Gravitas: India to attend Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meet

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be attending OIC's 46th foreign minister meet as the 'Guest of Honour'. The session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers will take place from March 1 to 2 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

India has been invited by UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said, "We see this invitation as a welcome recognition of the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of their contribution to its pluralistic ethos, and of India’s contribution to the Islamic world".

India also thanked UAE for its invitation saying New Delhi sees the "invitation as the desire of the enlightened leadership of the UAE to go beyond our rapidly growing close bilateral ties" and "forge a true multifaceted partnership at the multilateral and international level". Adding further, New Delhi said, the invitation is a "milestone in our comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE".

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First time as Guest of Honour! 
 
EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> will attend 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as 'Guest of Honour' to attend the Inaugural Plenary at the invitation of UAE Foreign Minister. 
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— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1099215814064930818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Statement from the UAE foreign ministry said, "Will open session next Friday... with the participation of 56 member states and 5 observer states, as well as the friendly Republic of India with all its international political weight and diverse cultural heritage and an important Islamic component, as a guest of honour".

This is a major development since OIC has not been very pro-India and has been issuing statements on Kashmir over Pakistan's insistence. This also shows New Delhi's 'Look West Policy' which has seen a number of high-level engagements between India and West Asia. This, despite a hyphenation between Israel and Palestine, is something that was criticised since it was seen as a policy that could alienate New Delhi in many Arab capitals.

Interestingly, Fakrudin Ali Ahmed as an Indian representative was not allowed to attend the final session of OIC meet in 1969 in Rabat, Morocco at the behest of the then Pak President Yahya Khan.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be attending OIC's 46th foreign minister meet as the 'Guest of Honour'. The session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers will take place from March 1 to 2 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be attending OIC's 46th foreign minister meet as the 'Guest of Honour'. The session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers will take place from March 1 to 2 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. India has been invited by UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said, "We see this invitation as a welcome recognition of the presence of 185 million Muslims in India and of their contribution to its pluralistic ethos, and of India’s contribution to the Islamic world". India also thanked UAE for its invitation saying New Delhi sees the "invitation as the desire of the enlightened leadership of the UAE to go beyond our rapidly growing close bilateral ties" and "forge a true multifaceted partnership at the multilateral and international level". Adding further, New Delhi said, the invitation is a "milestone in our comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE". First time as Guest of Honour! EAM @SushmaSwaraj will attend 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as 'Guest of Honour' to attend the Inaugural Plenary at the invitation of UAE Foreign Minister. https://t.co/CgYRBbEfp2 1/2 — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 23, 2019 × Statement from the UAE foreign ministry said, "Will open session next Friday... with the participation of 56 member states and 5 observer states, as well as the friendly Republic of India with all its international political weight and diverse cultural heritage and an important Islamic component, as a guest of honour". This is a major development since OIC has not been very pro-India and has been issuing statements on Kashmir over Pakistan's insistence. This also shows New Delhi's 'Look West Policy' which has seen a number of high-level engagements between India and West Asia. This, despite a hyphenation between Israel and Palestine, is something that was criticised since it was seen as a policy that could alienate New Delhi in many Arab capitals. Interestingly, Fakrudin Ali Ahmed as an Indian representative was not allowed to attend the final session of OIC meet in 1969 in Rabat, Morocco at the behest of the then Pak President Yahya Khan.

In a first, India invited at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation session as 'Guest of Honour'

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said.

Saudi Arabia will face criticism for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its failure to cooperate with a UN-led inquiry, diplomatic sources said.

And ambassadors from some European countries plan to boycott a speech by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Tuesday, as more countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido and spurn President Nicolas Maduro, they add.

Western countries look to Turkey and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to shine a spotlight on what China calls re-education and training facilities. UN experts say the camps hold a million Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, and other Muslims. China has rejected accusations of mistreatment.

While the 47-member Council's resolutions are not binding, all countries work hard to avoid its "naming and shaming". China is especially sensitive to criticism, which it views as interference.

Turkey, whose foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is due to address the Geneva forum on Monday, urged China this month to close its camps, calling them a "great shame for humanity".

"It's up to the OIC. If they don't take the lead, it's very hard for other countries," one Asian ambassador told Reuters.

Activists have urged European and Muslim nations to take the lead in establishing a UN investigation into the detentions and what they call "forced indoctrination".

