Palestinian educational institutions, Holy sites – OIC Summit – Resolutions/Non-UN document

RESOLUTION No. 5/11-C (IS)

ON

PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS

The 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Session of the Islamic Ummah in the 21^st Century) held in Dakar, Republic of Senegal 6-7 Jumadi Al-Awal 1429H (13-14 March, 2008),

Recalling the resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit Conferences and other Islamic Conferences, in particular the 10th Ordinary and the 3^rd Extraordinary Sessions of the Islamic Summit Conferences, the 34^th Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM), the 5^th Session of the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers (ICCM), and the 8^th Session of COMIAC;

Abiding by Resolution No. 13/31-P on the Rationalization of Islamic Resolutions and Agenda Items adopted by the 31^st Session ICFM, held in Istanbul, Turkey;

Taking into consideration the policies and practices of the Israeli occupation authorities towards the Arab citizens in the occupied Arab territories, aimed primarily at the eradication of their cultural identity, along with Israeli attempts to wipe out and disintegrate their national and Arab identity at all levels, the Israeli policy of systematic stamping out of education aimed at creating a poorly educated generation ignorant of its history, heritage, homeland, and Ummah, the Israeli practice of a policy bent on maligning Arab and Islamic civilization and causing prejudice to Arabs and Muslims, the Israeli abuse and distortion of historical and geographical facts, in addition to the continued Israeli policy of racial discrimination through claims of Israeli supremacy over the citizens of the occupied Arab territories, all of which constitutes a blatant violation of their fundamental rights;

Condemning the aggressive actions perpetrated by Israel to expand the municipal boundaries of the City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif by constructing more settlements and building the racist isolation and separation Wall around the city in order to annex it;

Recalling the Final Communiqué issued by the expanded Extraordinary Meeting  of the Executive Committee held in Jeddah on 22/2/2007 to discuss the excavations of and threats to the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Expressing deep concern at the Israeli threats and attacks against the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and holy places in the Palestinian territories;

Having considered the Report of the Secretary-General on following the matters:

A) The Twinning of Palestinian Universities in the Occupied Territories with Universities in OIC Member States

1. Calls on the Member States to allocate scholarships for the benefit of Palestinian students; expresses its appreciation to Member States who have already given scholarships; and urges them to increase these scholarships and reduce their tuition fees for Palestinian students.

2. Recommends also providing all forms of financial and academic support and assistance to Palestinian universities in order to enable them to play their national and educational role. The Committee calls upon the Union of Islamic Universities (UIU) to coordinate with the Member universities in order to facilitate and encourage twinning agreements between the Palestinian universities and its members with a view to fostering joint cooperation between them and calls upon these universities to receive training and academic missions from Palestinian universities.

10. Calls upon the Member States to participate effectively in the establishment of Al-Aqsa University in the City of Al-Quds, in implementation of the resolution of the 3rd Session of the Extraordinary Islamic Summit.

B) The Educational Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Occupied Syrian Golan

1. Condemns the measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities against the educational and cultural institutions and organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in terms of the obstacles created by the racist separation Wall preventing Palestinian students and teachers from reaching their schools and universities and thus denying Palestinians access to education, so as to obliterate their national identity, alienate them from their culture and history, and distort their civilization so as to serve the designs of occupation.

2. Calls upon Member States to provide all necessary financial assistance in order to provide the funding required for the development of education in the occupied territories, in general, and in the City of Al- Quds Al-Sharif, in particular, in view of the extreme difficulties faced by the educational process in the Holy City on account of the practices of the Israeli occupation authorities, including imposing their own educational curricula and closing down schools outside their control.

3. Reiterates its full support and assistance for the inhabitants of the occupied Syrian Golan in their resistance against the oppressive Israeli practices, and their legitimate struggle to preserve their cultural, national, and Arab identity, and appeals to the United Nations and to specialized international bodies and institutions, particularly UNESCO, to counter these Israeli policies which violate international laws and conventions.

