Tunku Abdul Rahman speech at the 1st Muslim Summit 1969

MUSLIM  SUMMIT AT RABAT

Below is the speech text by the First Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj at the First Muslim Summit at Rabat, Maghribi (Morocco) from September 22-24, 1969. Through this summit, the 25 Islamic country leaders that attended the summit voluntarily agreed  to establish Organizations of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on 25 September 1969.

Your Majesties, Your Excellencies:

I must begin by expressing first of all my profound gratitude to His Majesty King Hassan II for the invitation he has so graciously extended to hold this Muslim Summit Conference here in his lovely Capital City of Rabat.  The warmth of the reception we have received and the arrangements made for our comfort have been so well arranged.

Tunku and King Hassan 11, Rabat 25 Sept. 1969 (Foto: Arkib Negara)

I am grateful to Almighty God from the bottom of my heart that it has been possible for us to meet together.  This unique gathering of ours as he been said is indeed an occasion of historic significance where leaders of all Muslim countries throughout the world are meeting together to discuss a subject which moves us beyond all words.  Who among us can contemplate the issue of the Holy City of Baitul Maqdis and of the Al-Aqsa Mosque which is the third most holy mosque of all Muslim and the place ascension of the Holy Prophet himself without a feeling of the most profound revenge?  At quite short notice we have journeyed over many miles to come together to share our thoughts and to contribute in whatever way we can to safeguard the good name of the religion to which we all belong.  I would like to express my humble thanks to His Majesty King Hassan II for having provided His Majesty’s personel plane to bring me here from Rome so as to be in time for this meeting.

I have come here as a brother in Islam moved by my very deep concern and anxiety for the holy places of Jerusalem.  We are all here at this gathering not as so-called Arab Muslims or non-Arab Muslims, by simply as brothers in Islam.  The future of Jurusalem is not a matter between Israel and Jordan only or even between Israel and the other Arab States only.  It is a matter of the deepest concern for us present around the table but that rather the millions of Muslims not represented here whether they be in China or Russia, Thailand or the Philippines, Ethiopia, Yugoslavia, Albania or Cyprus, for it is in their interest for us to speak on their behalf as well.  For they, like us, must feel equally as we do the pangs and sorrow caused by the events which had taken place in Jerusalem. This indeed must be the most important conference held so far in connection with this question and world attention must inevitably be focused and drawn to what is taking place here.  Everything said will be taken down and recorded for world consumption and Muslims throughout the world will act on itu.  Let us therefore discuss the matter with some reasoning and not to be overcome by emotion nor concern ourselves with affairs of individual countries but rather concentrate on important issue before us.

At the Muslim Conference held in Kuala Lumpur in April this year, which is the first conference of its kind ever held, the issue of Baitul Maqdis was discussed and the Conference passed resolutions some of which were:

1.       This Conference condemns Israel for having usurped the Arab territories and in particular the Holy City of Baitul Maqdis, which includes the first Qibla and the third sacred mosque of the Muslims and place of ascension of the Holy Prophet;

2.       Appeals to all Muslim nations to hold as soon as possible a Conference at high political level to discuss the issue of Baitul Maqdis in all its aspects.

The present conference may therefore be regarded as fulfilling e the second paragraph in that resolution and what is more the mosque referred to in the first paragraph has been the subject of the worst act of sacrilege known to history and so what was said of the mosque is almost prophetic.  The sacrilege of the holy mosque has brought is helter-skelter to a conference.

In addressing the closing session of that Conference I referred to the situation in the Middle East as one fraught with danger. I said then that what was happening in the Middle East was a matter for serious attention of world powers but that sooner or later it must inevitably draw all the Muslim nations into the conflict because Muslims regard Jerusalem as their Holy City.  Muslims everywhere had felt a sense of great loss and tragedy when as a result of the June 1967 war, Jerusalem fell into concerned over such a severe setback with the loss of Jerusalem to the Israelis. I had hoped and prayed that the big powers would be able to settle this conflict before it explodes into a religious war with incalculable and dire consequences to world peace. Unfortunately, the powers have not given it the importance it occupies and so this conference must alert them as to the seriousness of the situation. After more than two years, the Israelis remain in control of Jerusalem and have even enacted legislation to incorporate the Holy City as a part of their State.  This is the matter Muslims of non-Arab race are most deeply concerned.  There have been many resolutions passed by the U.N. on the issue of Jerusalem and I would like to make some brief references to them here.

“Resolution 242 demanded the withdrawal of Israel from occupied territories; Termination of all claims to all claims to all territories occupied;

Guaranteeing freedom of navigation, etc.;

Resolution 252, 1968 reaffirmed that military conquest is inadmissible;

Deplores the failure of Israel to comply with General Assembly Resolutions;

Resolution 267 condemns Israel for having changed the status of the City of Jerusalem and showing disregard for General Assembly Resolutions;

And on 15^th September another Security Council Resolution 271 was passed which recalled the Resolutions 252 of 21^st May, 1968, 267 of 3^rd July, 1967 and earlier General Assembly Resolutions 2253 and 2254 of 4^th and 14^th July, 1967 respectively concerning measures and actions on Israel affecting the status of the City of Jerusalem and reaffirming the established principle that acquisition of territory by military conquest is inadmissible and declared that any act of destruction or profanation of the Holy places, religious buildings and sites in Jerusalem etc…… may seriously endanger international peace and security.”

No one can deny the fact that Israel had wantonly and contemptuously disregarded all these resolutions.  And I have not the slightest doubt that Israel will treat whatever resolution which might be made at this conference or U.N. would be treated in the same way as in previous instances.  I have heard the views expressed around this table and I fully understand the sentiments so expressed without repeating them here – the best that we could do, in the circumstances as I myself propose to do, is to project our consensus and our stand to the General Assembly of the U.N. with a view to winning sympathy and support for the Muslim cause amongst the countries of the world thereby giving effect to decisions taken here.