Hijjah 08, 1431 H/Nov. 14, 2010, SPA -- The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu hailed Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud's recent initiative of conducting an air lift to help distressed people in Pakistan. On the blessed occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference addressed the following statement to the Islamic Ummah: "On the advent of the blessed Eid-ul-Adha 1431 H, I am pleased to extend to the Islamic Ummah all over the world my sincere congratulations on this great religious occasion. The occasion of Eid comes amidst overwhelming spiritual and Divine Mercy blessings, while millions of Muslims gather on Mount Arafat in a majestic religious scene. This reminds us, Muslims, of the need for unity and solidarity, away from all forms of discord, rivalry or differences. Muslims today, more than ever, are most in need to unite their ranks to defeat what is being plotted against them, attain pride, strength and dignity, and support their brothers to restore their usurped rights. Similarly, their unity is most needed to defend their sanctities, particularly the Holy City of Al-Quds and the Palestinian cause, which is the central cause of the Organization, especially in light of the attempts to Judaize the City and alter its cultural and historical features and demographic composition. Meanwhile, we must not forget our brothers and sisters in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the victims of the most notorious floods witnessed in the modern era. In this respect, we wish to extend our thanks and appreciation to all the countries, institutions and individuals who extended help and assistance to the flood-affected victims, notably Saudi Arabia, which established, at the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, an air lift to help distressed people. We, hereby, reiterate our appeal to the individuals and institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations, humanitarian and charitable foundations all over the Islamic world to continue the tide of solidarity with our brothers in Pakistan. This is inspired by the teachings of our noble religion, which makes solidarity and cohesion the core values of Islamic fraternity. Additionally and in order to speed up intervention in the event of major disasters striking without prior warning, we propose to establish an emergency fund to cope with such situations when they occur, and provide the essential first aid which cannot wait. As we celebrate this feast, we wish to recall the Extraordinary Makkah Summit of December 2005 whose fifth anniversary is due in a few weeks' time. This Summit adopted the Ten-Year Programme of Action, a document, which identified ways and means to advance the Islamic Ummah in all fields and make it capable of meeting the challenges at this critical juncture of its history. I pray to God Almighty to grant you many happy returns of this feast, when the Islamic Ummah has restored its distinguished position among other world nations, and has achieved the progress, success and prosperity it aspires.
