The 10th Session Of The Islamic Summit Conference

(3 October 2003)

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The Tenth OIC Summit Background

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organization grouping 57 States which have decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts and speak with one voice to safeguard the interested and secure the progress and well-being of their peoples and all Muslims in the world.

The Organization was established in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 12 Rajab 1389H (25 September 1969) when the first meeting of the leaders of the Islamic world was held in the wake of the criminal Zionist attempt to burn down the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on 21st August 1969 in the occupied city of Al-Quds.

Six months after the historical event, i.e. in Muharram 1390H (march 1970), the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during which the OIC General Secretariat was established to ensure coordination among Member States. The Conference appointed a Secretary General for the Organization and chose Jeddah as the city to house its temporary Headquarters pending the liberation of Al-Quds Al Sharif to which the General Secretariat will then be transferred, as the Permanent seat of the Organization.

In order to coordinate and boost its action, align its stand, and achieve concrete results in various fields of  cooperation, politics, economy, culture, social, spiritual and science among Member States, the Islamic Summit Conference, which is the supreme policy and decision making body of the OIC, convened for the first time in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 22-25 September 1969. Science that historic date, the Islamic Summit Conference has convened for nine times with the last (the ninth) conference held in Doha, Qatar on 12-13 November 2000. Putrajaya, Malaysia has been chosen as the venue for the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference to be held on 11-18 October 2003.

Theme

The theme for the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference is "Knowledge And Morality For The Progress Of Ummah". The theme stresses on two key objectives: knowledge and morality. Today, millions of Muslims are living in poverty and n primitive conditions. The failure to acquire new forms of knowledge and an aversion to the culture of learning are some of the reasons that can be cited for this sorry state of affairs. A look into Islam's glorious past, especially during the Abbasid Caliphate, will reveal a time where learning and the acquisition of knowledge were given much emphasis. During this period, a highly centralized and professional bureaucracy was created. Abbasid scholars discovered how to manufacture paper and this increased the rate of manuscript production throughout the Islamic world. All of this and many other achievements were possible through knowledge.

The second keyword of the theme focuses on morality. Morality is those restraints we apply to our natures for the benefit of others; we suffer so the community prospers, and consequently the individual prospers. But if we discard these limits and indulge our desires, while the individual enjoys an immediate release the community suffers, and inevitably, the individual suffers. This lack of understanding of the role of morality is just part of the common ignorance about the nature of society. Mastery of knowledge in the absence of a strong sense of morality will not bring the ummah the desired result. A strong sense of morality is needed to ensure the ummah will progress and develop in a balanced and equitable manner. This is in line with Islam's requirement and emphasis on moderation as a way of life.

Aims and Objective

It is with this two noble aims in mind that Malaysia, as the host for the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, aspires to become the Centre of Excellence in the field of knowledge and learning. At the same time, Malaysia aspires to become a model country in the effort to create a society based on the principles of morality and wisdom. The Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference would serve as an opportunity for the member states to reason and chart ways in order to achieve the two aims embodied in the theme.

Technical Details

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