The women's council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has joined the chorus of condemnation against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Chairwoman Esra Albayrak warned that women and children would to "pay the price" for the decision, which will see the U.S. Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to the divided city.
"Stopping this process, which has usurped the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people and made it difficult for thousands of Palestinian refugees to return to their hometowns, is the charge of the international community for the Palestinian people and especially Palestinian women and children," she told Anadolu Agency.
The decision to recognize Jerusalem has raised tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and led to unrest and Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Albayrak said the implications of Trump's decision would "sadden" anyone with a conscience.
"This issue is not a matter that can be used irresponsibly as domestic policy material," she added.
The decision, which is widely opposed by world leaders and goes against UN resolutions, had been imposed on the Palestinian people as a fait accompli, Albayrak said.
"Despite the UN resolutions, the world has watched the quiet but systematic invasion of Palestinian lands for decades," she said.
Albayrak said that the U.S. President's "irresponsible remarks" seemed to be an attempt to legitimize the Israeli occupation.
- Sacred
"This is an initiative that not only ignores Palestinians or Muslim countries but the UN itself," she said. "The U.S. has made clear with its decision that it cannot be a mediator in the deepest crisis of the Middle East."
Albayrak also said Trump's description of Jerusalem, which is a holy site for Jews, Muslims and Christians, as "the eternal capital of the Jewish people" was "both hurtful and even threatening, not only for Muslims but also Christians who regard Jerusalem as sacred".
She noted that the city's Al-Aqsa Mosque hosted the first qiblah, or prayers towards Mecca.
Turning to the role of women, Albayrak said woman could be helped to do more for peace in the Middle East.
"I believe we can do more for Palestinian women," she said, pointing to the OIC's initiative Ally for the Future, which brought together successful young women from 50 Muslim countries.
"I believe that women should take a more effective role in building faster peace processes," she said, adding that both Muslim and Jewish women had a role to play.
Groups such as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement "must be strengthened and the Israeli state should be put under greater pressure by the Jewish people for its decisions and practices in defiance of human rights."
Although it was difficult to remain optimistic, she believed in human conscience, especially in women's common sense and capacity to produce solutions.
Albayrak said it was worrying that foreign policy decisions made for short-term domestic goals provided a fertile ground for radical organizations.
"The Western world does not have the luxury of ignoring it," she said: "Global terrorism, radical organizations are hurting the whole world today."
- Sisterly bonds
Desperate, disheartened communities were the main recruiting grounds for extremists. "We should not allow this," she said.
Albayrak said she would continue to work for peace by promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital as East Jerusalem and creating an environment in which Palestinian women and children could live in peace.
The Women's Consultative Council was launched in April 2016 during the OIC summit chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
She said its goal was "strengthening women's social role in Islamic countries, increasing their participation in political and economic processes and contributing to their participation in decision-making positions."
It also aimed to raise awareness and advocate against Islamophobia created through a distorted image of Muslim women.
The council consists of nine women representing the three main regions where Islam is prevalent, Albayrak said. Members are elected for two years.
"As the women of the Islamic world, we have seen that it is fundamental to know each other before anything else to strengthen our sisterly bonds and it was only possible to develop a culture of solidarity after we met," she added.
Albayrak also stressed the importance of leadership skills among young people.
Referring to Palestinian women, who she said lacked access to basic services, Albayrak said: "Concerning the provision of these [services to women], there is a great responsibility especially for international organizations and particularly Islamic countries."
She added: "It is not the time for separation or partition. It is time for all nations, who care about world peace, to unite in order to solve this problem."
