With the grace of Allah the Almighty, the 4th General Assembly of the Council Of European Muslims, in its 10th term, was held on the 26th – 29th January 2017, corresponding to the 29th Rabii II– 1st Jumada I, 1438 AH, in Istanbul, Turkey. The opening ceremony was held in the presence of the
Council leaders, representatives of the member organisations and a group of guests including academics, media elites, and several representatives of civil society institutions.
The General Assembly started with reviewing the performance of the Executive Committee and the reports of the Shura Council, in accordance with the Council’s general plan for the tenth session of (2014-2018). The General Assembly has also discussed several important issues listed on the agenda, related to the prospects for administrative development and suggestions for structural development at the level of the Council and its member organisations. These changes came in line with the developed vision that the Council of European Muslims ‘CEM’ has adopted at the beginning of its current session to build a clear perception on the current situation and work to meet its.
The General Assembly issued a decision regarding the status of the Council and the nature of its public relations “confirming that Council of European Muslims is a European institution that has no administrative or organisational affiliation with any institution or bodies outside Europe and that it establishes its relations on the basis of openness and cooperation for the common good.”
During the General Assembly, the board of directors has organised a seminar to discuss and analysis the current European reality and the latest updates on the ground, as an attempt to monitor the effects of the variables that extend to the European Muslims in particular. This included the phenomenon of Islamophobia, the dangers of racism associated with the rise of extremist forces, the perpetual attacks that target the human values and the peaceful coexistence in the European society and the increased attacks on mosques and religious institutions. The seminar was concluded with a set of recommendations to find an effective mechanism to deal with the present challenges. In this regard, the attendance emphasised the importance of rejecting racist policies and practices, in addition to the significance of the joint action by allsociety components to confront racism, exclusion and defence of religious freedom, equality and equal opportunities principles.
In a related context, the General Assembly recognised the efforts made by Islamic institutions in promoting moderate Islamic values among Muslims, raising awareness of the dangers of extremism, and preventing ideas of extremism that threaten security and social stability of our European societies.
The General Assembly has highlighted the importance of sticking to the basis of CEM’s message of “Introducing Islam, and to keep encouraging Muslims in Europe, helping them to practice their religious rituals, and actively contribute to various aspects of life, within the framework of a moderate understanding and within an innovative reform approach.”
On another context, the General Assembly reviewed several foreign issues and the extent of their influence on the European reality. The General Assembly expressed its concern over the deteriorating situation in several Arab, Islamic and African countries. The massive expansion of racial conflicts in these regions will feed hatred and extremism, threats the social stability and peaceful coexistence of the nations, and suppresses the aspirations for stability, freedom, and prosperity.
The GeneralAssembly called for more efforts to end these chronic crises and renewed the call for serious implementation of human rights principles in addition to the development of cooperation within the framework of common denominators and human values.
Council of European Muslims ‘CEM’
General Assembly
29th January 2017