OIC countries to work for recognition of Khojaly tragedy as crime against humanity

Foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference adopted a resolution on the activity of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) in the last plenary meeting of their 38th session in Astana today.

The Forum sources said the resolution called on the OIC member countries and its institutions to support the Justice for Khojaly campaign and to recognize the Khojaly massacre as the crime against the humanity. ICYF-DC Secretary General, Ambassador Elshad Isgandarov said the resolution once again approved that 57 countries have constant position toward the Khojaly massacre. “Actually, one third of the UN member countries have recognized the vandalism committed by the Armenians in Khojaly as the crime against humanity. It proves that Armenian propaganda, which attempted to present similar decision by the OIC Parliament Union as an accident, failed”.

The resolution also highly assessed the Forum’s activity in the work of strengthening the role of youth in UN Alliance of Civilizations Program, particularly, the works conducted on establishment Youth Union towards the Alliance of Civilizations in Baku on April 9-11, 2011.

The document also noted the ICYF-DC as the only partner of OIC in realization of youth programs of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In his speech, Elshad Isgandarov spoke about the ICYF-DC projects implemented in the field of development of Muslim youth, the strengthening of young Muslims’ struggle against Islamophoby in the world, UN’s role in the Alliance of Civilizations process. The report describing the five-year activity of the Forum was submitted to the event participants.

Secretary General of ICYF-DC Elshad Isgandarov held meetings with Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kazykhanov, US President’s Special Envoy to the OIC Rashad Hussain, representative of Aga Khan Development Network and President of the Islamic Development Bank Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Madani, projects planned by the Forum for the development of the youth were discussed during the meetings.

It was noted that decision was made at the meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council to change the emblem and name of the organization to Islamic Cooperation Organization. The happenings in Syria were also discussed during the event. OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on the Syrian leadership to start dialogue for national reconciliation and stop killing civilians.

President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev offered to set up a group consisting of ten countries for founding Media Reserve Islamic Fund with the view of deepening the process of integration within the framework of the organization, giving correct information about Islam and the activities carried out with regard to the Muslim youth.

Justice for Khojaly campaign initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator of ICYF-DC on Intercultural Dialogue aims at achieving political and legal recognition of Khojaly massacre on the international level.


/APA/