1st Muslim Diaspora Forum of the OIC Member States Commenced in Ankara

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, YTB President Abdulhadi Turus, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs Ambassador Dr. Dawas Dawas, SESRIC Director General Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain, and Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan Fuad Muradov took part as speakers.

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As of Last Year, There Is a Muslim Population Exceeding 2 Billion Worldwide

​Speaking at the program, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the Migration (Hijrah) is a great experience that began with the pain of separation and transformed into a new life through brotherhood and solidarity, and that the strong bond established between the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and the Ansar (Helpers) following Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina demonstrated to everyone how shared faith and responsibility can bridge the distances between people. Yılmaz stated that this deep-rooted heritage imposes a moral responsibility on them to protect people living far from their homeland, to enable them to live their identities in safety, and to support the value they add to the societies they inhabit.

​Yılmaz underlined that today, the issues of Muslim diasporas should be approached with the same understanding of brotherhood and sense of responsibility.

​Emphasizing that the forum’s theme, “From Roots to New Paths,” demonstrates the effort to transform this understanding inherited from the past into new bonds, joint works, and lasting solidarity under today's conditions, Yılmaz conveyed that the greatest power to open these new paths indicated by the theme is a broad and young human resource. Pointing out that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has 57 member states, Yılmaz reported that there is a Muslim population exceeding 2 billion worldwide as of last year.

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A Significant Soft Power on a Global Scale

​Speaking at the 1st Muslim Diaspora Forum of the OIC Member States, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that he found it meaningful and valuable to meet with distinguished guests who came to Türkiye from different geographies of the world with a shared excitement and sense of responsibility.

​Stating that the concept of diaspora brings along a new and decisive network of relations that synthesizes the past with the present, and the present with the future,
Ersoy noted that millions of Muslims living across the world today preserve their own cultural and historical roots on one hand, while interacting with the values of the societies they are in on the other.

​He emphasized that Muslim diasporas spread across different geographies of the world can also display a significant soft power potential on a global scale when they come together around shared values and cultural bonds.

​In his speech at the forum, YTB President Abdulhadi Turus stated that the formation processes of Muslim diasporas are not identical, noting that the geographies they inhabit, their migration stories, generational experiences, the issues they face, their opportunities, and their expectations for the future differ from one another.

​Explaining that the institutions, services, and working models developed by countries in these fields are also shaped within their own circumstances, Turus expressed that for this reason, they need listening, experience sharing, and joint thinking on common issues.

​Noting that the issues faced by Muslim diasporas today are changing, diversifying, and gaining new dimensions day by day, Turus remarked: “While Islamophobia, discrimination, xenophobia, and rights violations persist, titles such as the preservation of identity and belonging among new generations, educational opportunities, social and political representation, the strengthening of civil society, new challenges brought by the digital world, and access to public services are also gradually gaining more importance.”

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“Our Conscience, Brotherhood, and Responsibility Are Shared”

​Stating that what is happening in Gaza is one of the heaviest tests of the shared conscience today, Turus used the following expressions: “Our borders may be different, but our conscience, our brotherhood, and our responsibility are shared. What falls upon us is not to leave this shared sensitivity merely as a solidarity that emerges in tough times, but to transform it into a lasting cooperation and capacity for joint action.”

​SESRIC Director General Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk also stated that they need a strong diaspora that transforms its experiences into shared value for its environment and society.

​In this framework, drawing attention to the fact that it is not possible to evaluate the diaspora issue solely under the headings of migration and integration, Selçuk explained that there are issues faced by Muslim communities such as the genocide in Gaza, Anti-Muslim hatred (Islamophobia), discrimination, hate speech, and prejudices.

​OIC Assistant Secretary-General Dr. Dawas Dawas stated that the OIC, as an institution representing millions of people, serves as a bridge between societies, and expressed that Muslim communities contribute to the development of the regions they reside in, opening the way for interaction with different societies by carrying their languages, cultures, and experiences to these regions.

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Attempts to Manipulate Diasporas Harm All Parties

​Drawing attention to the fact that diaspora communities struggle to constantly redefine and protect their identities between their countries of origin and the countries they live in, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya made the following evaluation: “Whether from the host country or the country of origin, any attempt aimed at manipulating or alienating diasporas harms all parties, first and foremost the members of the diaspora themselves.”

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Diasporas Have Become Bridges

​Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan Fuad Muradov expressed that diasporas, having now become bridges, contribute to social, economic, scientific, and cultural life.

​Pakistani Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain conveyed that it is his country's fundamental understanding that the Muslim community should by no means be segregated or viewed differently, explaining that Pakistan pursues a policy aimed not at importing faith power, but at exporting it.