BAGHDAD, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- Parliamentarians of Islamic States on Sunday called for combating terrorism, renouncing violence and extremism in Muslim nations and defusing tension among them.
It is necessary to work out a joint strategic action plan among members States (of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC [PUIC]) aimed at repudiating violence and extremism at the intellectual, cultural and media levels, said the Baghdad Declaration, released at conclusion of the convention that brought together legislators from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member States.
The Declaration, read by Mohammad Bahr Al-Oloum, the PUIC Rapporteur, called for promoting culture of moderation, dialogue and tackling racial and sectarian polarization.
Denouncing terrorism as a doctrine and school of thought, the Declaration appealed to the PUIC member States to ban edicts that encourage terrorism, crime and hatred which contribute to "implanting sectarianism" and driving a wedge among peoples of different faiths.
Conferees, in the Declaration, renewed commitment to the OIC Treaty for Combating Terrorism, called for criminalizing acts of such nature by the terrorist group, "Daesh" (the so-called Islamic State), which has been involved in mass killing of peoples of diverse communities and creeds, annihilating relics, mausoleums, mosques, hussainias, churches, other worship places, torching books, contents of which contradict the IS beliefs, and sabotaging public properties.
There should be, they emphasized, "comprehensive and qualitative changes" in relevant laws and regulations to criminalize all forms of terrorism and related activities, such as funding and inciting such acts, in addition to measures to "dry up intellectual, human and financial resources of terrorism," affirming support for Iraq in its war against terrorism.
The OIC member States' lawmakers called for "respecting Iraq's sovereignty," barring any external meddling in its domestic affairs, declared backing for the Republic in enforcing laws, restricting arms possession to the State, prohibiting "armed entities" free from State control. But they noted necessity of "ensuring right of peaceful political opposition in line with the Iraqi Constitution." Affirming their "support" for Iraqi and Syrian refugees, the legislators appealed to the PUIC countries to shoulder their responsibilities and seek to safeguard lives of millions of these people who have fled their homeland. Moreover, they urged the "international community to treat them well according to relevant international laws on immigrants." On the crisis in Yemen, the conferees condemned "all forms of infighting" there, urged the member states to support UN efforts aimed at resolving the strife peacefully in that country, as well as in Syria.
Furthermore, they urged the PUIC countries to come up with initiatives to "contain tensions among the Islamic States in the region particularly between Saudi Arabia and Iran for sake of regional stability and security." They called for "adoption of dialogue among civilizations, embracing shares values among nations," noting that there must be "dialogue among religions based on respect among the peoples." The Islamic States emphatically rejected Israeli expansionist settlement schemes, called for cessation of all forms of settlement activities and measures intended to alter legal status of the Holy City Jerusalem and called on the United Nations Security Council to act quickly to remove the settlements in the occupied territories.
Nations equally enjoy right to acquire technology, namely nuclear technology for peaceful usage, they noted, calling for proliferation of the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.
The parliamentarians "welcomed the deal between Iran and the Group of Five (G5), called for respecting Muslim communities' rights and boosting cooperation among nations at various levels for realizing economic growth.
Earlier during today's session, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi called on Islamic states to be cautious regarding plots designed to foment sectarian discords and conflicts and urged for solidarity for facing terrorism, warning that verbal instigation that feeds sectarian sentiments "can be deadlier than terrorism in some conditions." On his part, President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) and Kuwait National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim called for waging an "Islamic cultural battle" against terrorism.
"As no country is now safe from terrorism, time is ripe for an Islamic cultural battle against this surging phenomenon," the Kuwait Parliament Speaker said. He added that since terrorism could hit any country, all-out cooperation among Muslim countries against this phenomenon has become a religious, moral and human duty.
"This cooperation cannot be restricted to security, though significant, as it should be a cultural one armed with science, justice, development, democracy, transparency, good governance, culture of human rights and teachings of the great Islamic religion," Al-Ghanim said.
"We have to defeat terrorism by waging our real wars on illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, inequality, injustice, administrative backwardness, bureaucracy and corruption ... the wars which we can wage through our parliaments, judiciaries, universities, libraries and research centers," he noted.
However, the speaker warned that while terrorism is growing in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Egypt's Sinai and other areas, the central Palestinian issue should not be forgotten.
At another level, he objected to a statement by Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani against Saudi Arabia, during the (PUIC) conference. If the Saudi delegation is not present at the conference, "I, personally, and the Kuwaiti delegation, represent Saudi Arabia, and will under any conditions accept interference in the Kingdom's internal affairs," Al-Ghanim told the conference, quashing Larijani's statement.
Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Salim Al-Jabouri presided over the gathering, which was attended by delegations from more than 40 countries, among them the parliament speakers from Kuwait, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Tunisia, Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, Mali and the Sudan.
Iraqi President Fuad Masum also attended the event, together with senior officials and Arab and foreign envoys to the country.
In his opening address to the PUIC conference, Al-Jabouri urged the Muslim states to counter sectarianism, and terrorism "that came to threaten Islam as a whole." He said that the ongoing conflict in the region is perilous, resulting from disputes among regional powers, and embroiled other countries, directly or indirectly. Al-Jabouri called for an overall settlement of the issue of the region through "some concessions" to realize, and guarantee regional and international peace and security.
For his part, Masum appealed the Muslim countries to extend further support to Iraq which is "facing a fierce attack" that distorts Islam and fuels sectarianism to divide Muslims, and arouse trouble with followers of other religions, he said. (end) ahh.rk