Sayyed Fadlullah: the Organization of the Islamic Conference should become an effective one that emphasizes the Islamic role worldwide. We should not resort to illusions and myths while the enemies have become political and economic super powers

Asked in his weekly seminar the following question: The organization of the Islamic conference is holding its meeting in Turkey in which it will discuss additional Islamic problems and issues and end up in a communiqué that would be added to its previous ones.

How do you view this new meeting? And what in your opinion is the course the Organization should adopt to serve the causes of the Islamic Nation? 

The Religious Authority Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah said:

One of the most prominent goals that the Organization of the Islamic Conference has adopted is to dedicate its efforts to serve the major Islamic causes and to promote cooperation and coordination of the Islamic states' efforts to champion the Muslims’ causes and defend their holy places and their lands in general.

The Organization which was founded in the aftermath of the Zionist's setting Al-Aqsa Mosque on fire in 1969, took on itself to counter any aggression that targets the nation with unified stances and available resources.

This is at least what its first meeting and its charter, which pledged to liberate Jerusalem, suggested.

But this Organization, much like other Arab and Muslim organizations, soon became a sound phenomenon that issues many communiqués containing a lot of stands, but without turning these stands to a practical attitude that might deter the enemies and the international arrogant powers, and force them to stop executing their plans and projects that aim at confiscating all Muslim resources.

What is more dangerous is that the Organization has turned into an exhibition forum where the problems and challenges that face the Islamic world are displayed. It is as if the Islamic states are saying that they can not do anything other than outlining the problems and issuing communiqués of condemnation that no longer have any effect, especially with the current political atmosphere of American hegemony over the region and the entire world. In this respect, what is even more dangerous is the change of the organization into a front that hides behind it several American plans and projects.

We believe that the Organization has failed to produce anything that is worth mentioning to the Palestinian cause. It also failed to bring it out of the security domain and of the details America and Israel are preoccupying the world with, and returning it to its political space as a central international struggle between the most brutal kind of occupation in the world and the most prominent liberation movement.

It also failed to offer anything effective to the Iraqi cause, as Iraq remains a prey for occupation and anarchy, as well as the plots designed by the various international powers, which might differ on how to deal with the Iraqi question but they will go back and settle their differences due to their common political and economic interests.

The Islamic Conference Organization should embrace the causes of the Islamic Nation by actually adopting them and not finding it enough to hold an annual meeting to outline problems and challenges. Its agenda should not be determined by the American arrogance dictates that control the Arab and Muslims summits. The Organization should lay emphasis on the moral and humane content of Islam that directs the political and security positions.

Moreover, it might be very important to embrace Turkey, keeping it away from Israel, and making its movement conform with the general Muslim movement, having been excluded by the EU because if its Islamic Character.

There are numerous big challenges in the Islamic World that call for deploying every resource the Organization has to face the distortion campaigns of the Islamic world in the name of fighting terrorism. It has also to confront the barbaric crimes that are committed in the name of Islam. Both issues have to be addressed simultaneously, so that we could present the real civilized Islam to the world. We have to launch an awareness campaign to change the mentality that does not mind killing innocent people and using illegitimate violence against others.

What is happening in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan demands a movement that views these issues as vital and critical issues that require exerting pressures on those who support occupation in a way that makes them feel that their interests are endangered. Moreover, the difficult economic conditions in the poor Islamic countries have to be addressed. A plan should be laid out to relief them from both dept and poverty that make them an easy prey for International arrogance.

In short, the Organization should become an effective one that emphasizes the Islamic role worldwide. We should not resort to illusions and myths while the enemies have become political and economic super powers.