09 December 2005
The meeting of leaders from 57 Muslim countries in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference ended with what some are calling a “Muslim renaissance,” with attendees declaring that terrorism amounted to a “crisis” in the Islamic world, and urging member states to fight “deviant ideas” and purge extremism from school curricula. A statement from the conference also pledged Islam to commit itself to moderation, diversity and tolerance, with Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal adding that it was the responsibility of Muslim governments to implement the measures. More specifically, the Zaman Daily Newspaper reports on the formation of an International Counter-Terrorism Unit, a “general women’s rights document,” and a literacy trust.