Excellencies Heads State and Government of Islamic countries, Respectable Ulema, Brothers and sisters, Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah-e-wa Barakaatu!

It is pleasure for me to be addressing this august gathering of my Muslim brothers and sisters. Please allow me to present to you the warm wishes of the people of Afghanistan. I thank His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdol Aziz al Saud, and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia for their warm hospitality and for organizing this conference, which I believe is a significant initiative that will contribute to unity and progress in the Muslim world.

Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

We are all the descendents of a glorious civilization which was founded in this Holy City. We are proud of the accomplishments, values and the greatness of our Islamic civilization. However, today our civilization is facing important challenges - challenges that would require us to adopt proper responses across the Ummah and the world at large.

Many Islamic countries are suffering from economic and social backwardness, poverty and violence. Despite their past glory, their richness in natural resources and their more than one billion population, Muslim countries are losing influence in matters of international politics and economy.

We Muslims can achieve progress when we overcome our needs for human resources and institutional capacities, and this can be done when we strengthen cooperation amongst ourselves and with the rest of the world. I believe that for us to find solutions to our domestic problems and ascertain our active role in the international arena, we need to determine our objectives and agree on common strategies for reaching those objectives. The truth is that understanding still needs to be strengthened among Islamic countries if Muslims are to find a common language in response to global challenges.

Regrettably, there are small groups everywhere in the world, including in Muslim countries, which exploit religion as a political instrument that leads to killing of innocent people. At the core of our Islamic beliefs lie eternal values of morality, but we cannot effectively overcome our challenges without fighting terrorism, the common victims of which are Muslims in our own countries.

Similarly, it is regrettable that today there are some circles in the world which see Islam as a threat and consider it an enemy. We want this attitude to end. The perception that bloody borders divide the different cultures and religions, and the perception that co-existence is inconsistent with Islam are absolutely wrong. It is the common job of Muslims to remove these perceptions.

On the other hand, while we fight terrorist ideas in our own countries, we should also wisely combat anti-Islamic trends in other countries. At present, there are Muslims in every part of the world. Millions of Muslims are citizens of the countries where majority populations are non-Muslim. Muslim minorities in such countries must not face prejudice and maltreatment. Protecting their religious identity and ensuring that they have equal civil rights is the undeniable principle of human rights. We want that Muslims must not be maltreated in any country of the world.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Islamic brotherhood should be the basis of relations between Islamic countries. Our bonds of brotherhood require us to stand with each other in tough times. Brotherhood, equality and cooperation must be the basic principles of our political ties. Respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Muslim countries and equity among countries must be the foundations of our cooperation. Our success is in how much we can nurture this cooperation.

Muslim countries are endowed with abundant natural resources and large, young and energetic populations. Equipping our populations with modern education and technological achievements will guarantee our prosperity. The bright past of the Islamic civilization was owed to knowledge and education. It is vital for us to pay attention to the contemporary education and learning.

Excellencies!

We are very grateful to Allah that the people of Afghanistan have regained control over their destiny after many years of wars and sufferings. The Afghan people have given great sacrifices for the sake of Islam, and we know very well that Muslims of the world stood with us during our Jihad and resistance and strongly defended our genuine rights. We also know that you support our efforts to further strengthen peace and build a prosperous Afghanistan.

After former Soviet Russian invasion, foreign interferences and many years of wars, destruction and miseries, Afghanistan is now taking steps towards stability with the help of the international community. Our country adopted a constitution. The success of last year's presidential elections and the parliamentary elections this year lead to the belief that considerable achievements have been made towards normalcy. About 6.5 million children and young people - 40 per cent of them girls - go to schools and universities. In a country where four years ago women were deprived of all civil rights and the right to education, praise be to Allah that women today have achieved these rights in the light of Islamic teachings.

Afghanistan's economy is growing with every passing day. Our currency is strong and stable. About 60 thousand workers from the region and the neighbouring countries are working in Afghanistan. Some of the country's highways have been made while this process is going on with great momentum in all parts of the country. We have enacted laws and created conducive conditions for national and foreign investment. I take this opportunity to thank all the countries and international organizations which have extended much needed help to Afghanistan over the past four years.

Excellencies, brothers and sisters!

Afghanistan supports peaceful settlement of all regional disputes in accordance with the UN Charter. Commitment to the UN Charter and other international conventions is a commitment to those common values which bond us together as members of the international community.

The people of Afghanistan want peace and stability in Palestine. We hope that Palestinians will determine their own destiny with their free will. We support the peace process in Palestine and we believe that peace in the region is dependant upon the establishment of a Palestinian State.

Peace and stability in Iraq is important for the world's security. The people of Iraq must live in freedom, prosperity, peace and security. The people of Afghanistan want an end to violence and tension in Iraq and hope that Iraqi elections will take place in a peaceful environment. An independent, calm and peaceful Iraq is the first condition for the strengthening of peace and security in the region.

Excellencies leaders of Islamic state, brothers and sisters,

Afghanistan is a member of the great family of Muslim nations and will always stand on all issues next to its Muslim brothers. We emphasize the importance of Islamic brotherhood and hope that our Muslim brothers will not leave us alone in this historical time as we work to rebuild our country. I thank, once again, His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for this significant initiative that brings us together. During these blessed days of Hajj, we pray that Almighty Allah may grant lasting peace and prosperity to the Muslim world.

Wa Minallah-e Tawfiq