(WASHINGTON, DC) - Today, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir hosted a reception for Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Guests included ambassadors from OIC member states. 

During a briefing on Islamophobia, Mr. Madani stated, “The OIC condemns terrorism no matter who commits it and where it takes place.” He continued, “One of the most important challenges we face is from within. The faith is being hijacked by extremists.”

Mr. Madani said that one has to understand what attracts people to extremist groups like Daesh [ISIS]. The Secretary General pointed out that in the case of Iraq and Syria, the decline of national identity and its replacement by sectarian identity as well as the collapse of civil structure have fueled radicalism. In the case of Boko Haram, economic issues have fill the ranks of the group. The majority of Boko Haram’s recruits come from a marginalized and underdeveloped region, and they find in group to be a source of income and purpose.

Mr. Madani also stressed the need to give youth hope. “The OIC has to work on creating hope for youth, otherwise we will have a lost generation if we cannot reach out to them,” he said.

Ambassador Al-Jubeir also provided remarks, stressing the importance of public condemnation. “As the party of the world that suffers the most from terrorism, we need to make sure our views on terrorism are heard,” said Ambassador Al-Jubeir.

Mr. Madani will be attending the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism tomorrow.

The OIC is comprised of 57 nations and is the second largest international body after the U.N. The OIC was established in 1969 and is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.