Latest news with #IstanbulDeclaration
Spectator
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Ipso owes Suella Braverman an apology
When Suella Braverman wrote in April 2023 that 'the perpetrators [of group-based child sexual exploitation] are groups of men, almost all British-Pakistani,' the then-Home Secretary was roundly condemned. 'Hacked Off', a lobby group which seeks to tighten regulation of the press, said her article in the Mail on Sunday was part of a 'toxic libel'. Guardian columnist Owen Jones went on to describe her 'claims' as 'designed to foment racist division and hate'. Lewis Goodall of LBC confronted her live on air, saying that she was chastised 'entirely rightly' for her 'false claim'. One entity went further than words. The Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM), an offshoot of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), filed a formal complaint with the press regulator, Ipso, on the grounds that there it was inaccurate and misleading to say that Pakistani men are overrepresented in grooming gang activity. Ipso took their side, and instructed the Mail on Sunday to print a correction, whilst stating that no breach of the Editor's Code has technically taken place. It's worth understanding just how controversial the Muslim Council of Britain, to which CfMM is connected, really is. In 2009, the British government under Gordon Brown suspended all engagement with the MCB after its Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Daud Abdullah, signed the 'Istanbul Declaration' – a document interpreted as endorsing violence against Israel and even attacks on foreign (including British) troops aiding Israel. This informal boycott has been continued by successive governments. Almost two years after the ruling, the accuracy in Braverman's 'claim' has been proven beyond doubt. Baroness Louise Casey's independent audit, which was published earlier this year, has confirmed what victims, social workers and Braverman herself always knew: that in towns like Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford, the pattern of abuse was committed overwhelmingly by British-Pakistanis. This truth was suppressed, denied and tolerated for years because officials were too afraid to say so out loud. The same 2020 Home Office report that CfMM clung to in its complaint is dismissed by Casey as methodologically flawed. Paragraph 16 of Ipso's ruling stated that linking Pakistani ethnicity to a specific form of abuse was inaccurate. Casey has now proved unequivocally that such a link exists. Last week, Braverman wrote to Ipso to demand a retraction of that ruling. She is right to do so, and the rest of us should support her. What Ipso did in 2023 was not just a procedural error – it was an act of moral cowardice. The ruling suggests that it accepted the word of a partisan campaign group over that of the serving Home Secretary. Her letter to Ipso Chairman Lord Faulks says it all in a phrase: 'The truth cannot be racist.' Beyond this demanded apology, there is a deeper question to ask about press regulation, and the pressure that individual groups can apply to shape the national debate. CfMM's founder, Miqdaad Versi, earned a name by lodging dozens of complaints with newspapers, demanding corrections for articles that linked parts of Islam to violence or radicalism. He once argued that all negative reporting on Islam should carry a compulsory right of reply – from him. News editors have admitted privately to giving in 'for the sake of a quiet life'. Ipso, to its disgrace, gave in officially. Under Versi's watch, CfMM has waged a relentless campaign against reporting on grooming gangs. CfMM has tried to portray the topic as a racist obsession – a 'trope.' But the Casey audit confirms that what they dismissed as a trope was, in fact, a pattern of abuse too politically sensitive to tackle. That CfMM's complaint was upheld by Ipso on this matter is beyond shameful, it is disgusting. Amanda Morris, CfMM's 'community liaison officer', also works for Stop Funding Hate – the same group that tries to defund GB News and the Sun. Morris has been accused of sharing antisemitic content online. She denies doing so and says she is 'an opponent of all forms of racism including anti-Jewish racism'. One of CfMM's analysts, Faisal Hanif, had to apologise for promoting material by Gilad Atzmon – a man who reportedly told students that 'the Jews were expelled from Germany for misbehaving.' Hanif said that sharing the post was an error 'both professionally and personally (having) fail(ed) to check Mr Atzmon's wider views.' Does Ipso think these people should be the ones to decide the contours of public debate? Braverman's crime was to describe a reality that tens of thousands of families already knew. For that, she was disciplined, humiliated, and cast as a bigot. The truth is that she didn't mislead the public – she told them what the Home Office, Ipso and the vast majority of the commentariat lacked the courage to admit. Braverman's demand for Ipso to retract its ruling is about more than setting a historical record straight – this is a battle over whether or not the press in this country have the right to report on both grooming gangs and the ethnic dimensions of crime accurately, regardless of taboo. If we still believe in truth, in courage, and in justice for the victims of these crimes, then this moment requires something more: we must say, without hesitation, that Suella Braverman was right – and that Ipso was wrong. And we must not stop saying it until they admit it too.
