formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the 9^th Secretary General who assumed the office in January 2005 after being elected by the 31 ICFM.

The present Charter of the Organization was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 which laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 40 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 25 to 57 states. The Organization has the singular honor to galvanize the Ummah into a unified body and have actively represented the Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations.

The Member States of the OIC face many challenges in the 21^st century and to address those challenges, the third extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down the blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action which envisages joint action of Member States, promotion of tolerance and moderation, modernization, extensive reforms in all spheres of activities including science and technology, education, trade enhancement, and emphasizes good governance and promotion of human rights in the Muslim world, especially with regard to rights of children, women and elderly and the family values enshrined by Islam.

Interview with Governer of Aceh

Dr. Rasheed bin Mohammad Altokhi had a long interview in city of Banda Aceh with Mr. Irwandi Yusuf whose term ended at Feb. 8th as the Governer of Aceh province in Indonesia, they reviewed together most of events and developments in Indonesia specially, and southeast Asia in general

Shaam Tourist and Trade Complex

Al-Waqaee - special - Brunei
16-2-2012

Dr. Rasheed Altokhi

Dr. Rasheed bin Mohammad Altokhi had an agreement two days ago (Tue) with Dato Hussein Anwar Abdul Rahman to establish “Shaam Company for Investment and Trade” in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, which in turn will manage a tourist complex composed of a 3-star hotel and a fully equipped Bazaar "Arab market", in addition to the special cafe and restaurant, It will also include a major hall and a cinema for Arabic documentary and cultural movies and programs, and an Arabic specialized library. This is the first project of its kind in the region, and all procedures have been completed, it's known that the opening of this project was scheduled for late last year, but some of the arrangements and legal procedures delayed for some time, Al-Waqaee has learned that the entire project will carry the name "Shaam Tourist and Trade Complex" and Dr. Rasheed’s goal of establishing and financing this project - other than for the business side - is to introduce Arabic culture and history to people.

Pervez Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf : born 11 August 1943 is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled Pakistan as Chief Executive from 1999–2001 and as President from 2001-08. In the face of impeachment, he preferred to resign on 18 August 2008.

After years of military service, he rose to prominence when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him as the Chief of Army Staff in October 1998. Musharraf was the mastermind behind the controversial and internationally condemned Kargil infiltration, which derailed peace negotiations with Pakistan's long standing enemy India. He previously also played a vital role in the Afghanistan civil war (1996-2001) both in peace negotiations and in trying to end the bloodshed. After months of contentious relations with Sharif, Musharraf was brought to power through a bloodless military coup. Subsequently Nawaz Sharif was placed under an house-arrest, later shifting him to Adiala Jail.

As Pakistan's head of state, he was a U.S. ally in the War on Terror. He was credited with the development of Pakistan's economy during the early years of his rule. He is also credited to be the first president of Pakistan who accepted supreme court rulings and who organized free and fair elections. The last two years of his rule were marred by controversies, including the suspension of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and the Lal Masjid siege.

In February 2011, a Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant for him because of his alleged involvement in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. As of June 2011, he lives in self-exile in London but has vowed to return for the next election. He has announced that he intends to return to Pakistan on 23 March 2012. On January 7, 2012 he announced that he intends to return to Pakistan between January 27-30, 2012.