John Fisher of Human Rights Watch said, "We are encouraged that everybody we speak with shares the concern at China’s sweeping violations in Xinjiang, and agrees that China must be held to the same standard as everyone else, that there is a need for collective action, and that the time to act is now."

But diplomatic sources said that there was no sign that any country would present a resolution on China, although delegations were preparing to raise the issue in statements.

Meanwhile, China has failed to block Tibetan and Uighur activists from taking part in the four-week session.

A letter from China's mission in Geneva, seen by Reuters, urges the United Nations not to allow 15 activists - including the Dalai Lama and Dolkun Isa, president of the exiled World Uighur Congress - to attend. The request was rejected, UN sources said.

China is also organising a photo exhibit at the UN in Geneva with some 90 photos, many of smiling Uighurs, they add.

UN rights investigators on Iran, Myanmar and North Korea are to present annual reports. Their mandates are expected to be renewed, despite the United States having quit the forum last year over a perceived anti-Israel bias, diplomats said.

A UN report on Israel's use of force against Palestinian protestors in Gaza last year is to be issued, while a UN report on a database of companies active in the Gaza Strip may be delayed again, they said.

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said.

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said. Saudi Arabia will face criticism for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its failure to cooperate with a UN-led inquiry, diplomatic sources said. And ambassadors from some European countries plan to boycott a speech by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Tuesday, as more countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido and spurn President Nicolas Maduro, they add. Western countries look to Turkey and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to shine a spotlight on what China calls re-education and training facilities. UN experts say the camps hold a million Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, and other Muslims. China has rejected accusations of mistreatment. While the 47-member Council's resolutions are not binding, all countries work hard to avoid its "naming and shaming". China is especially sensitive to criticism, which it views as interference. Turkey, whose foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is due to address the Geneva forum on Monday, urged China this month to close its camps, calling them a "great shame for humanity". "It's up to the OIC. If they don't take the lead, it's very hard for other countries," one Asian ambassador told Reuters. Activists have urged European and Muslim nations to take the lead in establishing a UN investigation into the detentions and what they call "forced indoctrination". John Fisher of Human Rights Watch said, "We are encouraged that everybody we speak with shares the concern at China’s sweeping violations in Xinjiang, and agrees that China must be held to the same standard as everyone else, that there is a need for collective action, and that the time to act is now." But diplomatic sources said that there was no sign that any country would present a resolution on China, although delegations were preparing to raise the issue in statements. Meanwhile, China has failed to block Tibetan and Uighur activists from taking part in the four-week session. A letter from China's mission in Geneva, seen by Reuters, urges the United Nations not to allow 15 activists - including the Dalai Lama and Dolkun Isa, president of the exiled World Uighur Congress - to attend. The request was rejected, UN sources said. China is also organising a photo exhibit at the UN in Geneva with some 90 photos, many of smiling Uighurs, they add. UN rights investigators on Iran, Myanmar and North Korea are to present annual reports. Their mandates are expected to be renewed, despite the United States having quit the forum last year over a perceived anti-Israel bias, diplomats said. A UN report on Israel's use of force against Palestinian protestors in Gaza last year is to be issued, while a UN report on a database of companies active in the Gaza Strip may be delayed again, they said.

China, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela in hot seat at UN rights forum

India has had an uneasy relationship with&nbsp;the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but Tunisian foreign minister Khemaies Jhinaoui&rsquo;s latest statement might soon change that.

Unlike other OIC members like Turkey,&nbsp;which advocates multilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir,&nbsp;Tunisia says the issue is best resolved bilaterally.

&ldquo;We would like to see India and Pakistan sit together and amicably&nbsp;solve through negotiation. We don&#39;t like to interfere in the domestic affairs of both countries,&rdquo; Jhinaoui told exclusively to WION.

Tunisia is a member of the 57-nation OIC, so the minister&#39;s statement would&nbsp;come as a shot in the arm for India.

In July, the OIC had adopted a resolution during a foreign ministers&rsquo; meeting in West African city of Abidjan that the unresolved Kashmir issue was posing a threat to the peace and security of the region.

The Indian government&nbsp;had reacted strongly to that resolution.&nbsp;&ldquo;India notes with utmost regret...&nbsp;factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India.&nbsp;India out rightly rejects all such references.&nbsp;The OIC has no locus standi on India&rsquo;s internal affairs.&nbsp;We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future,&rdquo; the Ministry of External Affiars said in a rejoinder.

Tunisia&#39;s stand is in contrast to Turkey&#39;s. In an interview to WION earlier, Turkey&rsquo;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had favoured a multilateral dialogue to resolve the&nbsp;Kashmir issue.