4. Calls for support to the steadfastness of the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan against the Israeli practices aimed at obliterating their Arab cultural identity and proclaims its support for the preservation of the Syrian Arab educational curricula and the provision of their educational and cultural materials.

5. Calls upon the international community to shoulder its full responsibility in compelling Israel to abide by the principles of The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and all international conventions on human rights, particularly The Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War of 20/8/1949, as well as the relevant resolutions adopted by the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

6. Condemns the actions and practices of the Israeli occupation authorities against educational and other institutions in the occupied Syrian Golan, their cancellation of the Syrian educational curricula in the villages of the Golan, and their substitution by Israeli curricula, their imposition of the teaching of Hebrew instead of Arabic, their replacement of the teaching staff to serve the goals and directives of Israeli policy, their imposition of measures to deny Syrian Arab citizens access to higher education in Syrian universities and their denying some of those who manage to get education in those universities the right to return to their homes.

C) The Israel Aggressions against Islamic Shrines in the

Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Preservation of the

Islamic Character, Human Heritage, and Religious Rights of

Al-Quds Al-Sharif

1. Reiterates the necessity of implementing all previous Islamic resolutions on the preservation of the Islamic character and human heritage of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

2. Calls for continued urgent and effective action at all Islamic and international levels with a view to compelling Israel to rescind its decision to annex the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif; reaffirming the City’s Arab-Islamic character; and rejecting its annexation or Judaization, in line with the relevant Resolutions of international legality, particularly UN Security Council Resolutions No. 465 and 478; while exerting all efforts in order to implement these two resolutions in conformity with the resolutions of the United Nations and international legality.

3. Requests the General Secretariat to continue its coordination with international agencies and institutions and particularly with UNESCO in order to implement the initiative of UNESCO’s Director-General to renovate the Holy City; preserve the historic buildings of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the ancient buildings surrounding Al-Quds Holy Sanctuary; close the tunnel; stop the excavation works especially on the south and west of the Holy Sanctuary; and preclude the implementation of any designs aimed at destroying the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

4. Urges the General Secretariat and Member States to provide material assistance, in implementation of the content of the Final Communiqué of the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit on the contribution of one dollar by every Muslim, alongside the contributions of Member States, in order to enable the Palestinian people to face Israeli assaults and designs aimed at obliterating religious landmarks in the Holy City of Al-Quds, and reaffirms the need to provide all forms of support and assistance to the Palestinian Arab residents of Al-Quds Al-Sharif to enable them to renovate their houses, support their steadfastness and protect Islamic shrines in Al-Quds Al-Sharif from demolition and waste.

5. Strongly condemns Israel for building the separation Wall, the so-called Jerusalem Envelope, which seeks to isolate the City of Al-Quds from its Arab-Palestinian environment, and for its unrelenting attempts to Judaize it by altering its civilizational, historical, and cultural landmarks.

6. Requests Member States to coordinate and intensify their efforts in the various international forums in order to prevent the implementation of the Israeli scheme for partitioning the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil, to ensure access to it for Muslim worshippers, and preserve the integrity of the Ibrahimi Haram as a Mosque for Muslims only, just as it has been down the ages.

7. Calls on Member States to ensure the restoration of the old town in Al-Khalil and to safeguard the heritage and culture of this historic city and its resident Palestinian families in order to counter Jewish settlements in the city.

8. Strongly denounces and condemns Israel for digging excavations under the perimeter of Al-Aqsa Mosque, leading to the collapse of a large section of the Mosque’s perimeter along Al-Maghariba Gate. Further condemns Israel for denying Palestinians access to their places of worship in Al-Quds and for its attempt to interfere in the Islamic Waqf (Endowment) matters and prevent the renovation of holy places.

9. Requests the General Secretariat to constitute a committee of legal experts from Member States to discuss the grave violations perpetuated by Israel in the vicinity of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the form of excavation and threat to the Mosque’s foundations, and make necessary legal recommendations for the protection of the Mosque and other holy places in the city of Al-Quds and other parts of Palestine.

Requests the Secretary-General to follow up the issues incorporated in this resolution and report thereon to the 12th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference.

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