Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, yesterday called upon Muslim leaders attending the OIC summit in Makkah to rise up to the challenges facing the Ummah with unprecedented responsibility.

The OIC chief commended the heads of state of Muslim countries for quickly responding to the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for an emergency summit.

“The Islamic world is now going through the most difficult period of its contemporary history after World War I,” he said, highlighting the significance of the two-day summit.

The OIC chief also referred to the Arab uprisings that ousted governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. “People are now vigilant and are looking forward to a decent life and good governance, giving top priority to the higher interests of the nation.”

Professor Ihsanoglu added “It has become quite clear that the Islamic world will not make progress if it continues in its present situation. It is imperative for the Islamic nation to play a leading role in the world.”

He praised King Abdullah for convening the summit to address the major issues facing the Ummah. “As a completion of the 10-point program approved by the 2005 Islamic summit, King Abdullah wants to strengthen Islamic solidarity to promote joint Islamic action,” the OIC secretary-general said.

Ihsanoglu said the 57-member body has been making strenuous efforts to bolster Islamic unity and solidarity to defend Muslim causes, such as the Palestinian issue, in addition to fighting Islamophobia.

“The OIC countries play a vital role in the United Nations. It is the largest bloc in the international body in terms of voting power,” he added.

Ihsanoglu said OIC foreign ministers met in Jeddah ahead of the summit and prepared a draft of the resolutions to be approved by summit leaders.

He said the summit’s resolutions deal with issues such as Palestine, Islamic solidarity, Syria, Mali and Myanmar, adding that these resolutions would charter the OIC’s course of action in the coming months.

Ihsanoglu thanked King Abdullah for giving his approval to build a new headquarter for the OIC, adding that its design would be displayed during the summit’s last session.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, the current president of the OIC, addressed the summit’s opening session. He highlighted the situation in Syria and denounced the atrocities being committed against the Rohingya Muslims by the Buddhist regime in Myanmar. “We are facing continuous refusal by the Syrian government. We want resolutions asking the Syrian regime to stop the killing of innocent people,” he said.

The Senegalese leader said extremist groups should be forced to return to reason and moderation. He also called for appointing a special envoy for the Sahara region to address the situation there.

The two-day summit reflects King Abdullah’s untiring efforts for decades to unify the Arab and Muslim ranks and mend their rifts. The king’s role in enhancing cooperation and creating harmony between all Arab and Islamic countries stems from the Kingdom’s ethical and religious obligation toward the Ummah.