He&nbsp;had hinted at mediation by Turkey too.

But&nbsp;India has consistently called for&nbsp;a comprehensive bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, insisting that&nbsp;there is no room for&nbsp;a third-party role. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand.

Jhinaoui, who met Swaraj on Monday, too echoed similar sentiments. &ldquo;We discussed possibility of... together fighting&nbsp;terrorism, which is a common threat to humanity... we&nbsp;decided to have more contacts for exchange of information and to have the right tools to fight terror,&rdquo; Jhinaoui said about the meeting.

He also said Tunisia is proof that&nbsp;Islam is&nbsp;not antithetical to democracy and that should interest&nbsp;Pakistan.

India has had an uneasy relationship with?the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but Tunisian foreign minister Khemaies Jhinaoui?s latest statement might soon change that.

India has had an uneasy relationship with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but Tunisian foreign minister Khemaies Jhinaoui’s latest statement might soon change that. Unlike other OIC members like Turkey, which advocates multilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir, Tunisia says the issue is best resolved bilaterally. “We would like to see India and Pakistan sit together and amicably solve through negotiation. We don't like to interfere in the domestic affairs of both countries,” Jhinaoui told exclusively to WION. Tunisia is a member of the 57-nation OIC, so the minister's statement would come as a shot in the arm for India. In July, the OIC had adopted a resolution during a foreign ministers’ meeting in West African city of Abidjan that the unresolved Kashmir issue was posing a threat to the peace and security of the region. The Indian government had reacted strongly to that resolution. “India notes with utmost regret... factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. India out rightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India’s internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future,” the Ministry of External Affiars said in a rejoinder. Tunisia's stand is in contrast to Turkey's. In an interview to WION earlier, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had favoured a multilateral dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. He had hinted at mediation by Turkey too. But India has consistently called for a comprehensive bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, insisting that there is no room for a third-party role. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand. Jhinaoui, who met Swaraj on Monday, too echoed similar sentiments. “We discussed possibility of... together fighting terrorism, which is a common threat to humanity... we decided to have more contacts for exchange of information and to have the right tools to fight terror,” Jhinaoui said about the meeting. He also said Tunisia is proof that Islam is not antithetical to democracy and that should interest Pakistan.

India and Pakistan should amicably solve Kashmir issue: Tunisia

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation&#39;s (IOC) Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) has raised its concern over the recent violence in Kashmir which has resulted in the killing of more than 30 Kashmiris and has left more than 1,400 people injured. 
 
The IPHRC said in a statement that &quot;incidents of human rights violations in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has mostly been at the hands of the Indian military and paramilitary forces&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Kashmir has been on the boil ever since security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, a militant commander of the separatist Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, on July 8.&nbsp;Post Wani&#39;s death, the Valley has been rocked by violent protests.&nbsp; 
 
The IPHRC condemned the use by security personnel of excessive force to restrain peacefully protesting civilans and said it was &#39;&#39;deplorable and a blatant violation of the right to life, right to freedom of expression and opinion, right to peaceful protest and assembly and other fundamental human rights.&#39;&#39; 
 
It also called for an independent and transparent inquiry into the deaths, and said the individuals responsible should be held accountable.&nbsp; 
 
A spokesperson for India&#39;s ministry of external affairs responded by saying the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation &quot;had no locus standi here&quot; and that India &quot;needed no gratuitous advice&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
WION and Agencies&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
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India's foreign ministry responds saying OIC has no locus standi and that the country does not need 'gratuitous advice'

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (IOC) Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) has raised its concern over the recent violence in Kashmir which has resulted in the killing of more than 30 Kashmiris and has left more than 1,400 people injured. The IPHRC said in a statement that "incidents of human rights violations in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has mostly been at the hands of the Indian military and paramilitary forces". Kashmir has been on the boil ever since security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, a militant commander of the separatist Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, on July 8. Post Wani's death, the Valley has been rocked by violent protests. The IPHRC condemned the use by security personnel of excessive force to restrain peacefully protesting civilans and said it was ''deplorable and a blatant violation of the right to life, right to freedom of expression and opinion, right to peaceful protest and assembly and other fundamental human rights.'' It also called for an independent and transparent inquiry into the deaths, and said the individuals responsible should be held accountable. A spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs responded by saying the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation "had no locus standi here" and that India "needed no gratuitous advice". WION and Agencies