Maroc
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
51st OIC FM Council Commends HM the King's Role as Chairman of Al Quds Committee
The foreign ministers of the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), meeting on June 21–22 in Istanbul for the 51st session of their Council, praised the ongoing efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, Chairman of the Al Quds Committee, in protecting the holy sites in Al Quds Asharif. In their resolution on "The Capital of the State of Palestine, Al Quds Asharif," the OIC foreign ministers commended the significant role played by the Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif Agency through the implementation of several development projects benefiting the population of the holy city and supporting its resistance. The Istanbul Declaration also welcomed the efforts of the Al Quds Committee, under the chairmanship of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and its executive branch, the Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif Agency, in preserving the identity of the holy city as a symbol of tolerance and coexistence among the three monotheistic religions, and in upholding its legal status. The 51st Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states concluded its work on Sunday with the adoption of the Istanbul Declaration and several resolutions addressing various political, economic, and cultural issues concerning the Islamic world. (MAP: 23 June 2025)
Ya Biladi
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
OIC Foreign Ministers praise King Mohammed VI's efforts in Al-Quds preservation
The foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, gathered in Istanbul on June 21–22 for the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, commended the efforts of King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, in protecting the holy sites of Al-Quds Acharif. In their resolution on the capital of the State of Palestine, Al-Quds Acharif, the ministers praised the role of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in carrying out several development projects that benefit the city's residents and support their resilience. The Istanbul Declaration also highlighted the efforts of the Al-Quds Committee, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, and its executive body, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, in preserving the city's identity as a symbol of tolerance and coexistence among the three monotheistic religions, and in strengthening its legal status. The 51st session concluded on Sunday with the adoption of the Istanbul Declaration and a series of resolutions addressing key political, economic, and cultural issues affecting the Islamic world.
Morocco World
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
51st OIC Ministerial Council Recognizes King Mohammed VI's Work on Al-Quds
Marrakech – The 51st Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concluded its two-day session in Istanbul on Sunday, June 22, with special recognition for Morocco's ongoing contributions to Palestine and Africa. In their resolution on 'the Capital of the State of Palestine, Al-Quds Acharif,' the Islamic foreign ministers acknowledged King Mohammed VI's continuous efforts to protect holy sites in Jerusalem. As President of the Al-Quds Committee, the King was specifically noted for his work through the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency. The Istanbul Declaration affirmed the agency's implementation of numerous development projects benefiting Jerusalem's population and supporting their struggle. Ministers specifically credited the agency's role in preserving the holy city's identity as a symbol of tolerance and coexistence among the three monotheistic religions. 'The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency has played a substantial role through the implementation of several development projects,' stated the foreign ministers in their official resolution. On the humanitarian front, the agency recently distributed food aid to 850 vulnerable families in Jerusalem and Gaza for Eid Al-Adha. It also launched a campaign providing flour and essential food products to 1,000 families in the besieged strip, along with drinking water supplies funded by Moroccan civil society organizations. In response to the ongoing genocidal campaign carried out by Netanyahu's government, the agency initiated a prosthetics program for child amputees in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development. The first phase will assist 23 children, part of a broader program targeting 300 beneficiaries. Additionally, the agency established an orphan sponsorship program supporting 500 children who lost parents in the conflict, providing monthly allowances and social assistance. The OIC ministers also condemned Israeli aggression against Iran and expressed concern over the dangerous escalation. The declaration denounced 'Israel's destabilization policies' against Syria and Lebanon, calling them 'a flagrant violation of sovereignty and international law.' Notably, the statement did not mention or condemn