New Secretary General of UNIW Elected in Istanbul Conference

Istanbul, Turkey. June 30, 2022: The 9th Ordinary Elective General Assembly Meeting of the Union of Non-Governmental Organizations of the Islamic World (UNIW) was held on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the MUSIAD Headquarters, İstanbul, Turkey. Today, UNIW has around 400 members from 69 countries of 6 continents.

UNIW was established on May 1, 2005, to work for global peace, human rights, freedom, and justice. UNIW’s goal is to cooperate, collaborate and coordinate the activities of the Muslim NOGs of the world. UNIW’s mission is to play effective role at the UN, OIC and other world forums to seek their understanding towards the issues of the Ummah. Its strategy has been to have global networking of Muslim NGO’s all over the world.

Attorney Ali Kurt, a graduate of Istanbul University, Faculty of Law was the Secretary General of UNIW until June 5, 2022.  Attorney Ali Kurt has been the founding partner of Faisal Finance Institution. He has been a shareholder and chairman of the board of companies operating in the food sector and education, as well as a company that has been dealing with gold chain manufacturing in the jewelry sector and mainly with production for abroad.

On June 25, 2022, the General Body elected Mr. Eyup Akbal as the new Secretary General of UNIW. Eyup Albak is the Chairman of the Board of Fuzul Holdings.  Eyup Akbal was featured on Forbes Magazine as one of top-notch businessmen in Turkey. Fuzul Group deals with real estate development, tourism, insurance, finance, property management, electronics payment systems. Eyup Akbal is a very modest, courteous, and humble personality. We hope that under his leadership, UNIW will achieve its objectives and will reach the zenith of success. InSha’Allah! We must also convey our gratitude to the hard work and dedication of Abdul Hamit Erten and Umer Farooq who worked day and night to make this meeting a success.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, member of the Board of Directors of UNIW since its inception in 2005, highlighted the duplicity of the world powers towards Muslim conflicts. He cited the example of the people of Ukraine who are suffering, and world powers feel their pain and rightly so and so do the Muslims all over the world. The question arises why do the world powers turn their blind eye when it comes to the pain and suffering of the people of Palestine and Kashmir?

Dr. Fai highlighted that the world powers have proved to be selective when it comes to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions. He asked: Is not it true that the United Nations intervene in Namibia, East Timor, Southern Sudan, implemented UN resolutions, held the elections and gave these countries total independence from the occupation of South Africa, Indonesia and Sudan respectively? How can the world body justify that the UN Security Council resolutions remain unimplemented in the case of Palestine and Kashmir?

Dr. Fai added that the nightmare of the people of Kashmir began in 1947 and it is no tribute to international justice that it continues as I speak today. The community of nations. must seize the opportunity to promote an initiative towards bringing about conditions necessary for settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Should not the international standards and principles play a commanding role in the settlement of international conflicts including that of Kashmir, Fai asked?

Later, Dr. Fai addressed the students of various Turkish universities at the main auditorium of Recep Tayyip Erdogan Anadolu Imam Hatip Lisesi, Istanbul. It was also addressed among others by Mr. Shakeel Ahmed, Nazim-e-Aala, Islami Jamiaat-e-Talaba, Pakistan, Hafiz Uzair Ali Khan, President Pak-Turk Students Group, Ms. Sanaa Rafique, Ms. Nousheen,  Abdullah Zubair and Anas Awan.

When asked if Kashmir was an integral part of India, Dr. Fai categorically said no. Under all UN resolutions, agreed upon by both India and Pakistan and adopted by the Security Council, Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the UN. If Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the UN, then the claim that Kashmir was an integral part of India does not stand?

To another question: has the people of Kashmir reconciled with India because of constant Indian brutality and was the situation in Kashmir frozen? Fai told the student audience which was dominated by female scholars that the situation in Kashmir is not frozen. It may seem to you have frozen from a distance but the facts on the ground say it loudly that it will not stay frozen any longer. Has it been the case then Yushwant Sinha, leader of BJP and former foreign minister of India would not have said on December 28, 2018 during an interview with Shekhar Gupta, “We have made one mistake after another in Kashmir. There is no question of losing Kashmir, we have lost Kashmir.”

Dr. Fai also met with the delegation of Islamabad-based independent think-tank “Center for Discussions and Solutions,” and “Global Dialogue for Peace.” They were invited by Istanbul based think-tank, “Insan ve Medeniyet Hareketi. Brother Asif Luqman is the head of this thinktank. I was delighted to meet with Mohtaram Ameerul Azeem Bhai and other dozens of friends there whom I know from America to Saudi Arabia and else, Fai said.

Fai also had detailed discussion with the leadership of Kashmir House, Istanbul, Dr. Mubeen Shah and Dr. Asif Dar, both of them have sacrificed a lot for the cause of Kashmir. The nation of Kashmir is proud of them. Kashmir House, Istanbul’s objectives include: advocacy, political engagements, research, documentation, financial aid to deserving students, mediascape, and business enterprise.

Dr. Fai had a pleasant meeting with 18 Kashmiri students at WishMore hotel, Bayrampasa, Istanbul. They came not only from Istanbul but beyond. They discussed issues of common concern for more than two hours.

Last but not the least, Dr. Fai was delighted to spend few moments with Ustaaz tugray Rvren who has become the “Poet of Kashmir.” He has given the voice to the pain and suffering of the people of Kashmir. The song, “I am Kashmir” is dedicated to Kashmir and “We will not betray” is dedicated to both Kashmir and Palestine. These songs have millions of views on Tweeter and YouTube. Thank you, Tugray Evren for your friendship with the people of Kashmir

Dr. Fai is also the Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice. He can be reached at: WhatsApp: 1-202-607-6435  or gnfai2003@yahoo.com