At the
30th Session of The Islamic Conference
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim Mr.
Chairman, Excellencies, Assalaamu'alaikum wa-Rahmatullahi wa-Barakatuh Allow me at the outset to express the sincere gratitude and appreciation of my delegation to the Government and the brotherly people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to us, as well as for the excellent arrangements for this Conference. That we are holding this 30th Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Tehran is a tribute to the important and constructive role that Iran has played in the work of our Organization. I would also like to offer our felicitations to the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, for the assumption of the Chairmanship of our Conference. We pledge our full support and collaboration to your effor1s in bringing our deliberations to a successful one. Our special commendation also goes to Secretary-General, Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz for the preparations for our Conference. I wish to express my deep condolences to the Government and the people of Algeria for their loss and sufferings caused by the recent earthquakes. Mr. Chairman, We live amidst uncer1ainty where the international environment is among the most challenging testing ground for our Organization. Since our meeting last year, tensions and conflicts have continued to grip many parts of the world, directly affecting many of our member states. Imposition of unilateral action and the waning of multilateralism have characterized the new international political arena. Islam has in fact provided us with guidance and direction to respond to those challenges. However, our incapability to act upon accordingly has enabled others to misuse the oppor1unity for their own benefits. This collective failure to implement values of Islam in the end has threaten the sovereignty, freedom, independence and even the existence of countries within the OIC. Thus it is time for us to reflect upon ourselves and the work of our Organization. This is the time to think on the need for reform and to do away with an attitude of "business as usual". Iraq is just a case in point. If we are true to ourselves, we have to admit that Iraq too is a showcase of our collective failure to arrive and develop adequate interstate, as well as within states, democratic political system including a conflict resolution mechanism that could respond to the challenges of our time. Now Iraq must be expeditiously rebuilt and restored as a functioning civilized society. In that endeavour the role of the United Nations must not be limited to the distribution of much needed humanitarian aid-the UN must playa leading and central role. Whatever form of government will be established, it must be of the Iraqi people's own choosing, and not an alien construct imposed upon them by the occupation forces. This organization must make it absolutely clear that the Iraqi must be given a fair chance to decide their future in a democratic way. Our preoccupation over the situation in Iraq should not overshadow the need for substantial reconstruction in Afghanistan. The greatest danger is that it might again be neglected by the international community. Indonesia is contributing within its capacity to help in its reconstruction. Last year Indonesia provided assistance in cash and kind. We are also providing technical assistance, through triangular cooperation with the Government of Japan, in the areas of public administration, development planning, state budgeting and management systems, health and family planning, agriculture and infrastructures development. On the questions of Palestine, a ray of hope has emerged at the end of the tunnel. But it hinges on the adherence by both sides to the principle of land for peace and the vision of the UN Security Council of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within secure, internationally recognized borders by the year 2005. There
should not, however, be any doubt about where the primary responsibility
lies. Israel must immediately end and dismantle its illegal settlements
in, and withdraw its forces from, Occupied Palestine. As agreed upon at the OIC Ministerial Meeting of the Committee of the Eight in Khartoum last year, two reports have been presented to this Conference: one on the Joint Mission conducted in August last year on the Datu Piang (Maguindanao) incident. The other is on the recent field visits of the representatives of the Committee of the Eight to Southern Philippines to observe the latest developments in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. We are very much encouraged by the reports indicating that all integral elements of the implementation of the First Phase of the 1996 Peace Agreement have been completed and that, therefore, the mandate of the Committee of the Eight has also been successfully fulfilled. Yet at the same time, we are also concerned over the uncertainty of peace and security in the Southern Philippines as a result of the failure in the peace negotiation process between the GRP and the MILF . We all witness, and we in Indonesia have experienced bitter consequences which the act of terrorism has brought. Its indiscriminate nature means that victims are invariably innocent people. The same kind of senseless and barbaric attacks have taken a massive toll in innocent human lives in Riyadh and Casablanca. These incidents reminded us of similar tragedy in Bali last year whose perpetrators are today on trial. Meanwhile, in addition to terrorist threats stemming from misrepresentation of religion by extremist groups, Indonesia today is also facing terrorist threats emanating from separatist movement by the so-called Aceh Freedom Movement or GAM. Indonesia has launched combine operation in order to restore the country from acts of rebellion and terrorism in the Province of Aceh. It is therefore clear that a piecemeal response to terrorism is futile. We must pursue a comprehensive and concerted effort to address this deadly challenge, which is a threat not only to innocent lives, not only to society and civilization, but also to the very reputation of the Ummah and Islam itself. We have to deal collectively with the fact that by implication the image of Islam has been portrayed negatively and that the Muslim Ummah have been discriminated in certain quarters. While we strengthen cooperation among ourselves in the OIC in the fight against terror, we must also intensify our collaboration with non-OIC states in this critical struggle. Hence, it is imperative that we use every means at our disposal to disabuse the world of all the lies that are being foisted about Islam and stem the spread of prejudice being inflicted against Muslims everywhere. We must not relent until we have shown the world the true face of Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and compassion. In this regard, we commend the call that has been made by President Mohammad Khatami when proposing the year 2001 as the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations. We must also continue to address the social and economic challenges of development through concrete programmes designed to overcome the downside of globalization. Hence, Indonesia supports all efforts at strengthening economic cooperation among our members. And let us be resolute in seeking greater participation in the reform of the international trade and financial system. We certainly can help enable that system to equitably benefit all countries through trade liberalization, fair rules, and a financial architecture that is more transparent, accountable and participatory. Great challenges lie before our Organization. They include clarifying our character and our image, not in a defensive manner, but as a matter of course, and for historical purpose. We live in a dynamic age, and we must move with it, in the interest of our faith and our people. We must whittle down and reorganize our agenda in order to make for greater effectiveness, efficiency and impact. We must do so with total clarity of purposes and priorities to fulfill our commitment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Wassalaamu'alaikum
wa-Rahmatullahi wa-Barakatuh
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