Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon has called for a thorough self-assessment to identify the reason Islam is being associated with intolerance, terrorism, violence, and backwardness.
Speaking at the 41st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dunya suggested that although Muslims could blame the West and Western media, Muslim societies must make a self-assessment as to why Islam is being tarnished by images linked to terrorism.
“Muslims were once the pioneers of science and technology. Today, we have to accept the reality that Muslim societies are on the brink of falling into an abyss for creativity,” said the foreign minister in Jeddah.
“It is beyond imagination, or within the realm of belief, to think that we can overcome these dark times? Let us recommit ourselves to work together to overcome our challenges. United and strong we can once again become the standard bearers of tolerance and innovation,” she said.
Condemning Islamophobia, Dunya also argued that the chaos seen in the Muslim world today is a result of not exercising true Islamic ideals.
“Islamic principles and values of justice and equality of all humans, and the right of citizens in having a say and a stake in their governments is well in line with modern democratic values,” she said.
Urging the OIC to unite in support for democratic change around the world and in Islamic societies, Dunya said Maldives was an emerging democracy that is striving to advance its democratic institutions and to cherish the values of Islam.
Stating that Islam emphasises the equal rights and responsibilities of men and women, she called on the OIC to work to protect, safeguard, and guarantee the rights of Muslim women around the world.
Concern over the ‘tarnished image of Islam’ was also highlighted in OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani’s statement.
He called on ‘European leaders’ to reflect internally “before accusing Islam of racism, Nazism and committing massacres against others” and called for the rights of Muslim minorities around the world.
“The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemns terrorism wherever it is and confirms, as in all international agreements and resolutions in this regard, that terrorism has no religion, nationality, doctrine, color, or race,” said Madani
“It is rather a phenomenon that should be combatted and addressed wherever it is and whatever its source may be. Accordingly, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation rejects and condemns any attempt to render terrorism equivalent to Islam, a religion espoused by more than two billion people throughout the world.”
Madani noted that terrorism, religious, and sectarian extremism, and the rights of Muslim minorities outside the Muslim World were primary concerns of the OIC.
Concepts of human rights, the rights of women and children, and religious practice were also listed a key interests of the group.
A statement from the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also delivered yesterday at the conference, in which he commented on issues faced by Muslim communities around the world, particularly in Myanmar, Mali, Central African Republic, Syria, Palestine and Iraq.
Stating that a humanitarian crisis is quickly unfolding in Iraq, Ban Ki-moon called for a national security plan against terrorist threats, saying that OIC members can play a key role in creating a positive and enabling environment for a national dialogue in Iraq.
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Can anybody explain to me what Dunya is saying? Because she isn't making any sense. It sounds like she's just weaving together random words which often contradict each other.
"Today, we have to accept the reality that Muslim societies are on the brink of falling into an abyss for creativity.”
Why is creativity an abyss, and how come we are "falling into" it? Why does she put creativity in a negative context? Is it a mistake made by Minivan News or is that what she really said? And this is just one example. I won't hghlight any others in the interest of my life.
http://www.foreign.gov.mv/new/tpl/news/article/929/
Who are you to comment on Islam? Firiheneh hen boa koshaigen. Anhenun firihenthulhaa vumakee haraan kameh. Quruaanu ge tharujamaa kiyaabala!
Rihaakuru - She meant - falling into an abyss for want/lack of creativity. Your confusion is understandable, few non-native speakers would understand.
But that doesn't excuse your insolence. You will be punished.
This coming from a woman whose father publicly spoke against the hijab?
What Doomya said sounds like a PhD title. Lots of research needed to understand the sentence
If a commoner said such things, he or she would be labeled a homosexual, atheist or jew - then punished.
But when the mullah's big sugardaddy's daughter says such things, they remain silent - for creativity is only haraam to us poor peasants. 😛
Why didn't she talk about religious freedom in Islamic countries? When Muslims immigrate to non-Muslim countries they should be provided with halal food, mosques and madrassa but when non Muslims go to Islamic countries they will be put in jail if they eat non halal food or if they practice their faith. What a joke!
The people who does this should not use the name Islam, They can say that there are fighting for power not because of a faith.
The people who clams jihadis are killing muslim. blowing up Mosques.schools Etc.
Its not from god to its creations.its form some made people with guns.
“Muslims were once the pioneers of science and technology."
Sounds like Dunya either doesn't understand what she's talking about or she just read out someone else's statement. If you read the history of Muslims, you'll understand that those who actually pioneered science and technology were a very different kettle of fish to the Muslims who came before them and after them.
There was a time when the Caliphs of Islam were more concerned with matters other than who is more Muslim amongst Muslims. They were a unique breed that is never likely to be seen again in Muslim lands. In fact they were vilified by the more extremists of the day for believing in things like science. For further details, you can read history and see current events in Muslim countries as evidence right in front of your eyes.
Why, oh why does Saudi Arabia with its trillions of dollars hardly produce anything of significance in any field of knowledge? During the last two centuries the most famous Saudis happened to be those who flew into the World Trade Center! So much for Muslim progress.
Now, this made me laugh:
"He called on ‘European leaders’ to reflect internally “before accusing Islam of racism..."
Today's Muslims and their leaders don't have much they can teach Europeans regarding racism. Just take a trip to the wealthy Gulf states; if you're not a white skinned person, regardless of your religion, you'll be treated like sh*t. This is an undeniable fact. With regard to women, where do we even start? Let's not get carried away with the notion that women have many rights in Muslim countries. Start with Saudi Arabia again!
Having said all that, Dunya's topic is bang on "topic", pardon the pun. Muslims have no one else to blame, but themselves for all the negative images that we see as commonplace today.
Let them say whatever they will. There will come a time when when she will be examined for what she said and believed as well as her father. In the day of judgement. The reality today is what has been prophesied 1400 years ago. Our prophet peace be upon him said that a time will come when you will be like foam on ocean. That's what we are now..
@"Scholar"
This talk of saudi's being a bastion of modern islam is completely ridiculous.
Those western leaders are the evil, self righteous, deceptive creatures who put the saudi's in power in the first place.
And heck, to this day the people who provide arms as well as support to the western imposed monarchy to this day.
Sure, the mindset of muslims is partly the problem. But it is PARTLY the problem. The filth that keeps the people you point to as the problem in power are the people you seem to glorify.
Every religion is the root cause of intolerance, extremism, hatred, and the main reason that divides people. No religion has ever contributed anything to human development and religions were always the biggest obstacle for people to be free from mental slavery, or the salves of religious people who controlled the minds of ordinary people. May be it was good when people were still living in tribes who fought for survival competing for food so they can be united to fight with other tribes, races and different people in their origins.
For a politician of 21st century, talking of religion, nationalism is absurd; they should deviate from these crazy ideas and should focus on the development of the country through education and globalization. Leave religion to be a personal affair of individuals. The world was developed by irreligious people and that is the fact, the advance of science and technology was by those who didn’t want to be slaves of religious people so no one should be ashamed with any religion or be proud of a religion , they are all same, the difference is some extremist Muslims have supremacist psychosis believing that Islam is rained down from heaven and it is fault and ridicule proof Gods words and think it should be force down on all human being.
Who is creating a negative image of Islam & why???? many good muslims wants to know.