CAIRO DECLARATION FIFTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY UNION OF THE OIC MEMBER STATES (PUIC) Cairo – Arab Republic of Egypt 30-31 January 2008

CAIRO DECLARATION
FIFTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY UNION OF THE OIC MEMBER STATES (PUIC)
Cairo – Arab Republic of Egypt
30-31 January 2008  

 
          By the kind patronage of His Excellency President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak of the Arab Republic of Egypt; at the invitation of His Excellency Prof. Ahmed Fathi Sorour, Speaker of the Egyptian People’s Assembly and President of the Fifth Session; in the attendance of their Excellencies heads and members of the delegations of forty-two PUIC members; together with the presence of (8) observers, the 5th Session of the PUIC Conference was held in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, on 30-31 January 2008, corresponding to 22-23 Muharram 1429H.
 
          The conferees discussed the developments and challenges which face the Islamic World, included in its agenda. The Conference concluded as follows:
 
FIRST: THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE
 
-          Expresses utmost thanks and appreciation to H.E. President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak of Egypt for his efforts to restore the fabric of the one Palestinian people by inviting the brothers in Fatah and Hamas for dialogue in Cairo in order to emphasize the necessity of realizing national reconciliation among all the factions of the national and Islamic forces and their rallying in the framework of the PLO, the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people. It expresses special thanks and appreciation of the President’s approval to open Rafah cross-point thus allowing the people of Gaza Strip to be provided with the essentials of life and daily living, denied to them by Israel by virtue of its total and unjust blockade of the Strip and pursuance of military incursions, detentions and assassinations perpetrated against our people and brothers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
 
-          Denounces the massacres which have been committed – and continue to be committed – by the Israeli occupation authorities which victimized scores of innocent people; decries the continuous practices aimed at isolating, laying siege to the Palestinian people, the Israeli repressive measures based on assassination, detention, demolition of houses, bulldozing of lands, establishing settlements and building the racist separation wall, which confirm that the siege and starving of the Palestinian people constitute a methodological process pursued by the Israeli authorities in order to empty the Palestinian territories and expel their inhabitants.
 
-          Strongly denounces the continuation and demolition activities carried out by the Israeli occupation forces near the Al Aqsa Mosque as a blatant infringement of the Islamic sanctities and the status of Al Quds Al Sharif; calls on the UN and the international community to shoulder its total legal and moral obligations and exercise all forms of pressure on Israel to stop its heinous crime.

 
-          Strongly condemns Israel’s expansionist settlement policy and stresses the inevitability of halting all acts of settlement as well as the legislative and administrative measures and practices aimed at altering the legal status of Al Quds and its demographic structure by contravening the principles of international law and resolutions of the international legitimacy; requests the UN Security Council to act expeditiously to dismantle the Israeli settlements according to its resolution No. (465); to emphasize the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their lands which they have abandoned and to enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent sovereign State with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
 
-          Demands the expeditious release of Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Duwaik, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council as well as the Palestinian representatives detained in Israeli jails which constitutes a blatant violation of all international instruments and norms; requests the UN and the IPU to take decisive measures to compel Israel to release them.
 
-          Reconfirms its support of the Arab Peace Initiative considered as an integrated plan to achieve just, comprehensive and durable peace in the region based on international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions; confirms the rights of the Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian peoples in recovering their sovereignty over the entire national soil.
 
The Iranian Delegation expressed its reservation on any expression in this Conference which may be understood to mean any explicit or implicit recognition of the Zionist entity in Palestine.
 
SECOND: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EUP) AND ISLAMIC STATES
 
-          Rejects the European Parliament’s resolution on the state of human rights in Egypt; denounces this flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Egypt.
 
-          Rejects the interference of the EU Parliament and others in the domestic affairs of Islamic countries as this would have adverse effects on the historic relations between the Islamic world and Europe, and expresses full solidarity with the Arab Republic of Egypt. This solidarity shall include any Islamic State which maybe exposed in the future to a similar interference in its internal affairs by the European Parliament.
 
THIRD: IRAQ
 
-          Invites all Member States to support efforts of the Iraqi government to restore security and stability to all parts of Iraq, realize national reconciliation, recovery by Iraq of its sovereignty over all its national soil through the following measures:
 
·         Rejecting and condemning all interventions in the internal affairs of Iraq, considered as a blatant violation of all international instruments and norms.
 
·         Supporting the efforts of the Iraqi government to put an end to the presence of foreign forces, and reactivation of the UN natural role in Iraq.
 
·         Supporting the Iraqi economy, reconstruction operations and preserving the wealth and all the resources of Iraq.
 
