Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Youssef Al-Othaimeen said that the Muslim Brotherhood was more dangerous than ISIS, stressing that the organization must be confronted in all possible means to stop its infiltration into societies.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Othaimeen noted that the Muslim Brotherhood had a strategy that relied on starting from the bottom up to form its empire and reach power and positions of influence.
“They work on infiltrating the society from below with the aim of dividing it and then grabbing power,” he said.
Al-Othaimeen emphasized the necessity of finding a long-term strategy to confront the Brotherhood, saying that the countries of the Islamic world must deal firmly and severely with this file and deploy all efforts to limit the movement’s expansion.
He also expressed his rejection to all forms of terrorism.
“The organization’s position is clear and consistent… Terrorism is rejected and can never be justified,” he underlined.
He continued: “We are against terrorism and extremism, and pure Islam is moderate, based on mercy and peace, and this is a principle of the organization and not just an opinion.”
Commenting on the situation in Yemen, the secretary-general said that the organization stands with the Yemeni people and supports a comprehensive and just political solution agreed upon by the Yemenis.
He denounced actions perpetrated by the Houthis, describing them as “a violation of all international regulations and norms.”
On Libya, Al-Othaimeen underlined the need for a permanent truce. He noted that the organization has welcomed the Egyptian efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis peacefully.
“Here we are talking about the provisions of the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the decisions of the Summit and the Council of Ministers, in the support for all initiatives and efforts calling for a comprehensive ceasefire in Libya and for dialogue between the Libyan parties, which would solve the crisis politically to ensure the return of security and stability,” he remarked.
Asked about the current challenges facing the Islamic world, the he said the organization was closely following the development of the new coronavirus outbreak in Islamic countries.
In this regard, he said that the OIC was seeking to assist less developed countries in fighting the pandemic, in particular the health sector.
On a different note, Al-Othaimeen said that women were receiving a great attention from the OIC. He underlined the importance of empowering women in all fields and granting them equal education and work opportunities.
He stressed that women “play a pivotal role in the development of their countries and they are a pillar that must be relied upon and supported to reach their goal in being an influential factor in their society.”
The secretary-general praised the efforts deployed by Saudi Arabia in supporting Islamic countries and the Palestinian Cause.
“Saudi Arabia provided millions of dollars in support for the Islamic Solidarity Fund, for urgent aid, supporting UNRWA with $50 million, in addition to the previous amounts estimated at $160 million,” he noted.
