Istanbul, June 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):The 9th Ordinary Elective General Assembly Meeting of the Union of Non-Governmental Organizations of the Islamic World (UNIW) was held in İstanbul, Turkey. The UNIW has around 400 members from 69 countries of 6 continents.
The UNIW was established on May 1, 2005, to work for global peace, human rights, freedom, and justice. It goal is to cooperate, collaborate and coordinate the activities of the Muslim NOGs of the world. UNIW’s mission is to play effective role at the UN, OIC and other world forums to seek their understanding towards the issues of the Ummah. Its strategy has been to have global networking of Muslim NGO’s all over the world.
Attorney Ali Kurt, a graduate of Istanbul University, Faculty of Law, was the Secretary General of UNIW until June 5, 2022. He has been the founding partner of Faisal Finance Institution.
On June 25, 2022, the General Body elected Mr Eyup Akbal as the new Secretary General of UNIW. Eyup Akbal is the Chairman of the Board of Fuzul Holdings. He has featured on Forbes Magazine as one of top-notch businessmen in Turkey. Fuzul Group deals with real estate development, tourism, insurance, finance, property management, and electronic payment systems. He is a very modest, courteous, and humble personality.
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, member of the Board of Directors of UNIW since its inception in 2005, highlighted the duplicity of the world powers towards Muslim conflicts. He cited the example of the people of Ukraine who are suffering, and world powers feel their pain and rightly so and so do the Muslims all over the world. The question arises why do the world powers turn their blind eye when it comes to the pain and suffering of the people of Palestine and Kashmir?
Dr Fai highlighted that the world powers have proved to be selective when it comes to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions. He asked: Is not it true that the United Nations intervened in Namibia, East Timor, and Southern Sudan, implemented UN resolutions, held the elections and gave these countries total independence from the occupation of South Africa, Indonesia and Sudan respectively? How can the world body justify that the UN Security Council resolutions remain unimplemented in the case of Palestine and Kashmir?
Dr Fai added that the nightmare of the people of Kashmir began in 1947 and it is no tribute to international justice that it continues as I speak today. The community of nations must seize the opportunity to promote an initiative towards bringing about conditions necessary for settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Should not the international standards and principles play a commanding role in the settlement of international conflicts including that of Kashmir, Fai asked?
Later, Dr Fai addressed the students of various Turkish universities at the main auditorium of Recep Tayyip Erdogan Anadolu Imam Hatip Lisesi, Istanbul. It was also addressed among others by Mr Shakeel Ahmed, Nazim-e-Aala, Islami Jamiaat-e-Talaba, Pakistan, Hafiz Uzair Ali Khan, President Pak-Turk Students Group, Ms Sanaa Rafique, Ms Nousheen, Abdullah Zubair and Anas Awan.
When asked if Kashmir was an integral part of India, Dr Fai categorically said no. Under all UN resolutions, agreed upon by both India and Pakistan and adopted by the Security Council, Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the UN. If Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the UN, then the claim that Kashmir was an integral part of India does not stand?
To another question, Dr Fai told the student audience which was dominated by female scholars that the situation in Kashmir is not frozen. It may seem to you have frozen from a distance but the facts on the ground say it loudly that it will not stay frozen any longer. Has it been the case then Yushwant Sinha, leader of BJP and former foreign minister of India would not have said on December 28, 2018 during an interview with Shekhar Gupta, “We have made one mistake after another in Kashmir. There is no question of losing Kashmir, we have lost Kashmir.”
Dr Fai also met with the delegation of Islamabad-based independent think-tank “Center for Discussions and Solutions,” and “Global Dialogue for Peace.” They were invited by Istanbul based think-tank, “Insan ve Medeniyet Hareketi. Asif Luqman is the head of this think tank. He also met with Ameerul Azeem and other dozens of friends there whom he knows from America to Saudi Arabia and else.
Dr Fai also had detailed discussion with the leadership of Kashmir House, Istanbul, Dr Mubeen Shah and Dr Asif Dar, both of them have sacrificed a lot for the cause of Kashmir. The nation of Kashmir is proud of them. Kashmir House, Istanbul’s objectives include: advocacy, political engagements, research, and documentation, financial aid to deserving students, media scape, and business enterprise.
Dr Fai had a pleasant meeting with 18 Kashmiri students at a hotel in Istanbul. They came not only from Istanbul but beyond. They discussed issues of common concern for more than two hours. Dr Fai also spent few moments with Ustaaz tugray Rvren who has become the “Poet of Kashmir.” He has given the voice to the pain and suffering of the people of Kashmir. The song, “I am Kashmir” is dedicated to Kashmir and “We will not betray” is dedicated to both Kashmir and Palestine. These songs have millions of views on Tweeter and YouTube. Dr Fai thanked Tugray Evren for his friendship with the people of Kashmir.
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