·         Aborting all attempts to divide Iraq, and all attempts to ignite the flames of sedition and civil war among the Iraqi people, and condemning all acts of terrorism which target the security and stability of Iraq.
 
FOURTH: SYRIA AND LEBANON
 
-          Confirms the support to the right of Syria to restoring the occupied Arab Syrian Golan to the motherland.
 
-          Affirms Lebanon’s legitimate right of resistance for completing the liberation of all the Lebanese national soil and restoration of Sheba farms to Lebanon, and calls upon the Lebanese people and government to unite, rally together and denounce differences and violence in order to overcome the political crisis, fill the Presidential vacuum, spread security and stability over Lebanon in consensus and acceptance of the Lebanese people.
 
-          Condemns all forms of regional and international interventions in the Lebanese domestic affairs as this would undermine the security and stability of Lebanon; Calls upon the Islamic countries to shoulder their responsibility in reconstructing Lebanon and building up the damage caused by the ferocious Israeli war on Lebanon. Underscores the recent initiative of the Arab League for ending the political crisis in Lebanon in a balanced and fair manner.
 
FIFTH: THE SUDAN
 
-          Urges the armed groups in Darfur which have not yet signed the Abuja Agreement and did not attend the recent meetings in Serte, Libya, to join the peace process and sign the Agreement in order to put an end to the Sudanese bloodshed and establish security and stability.
 
-          Commends the Sudanese government’s adoption of the policy of dialogue and negotiations with the armed groups and supports its relentless endeavor to achieve peace and national reconciliation.
 
-          Requests the Islamic States to boost their financial development aid and technical assistance to address the roots of the problem.
 
-          Affirms confrontation of slave and child trafficking and condemns Arche De Zoe, the French organization, which kidnapped and started to sell Sudanese and Chadian children; denounces the violation of human and child rights under the cover of humanitarian and voluntary activities; calls for encouraging Islamic voluntary activity organizations to be the appropriate substitutes in this domain.
 
-          Rejects imposing any sort of sanctions on Sudan and interference in its internal affairs under any pretext in respect of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
 
-          Supports and backs the refugees and dispersed people from the Sudan and Central Africa

SIXTH: SOMALIA
 
-          Expresses its concern over the deterioration of the security conditions and continuation of armed conflict among the different Somali factions in a way that threatens the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia; demands the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces and invites all the factions to engage in serious and fruitful dialogue in order to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation that restores security and stability throughout Somalia. This is an essential step for the establishment of peace all over the Horn of Africa.
 
-          Expresses its fears over the deterioration of the security and humanitarian conditions as well as continuation of the conflict between the legitimate government and the opposition in Somalia in such a way as to threaten the unity and safety of Somali, and requests the withdrawal of foreign troops upon the completion of deployment of the African Union’s forces (AMISON) according to the resolution of the UN Security Council.
 
-          Calls for extending material and moral support to the Somali people in the fields of the infrastructure and building, together with the importance of teaching and propagating moderate Islamic values and ideas in Somalia.
 
SEVENTH: MIDDLE EAST
 
-          Affirms the right of all the Islamic countries, including Iran, to the peaceful use of atomic energy in accordance with the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) within the effective supervision of IAEA, denounces the escalation of pressures and threats against Iran to deprive it of the legal right to possess peaceful nuclear technology, ignoring at the same time Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons, its non accession to the NPT and its rejection of putting its nuclear facilities under the supervision of the IAEA.
 
-          Requests the pursuance of diplomatic means and negotiations in handling the crisis arising from the Iranian nuclear programme, stresses that the multilateral institutions established under the UN are the sole legitimate bodies authorized to verify and ensure abidance by the relevant agreements.
 
EIGHTH: CYPRUS
 
-          Calls on the Member states to support effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot State and maintain close links with it, aiming to help it overcome the inhuman isolation imposed on it, and consolidate and strengthen their relations with the Turkish Cypriot State in all fields; reconfirms all previous OIC resolutions on Cyprus issue as well as the PUIC resolutions.
 
NINTH: AZERBAIJAN
 
-          Requests the meticulous implementation of the resolution Nos. (822), (853), (874) and (884) adopted by the UN Security Council and the immediate, unconditional and complete withdrawal of the Armenian forces from all the occupied Azeri territories; Strongly urges Armenia to respect the sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic and its territorial integrity.
 
-    Condemns the savage aggression on the mosques and sacred Muslim shrines which resulted in severe damage to the Islamic archeological and cultural heritage of the Azeri territories.
 
