The Maldives has called on the Muslim community to stand in solidarity with Palestine. The statement was made by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Annual Coordination Meeting of Foreign Ministers held on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In his statement, State Minister Khaleel noted the challenges faced by the Islamic world and called on the leaders of the Muslim community to stand in solidarity to help the people of Palestine realise their human rights and aspirations for sovereign statehood. The state minister also called to condemn the inhumane treatment of the Rohingya Muslims, as well as urged the international community to unite to end the conflict in Yemen. In addition, he emphasised the need to step up political mediation efforts and humanitarian assistance on behalf of the people of Syria.
Furthermore, State Minister Khaleel noted the alignment of the Maldives with the OIC position on the situation in Afghanistan and called for the cessation of violence and dedicated pursuit of dialogue and national reconciliation through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. He also noted the impact of extremism and terrorism and highlighted the importance of spreading the peaceful message of Islam. In the same spirit, he stressed the need to voice against Islamophobia. As such, he praised the efforts of OIC in countering misperceptions against Islam.
In concluding his statement, State Minister Khaleel advocated for OIC member states to come together to support each other for the progress and prosperity of the Islamic Ummah.
All 57 OIC member states gathered at the periodic meeting to reiterate their positions on issues that will be raised at UNGA and to reaffirm their commitment to defend the Islamic world in accordance with the OIC Charter. The Maldives has actively participated in such meetings since joining the OIC in 1976.