Thousands attend Muslim Women Summit in Malaysia

By Adem Salvarcioglu

KUALA LUMPUR (AA) – A Turkish deputy minister has lauded an international conference for Muslim women as an opportunity to express and share ideas at a time when the world needs unity and solidarity.

Thousands of participants from across the world gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the “Muslim Women: Soft as Silk, Strong as Iron” summit and exhibition hosted in the Malaysian capital Sept. 23-25.

Mehmet Ersoy, deputy minister of Turkey’s Family and Social Policies Ministry, gave a speech at the opening day of the summit -- organized by the International Islamic University of Malaysia, the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM) and other Turkey-based non-governmental organizations.

Ersoy told Anadolu Agency that during a period when the Islamic world needs unity, solidarity and fraternity/sorority, the organization of the gathering in Malaysia was an opportunity to exchange ideas.

“We found an opportunity to share with sister countries the situation and atmosphere in Turkey, as well as our efforts to empower women,” he stressed.

Referring to the failed July 15 coup in Turkey, Ersoy also described the conference as a chance to explain to other Muslims "just how unjust, treacherous the FETO [Fetullah] Terrorist Organization is".

"We tried to convey that [FETO] has absolutely nothing to do with religion, with Islam, but rather uses our sacred values to infiltrate state and society,” he said, adding that meetings during the summit had been very beneficial.

Other participants from Turkey included members of parliament for Istanbul and Kocaeli from the ruling AK Party, a Republican People's Party lawmaker representing Tekirdag, and officials from a variety of civil society organizations.

The summit aims to champion efforts to empower women and provide a platform for sharing their ideas and experiences. Its objective is to create extensive synergy and networking among NGOs around the world for the pursuit of global prosperity and peace.