions, the demolition of antiquities, shrines, mosques, Husseinyats, churches and places of worship, the burning of books that contradict with their beliefs, and the sabotage of public properties; URGE Member States to introduce qualitative comprehensive changes into national laws and systems toward criminalizing all terrorist practices and all forms of support, funding and instigation to them

4-    AFFIRM supporting the Republic of Iraq in its war against terrorism; and DECLARE that we stand by its side in the face of terrorist groups by extending the necessary support as Iraq is fighting on behalf of all the world and the Islamic world in particular against terrorism, DECLARE also our appreciation and pride in the victories achieved by Iraqis against the DAESH gangs and the other terrorist organizations.

5-    REJECT strongly the Zionist entity’s (Israel) expansionist settlement policy and demand the cessation of all settlement activities and the legislative and administrative measures and procedures that aim at changing the legal status of the city of al-Quds; and CALL upon the UN Security Council to promptly act for the removal of these settlements; REAFFIRM our relentless support to and solidarity with the sacred Palestinian cause and our full commitment to support the Palestinian people in their just struggle against the occupying Israeli entity and request the formation of special committees on Palestine in the PUIC Member Parliaments.

6-    STRESS the inalienable, equal and balanced rights of all peoples to have free access to modern nuclear utilizations and technologies, and their free use for peaceful purposes; CALL for declaring the whole Middle East a region free from weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons without exception; and WELCOME, in this context, the agreement concluded between Iran and the group of 5+1 especially that this agreement has proved the efficiency and benefits of negotiation for conflict resolution.

7-    AFFIRM the right of Muslim minorities to have their dignity, safety and honor preserved, their right to freedom of worship and to the free exercise of religious rituals, the right to work and to earn their living, the right to have their assets and properties protected, as well as the right to be entitled to all the rights enjoyed by the citizens of the country, and to have their cultural identity safeguarded; STRESS, in the same context, our support to the banning of incitement or the practice of discriminating against national non-Muslim partners and the need to consider them as equal citizens in rights and duties.

8-    SUPPORT the establishment of a platform for enhancing economic, commercial, financial and banking relations, without distinction between  peoples, particularly the PUIC members, through promoting and deepening regional and sub-regional cooperation, with the aim of achieving sustainable development, providing equitable conditions for attaining the sought economic growth, increasing local production, raising the volume of inter-state exports, and consequently helping to create productive job opportunities in national economies and accelerate the pace of economic progress toward combating poverty and meeting the other objectives enunciated in the MDGs document.

9-    AFFIRM that enhancing the dialogue of civilizations, highlighting common denominators and  shared values, and fostering on-going dialogue between religions based on mutual respect among peoples, are necessary prerequisites on which we insist to achieve for peace, security, tolerance and coexistence devoid of any manifestation of extremism; CALL therefore for deepening dialogue among Islamic Madhahib (schools of Islamic thought), combating intolerance and extremism, propagating the true understanding of religion, and rejecting Takfir (the practice of declaring another Muslim as an infidel) and the propensity for violence and for causing harm to others.

10-    DENOUNCE all form of fighting taking place in Yemen taking place in Yemen and Syria; EXHORT the Union to sustain the efforts of the UN Organization to reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Yemen and Syria through recourse to dialogue; URGE member States to lead effective initiatives in order to ease tensions among Islamic States in the region, especially between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in order to achieve regional stability and security.

11-    DEMAND STRONGLY the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from all the occupied Azerbaijani territories, including Nakorno Karabakh region, and URGE strongly Armenia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and implement the relevant UN resolutions.  

12-    EXPRESS our support to the political process in Iraq through the necessity of commitment to the Constitution, the establishment of young democracy and the rule of law and the principle of participation; CONSIDER the will of the Iraqi people as expressed through ballot boxes the only way to express their legitimate aspirations and ambitions in building their sovereign civil State.

13-    STRESS the preservation of the sovereignty of Iraq and the non-acceptance of any foreign interference whether from member states or any other state in line with the respect of national sovereignty and the commitment of all states to the UN Charter and the rules of international laws.

14-    EXPRESS our firm support to the Republic of Iraq in strengthening national unity and promote national reconciliation toward achieving a historical settlement among all the components sects and faiths existing in the Iraqi society through adopting dialogue and democratic mechanisms as a means of achieving this settlement.

15-    EXPRESS our support to the Republic of Iraq in reinforcing its measures to impose the rule of law, to limit weapons to the hands of the Government, and not to allow the existence of armed entities outside the framework of the State, while guaranteeing the right of the peaceful political opposition in conformity with the Iraqi Constitution.

16-    STRESS that we stand by the side of Iraqi and Syrian refugees and displaced persons; CALL ON PUIC Member States to assume their responsibility in preserving the lives of millions of them people; URGE the international community to treat them in a decent manner in conformity with the international laws pertaining to the rights of displaced persons.

Baghdad – 24 January 2016