The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has followed with concern and indignation the repeated statements made by Argentine President Javier Milei, on various occasions, of statements offensive to Islam, Muslims and the ancient Islamic civilization, using hostile phrases by “Islamic terrorism” and “Islamic fanaticism” and linking terrorism to Islam. The OIC General Secretariat strongly condemns such statements by a Head of State with which the OIC Member States have traditional relations of friendship and cooperation and common economic interests, which are incompatible with the mutual respect of relations between the Argentine people and the Muslim peoples, and contrary to the respect expected of heads of state and officials for religions and peoples’ beliefs, stresses its principled position rejecting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and categorically rejecting linking terrorism with Islam. Or by any religion.
In this context, the OIC General Secretariat renews its call to address all manifestations of hatred, intolerance, negative stereotyping and defamation of religions, to promote dialogue among religions, civilizations and cultures and to implement the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council on “Defamation of Religions”, in particular the General Assembly resolution of 15 March 2022 declaring 15 March as the International Day for Combating Islamophobia.
