ISLAMABD, Dec 4: Leaders of 57 Islamic countries will seek to reform the OIC in Makkah-tul-Mukkarramah next week as a way out of current turmoil affecting 1.5 billion Muslims through their socio-economic uplift, an area where they are yet to deliver despite possessing 70 per cent of world oil and 40 per cent of global availability of raw material.

The gathering of leaders is being seen as a significant step towards enabling the Muslim world to grapple with multiple challenges facing it in terms of economic development, poverty alleviation, improvement of literacy levels, and addressing extremism and terrorism in the long-term perspective.

These recommendations for reforms, proposed by the Commission of Eminent Persons drawn from 17 Muslim countries and approved by Islamic countries foreign ministers, are aimed at making the 35-year-old Organization of Islamic Conference a vibrant voice of one quarter of humanity and a veritable vehicle for their development.

The steps for reform and revamping of the OIC have been brought forth in the light of decisions taken at the 10th OIC Summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia and President Pervez Musharraf’s vision of enlightened moderation, endorsed by the same moot two years ago.

As a viable strategy, enlightened moderation proposes a two-pronged approach. It calls upon the Muslim countries to renounce extremism existing on their fringes and strive for socio-economic betterment and human resource development of their teeming millions, living below poverty line.—APP