American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Regarding African initiatives, the ministers valued King Mohammed VI's effort to provide Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean. They pointed to the strategic importance of this initiative, which reflects Morocco's active solidarity with the continent, particularly in the Sahel region. Ministers also recognized the African Atlantic States Initiative launched by the monarch as an African partnership process aimed at strengthening cooperation between African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean to consolidate peace, stability, and shared prosperity. The Council commended the sovereign's leadership on migration issues in Africa and Morocco's continuing role as a 'Champion Country' for implementing the Global Migration Pact. They also welcomed the United Nations' selection of Morocco to host the UN Counter-Terrorism Program and Training Office for Africa, inaugurated in Rabat on June 24, 2021. The ministers saluted Morocco's leadership and experience through its presidency of the Africa Focus Group within the Global Coalition against Daesh. At the session, Morocco was elected to the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission for a three-year term, recognizing the North African country's prominent position in promoting and protecting human rights nationally and internationally. The OIC, founded in 1969 following the fire at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, has 57 member countries and aims to protect the interests of the Muslim world while increasing Muslim solidarity. Read also: Morocco Urges Need for Two-State Solution As Netanyahu Vows Full Control of Gaza
Iraqi News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iraq leads diplomatic push to de-escalate Iran-Israel war
Baghdad ( – In the face of a spiraling regional crisis following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iraq has launched a high-stakes, two-pronged strategy to protect its own stability and lead a diplomatic push for de-escalation. From emergency leadership meetings in Baghdad to spearheading key initiatives at international conferences in Istanbul, Iraq is actively working to shift from a potential battlefield into a proactive peacemaker. Unifying the home front Hours after US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, June 22, 2025, Iraq's top leadership convened for an emergency summit in Baghdad. The meeting brought together the 'Four Presidencies'—President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and Head of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan—along with leaders of the ruling political coalitions. According to informed sources, the urgent session aimed to formulate a unified Iraqi position on the dangerous escalation. The key objectives were to devise measures to protect Iraq from the conflict's fallout and to develop a diplomatic mechanism to 'defuse the crisis,' fearing a slide into a wider regional or even global war. Leading the diplomatic charge in Istanbul While leaders unified at home, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein led a diplomatic marathon in Istanbul, attending an Emergency Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers—held at Iraq's request—and the 51st Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers from June 20-22. At these crucial gatherings, Minister Hussein warned that the escalation posed a threat to the entire region, not just Iran, and stressed the need for collective action. He put forward a key proposal: the formation of a joint, open-membership contact committee tasked with opening communication channels to reduce tensions and halt the attacks. This Iraqi initiative was a diplomatic success, first being adopted by the Arab League and subsequently approved by the OIC member states. The final 'Istanbul Declaration' from the OIC condemned the destabilizing attacks on Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, reflecting the core of Iraq's proposal. Minister Hussein reinforced this multilateral effort with a series of vital bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conferences. He met with: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan: Discussed both the regional escalation and critical bilateral files, including Iraq's water rights and the resumption of oil exports via Ceyhan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: Held two separate meetings to discuss the repercussions of the strikes and the importance of activating the new contact committee. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty: Received praise for Iraq's de-escalation initiative. Uzbek and Syrian Counterparts: Discussed the need to end the war and focus on political solutions, with Hussein emphasizing Iraq's direct vulnerability due to its shared border and history with Iran. Through this coordinated domestic and international effort, Iraq is signaling a clear strategic shift. Rather than being a passive victim of regional power plays, Baghdad is actively leveraging its diplomatic relationships in a determined bid to pull the Middle East back from the brink of a devastating, wider conflict.