-          Confirms again its full solidarity and support of the efforts exerted by the government and people of Azerbaijan in defence of their land.
 
TENTH: TERRORISM
 
-    Condemns the phenomenon of terrorism and denounces all its financial and supportive efforts
 
-          Stresses the inevitability of the separation between all forms and manifestations of terrorism and the right of states and peoples to legitimate resistance and armed struggle against the occupier and colonist in order to liberate their homeland and recover their legitimate rights guaranteed by the UN Charter and all the international agreements and conventions, considered as an inherent right of peoples under occupation. It reconfirms the gravity of linking between Islam, violence, terrorism and prejudice and totally rejects such linkage; calls for convening an international conference to define the concept of terrorism and draw up a code of conduct between states and calls for establishing an international centre to combat terrorism.
 
-          Condemns the assassination of the former Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan’s People Party, Benazir Bhutto which was killed in an attack on her convoy in the city of Rawalpindi, and calls on the Pakistani people to preserve the security and stability of their country, combat all forms and manifestations of terrorism, and continue their democratic march.
 
ELEVENTH: DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS
 
-          Confirms the rights of Muslim minorities in the various states, especially in European countries, to live in peace and without oppression by these states, considering that tolerance among adherents of different religions and faiths constitutes a safety valve for all societies, and rejects the DNA tests imposed on some Muslim immigrants which constitute a violation of their human rights.
 
-          Reconfirms that religious dialogue is not a human invention but rather a divine order and a sacred law. The three divine religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism enjoin their adherents to uphold the right path, and apply reason and wisdom. Dialogue is also the sole path of our world to live in love, security and peace.
 
-          Recalls that the points of departure for dialogue in Islamic vision are mutual respect, equity, justice, renunciation of bias, violence and hatred, because this vision assumes the existence of common denominators that form a general framework and solid ground for dialogue.
 
-          Indicates that the Arabic and Islamic cultural and value system extends an invitation for coexistence and love among human beings proceeding from mutual and total respect for pluralism and differentiation considered as Allah’s course among His creations. It stresses that the international community must be based on cultural, religious and intellectual pluralism and that the latter does not prejudice the unity of the international community but rather supports it.
 
-          Requests the United Nations to expeditiously adopt an international resolution and enact legislations that incriminate abusing the three divine religions and religious sanctities, in such a way as to ensure a balance between the freedom of opinion and expression, and the inviolability of religions and beliefs of others and not to discriminate against certain minorities or categories of people.
 
-          Calls for the dissemination of the culture of moderation, tolerance, dialogue and openness; rejects all forms of terrorism and extremism; warns against utilizing pluralism, doctrinarism, and sectarianism for political purposes that aim at splitting the Islamic Ummah and dividing its states and people.
 
TWELFTH: ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ASPECTS
 
-    Calls upon Islamic governments to increase their financial and in-kind assistance to African states, especially those South of the Sahara, to fight desertification, poverty, drought and famine, as well as to consider writing off or alleviating their debts.
 
-    Calls upon the Member States to support and energize joint Islamic economic action, possess state-of-the-art technology, and develop interest in scientific research being a developmental fate-determining necessity.
 
-    Underpins the pivotal role of Islamic Parliaments in formulating economic policies and instruments as well as their political role in crystallizing respective visions of states in the face of globalization developments and challenges.
 
-    Expresses its solidarity with Islamic Parliaments, members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union Convention seeking to establish fair and balanced partnership, open a frank and honest dialogue among partner states, and supports proposal for putting in place economic partnerships that apply the logic of win-win growth and development consistently with that of pure commercialization.
 
-    Calls for disseminating the culture of moderation, tolerance, dialogue, openness and the necessity of combating the phenomenon of Islamophobia which has escalated, recently; warns against employing pluralism, doctrinarism and sectarianism for political purposes that aim at splitting the Islamic Ummah and dividing its States and peoples
 
-    Underscores the necessity of promoting education and scientific research and their curricula in the Islamic world, thus deepening common Islamic identification, responding to exigencies of development, modernization and overall development, entrenching values of dialogue, creativity and innovation, and enhancing principles of consultation, democracy, human rights and effective positive participation of women in various facets of life.
 
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Note:
 
The Parliamentary Delegation of the Arab Republic of Egypt expressed its reservation on conferring the name “Turkish Cypriot State” on the “Turkish Muslim People of Cyprus” who enjoy observer status at the PUIC pursuant to the fact that such naming can only be made according to the ways provided for in the UN Charter. Egypt expressed its sympathy with the Turkish people of Cyprus as well as its certain wish to find a solution to the problem of Cyprus.