OIC General Secretariat Strongly Condemns the Statements of Argentina’s President Javier Milei Associating Terrorism with Islam

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has followed with concern and outrage the statements repeatedly made by the Argentinian President Javier Milei, on several occasions, which are offensive to Islam, to Muslims, and to the time-honored Islamic civilization, with his use of such hostile expressions as “Islamic terrorism” and “Islamic fanaticism”, and his association of terrorism with Islam.

The General Secretariat strongly condemns such statements made by the president of a country with which the OIC Member States have traditional relations of friendship and cooperation and common economic interests. These statements are inconsistent with the mutual respect that characterizes relations between the Argentinian people and Islamic peoples, and are also inconsistent with the respect for peoples’ religions and beliefs that heads of states and high-ranking officials are expected to show. The General Secretariat reaffirms its principled position rejecting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and categorically rejecting any association of terrorism with Islam or with any other religion.

In this context, the OIC General Secretariat reiterates its call for countering all manifestations of hatred, intolerance, negative stereotyping, and defamation of religions, for promoting dialogue among religions, civilizations, and cultures, and for implementing the relevant resolutions of the UNGA and the UN Human Rights Council on combating defamation of religions, particularly the UNGA Resolution of March 15, 2022, designating March 15th as an International Day to Combat Islamophobia.