30/06/2011 President
30.06.2011 – The Organisation for Islamic Co-operation and the Council of Europe have much in common, and must work together more closely to head off conflict and counter intolerance, PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has told foreign ministers from the 57-member Organisation for Islamic Co-operation (OIC).
Addressing a meeting in Astana, as Kazakhstan takes over Chairmanship of the OIC, Mr Çavuşoğlu said working together was “an imperative of our time”. He noted that the two organisations had “huge potential” for co-operation, with “plenty of work on our plate”.
“Our two Organisations share the same cultural, spiritual and historic references – Islam is part of European history and traditions,” Mr Çavuşoğlu pointed out. “We also face the same challenges in the modern world. Therefore, we have to […] find a common response to these challenges, based on shared values and principles.”
He suggested the OIC could contribute – along with the EU and UN Alliance of Civilizations – to a possible “platform for dialogue” between the Council of Europe, the main religious faiths and the main humanist organisations.
The two Organisations could also make joint efforts to fight intolerance – be it Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism or xenophobia in general – by, for example, countering stereotypes in schoolbooks, the media and public discourse.
Politicians and elected representatives should be encourged to speak out against extremism, the President said. For their part, Muslims and Muslim communities should also “be the first to condemn and combat any form of political extremism under the cover of Islam”.