The Kingdom on Thursday became the first country to sign the new charter of the Organization of the Islamic Countries (OIC). The charter was signed on the sidelines of the 35th session meeting of OIC foreign ministers in the Ugandan capital. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nizar Bin Obaid Madani signed the charter. The Kingdom was invited as the first signatory in recognition of its efforts to formulating the new charter. Several other OIC member states signed the charter afterwards. The signing ceremony coincided with the order of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to provide Muslims in Uganda with 3,000 copies of the Holy Qur'an. The King also ordered carpets for mosques in Kampala. Meanwhile, the Kingdom affirmed its support for the declaration of Jammu and Kashmir issued by the OIC contact group meeting held earlier this year in Dakar, Senegal. The Kingdom also affirmed its commitment to supporting peaceful and fair solution to the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir upholding the just rights of the Kashmiri people and their aspirations in line with a plebiscite recommended by the United Nations. “We look forward to the commitment of all parties involved in the conflict to respect international resolutions and human rights of the Kashmiri people and their legitimate rights,” Dr. Nizar Madani said. The Kingdom appreciates the commitment of the government of Pakistan, its flexibility, and its quest for creating an atmosphere conducive to the ongoing comprehensive dialogue with the Indian government to move forward towards a just and final settlement of the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Addressing the meeting of OIC foreign ministers, Dr. Nizar Madani said the cause of Islamic solidarity tops the Kingdom's priorities. He said the Kingdom accords priority to the Palestinian issue, particularly an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people due to Israel's aggressive policies and collective punishment policy. The Kingdom views the Israeli acts as violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and resolutions of the United Nations, he said. Religious extremism, ideological fanaticism, racial discrimination, pursuit of a policy of arrogance and hegemony, pushing towards a clash of civilizations and cultures, and non-existence of the principles of dialogue, understanding and tolerance are plaguing the humanity, the Kingdom said. This critical situation in human relations prompted King Abdullah to formulate a mechanism for dialogue with other monotheistic religions, Dr. Madani said. The Kingdom also praised the Arab League and Qatari efforts that led to the election of General Michel Suleiman as Lebanese President. The Kingdom renewed its support for Iraq's unity, sovereignty, independence, Arab and Islamic identity and non-interference in its internal affairs. Dr. Madani also pointed out that emanating from its keenness to provide an appropriate environment for many developing nations, the Kingdom was seriously working with the international community in seeking appropriate mechanisms to deal with the phenomenon of rising food prices and their negative impact.
