The 16th conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) began in Turkey’s Istanbul, as it draws attention to the suffering of Muslims across the world.
Speaking at the opening session of the 16th conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that defending Jerusalem (al-Quds) means defending humanity.
Erdoğan also stressed on Friday that the Jerusalem (al-Quds) cause is not just the cause of a handful of brave Muslims, but the common cause of the entire Islamic world, DailySabah reported.
The Turkish official continued to criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem (al-Quds) and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Erdoğan also touched upon the recent crisis in Afghanistan and said that it is our common wish for Afghanistan to achieve lasting peace and stability.
“We cannot afford to turn our backs on the Afghan people,” he added.
He also criticized the Western countries’ stance on the migration waves stemming from war-torn countries.
Erdoğan once again underlined the threat of rising Islamophobia, especially in Europe.
“As Muslims, we are not only fighting the coronavirus or humanitarian crises but also the growing anti-Islamism,” he said.
“We cannot allow Europe, where 35 million Muslims from different backgrounds live, turn into a concentration camp for our brothers,” he added.
President Erdoğan said earlier this year that Western countries insist on not taking measures against growing anti-Islam sentiment.
