Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, was invited to chair the Second Plenary Session OSCE Conference on Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims.
Held in Cordoba, Spain, from October 8-10 the conference was attended by delegates from over 53 OSCE member nations.
"Racism and discrimination impoverish and violate our democratic rights, be they against Muslims or against those that hold different beliefs," the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, said at the meeting, held in the Spanish city of Corboba.
He said intolerance and discrimination against Muslims had long been a concern for the Organization. "It is logical that we avoid the risk of a new racism appearing that will disrupt social relations and damage human rights and our very security."
Amr Moussa, the Secretary General of the Arab League, welcomed the meeting, saying it was important to counter the theory of clash of civilizations, which he said was fueled by the extreme wings on all sides. He called on participants to find ways to ensure that "the spirit of tolerance", which prevails at the two-day meeting and other similar meetings, reaches all levels of society.
Shaykh Kabbani chaired the session titled "Racial Discrimination and Intolerance against Muslims". Speakers were Dr. Ibrahim Kalin is an assistant professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, in Boston and Mr. Ioannis Dimitrakaopoulos, Head of Unit Research and Data Collection at EUMC.
