Tuesday, May 23, 2006
RP pushes Islamic body observer status
By Jeffrey M. Tupas
Correspondent
DAVAO CITY -- Government has continued pushing for observer status in the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), claiming it can best represent the entire Muslim Ummah (community) in the country.
The powerful organization remained hostile to the government's bid while it gave hope to the immediate granting of an observer status to civil society groups.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said government is hoping the OIC will grant them the bid for it to also bend their sides to several issues raised before the body by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
"The OIC only hears the side of the MNLF. We also want to be heard that is why the government want to be granted with the observer status in the OIC. We should also be there as a party," Seguis said Friday night in a forum between OIC delegates and representatives of the civil society in Davao City.
In 1977, the Islamic conference granted the Moro group observer status representing the Bangsamoro people of the Philippines.
The OIC mission in the country was to assess the implementation of the peace agreement that the MNLF, which then under the command of jailed leader Nur Misuari, signed with the government in 1996.
Initially, other members of the mission indicated that the socio-economic aspect of the 1996 peace agreement remains to be wanting.
But Egyptian ambassador Sayed Kaseem El-Masry was firm to say that it is not for the OIC alone to say if the agreement has been fully implemented.
"We are still on the stage where the party is narrowing its positions but only after the tripartite meeting in July we can come up with an assessment of the implementation of the agreement," El-Masry said.
A ministerial meeting will be conducted next month. In July a tripartite meeting will be conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the MNLF, the government and the Islamic conference.
Apparently, government was not happy with the OIC reception of their bid.
"Ambassador El-Masry has struck the cord. We are engaged with the OIC for 30 years now and I think the government can best represent the Islamic community in the country," Seguis said.
Pre-requisite
But El-Masry, also an adviser to the Islamic conference, said before the government can be granted observer status, the criteria for the bid must be laid down -- something that still has to undergo discussion.
"The criteria are not clear. First we have to start with the laying down of criteria and then we will discuss about it," El-Masry said.
"I think the Philippine's chance is good because it has a large Muslim community," El-Masry added.
He also said that the implementation of the 1996 peace agreement could actually affect the bid of the government.
"If the peace agreement is implemented I think there will be no more obstacles," he said.
The Islamic conference was instrumental in the signing of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the government and the Moro group, which later led to the signing of the 1996 final peace agreement.
But while the government is anxious about their bid, Moro people are happy that the OIC remained cold.
Ren Jalaluddin Ropeta, vice chairperson of the Moro-Christian Peoples' Alliance, said the government's bid deserves a denial.
"As the number one violator of the human rights of the Moro people, the GRP does not deserve to be recognized as an observer to the OIC. It will be a mockery to justice if that happens," Ropeta said. "The appeal for observer status should by all means be denied by the OIC." (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(May 23, 2006 issue)
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