RIYADH, December 5, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – For the first time ever in the history of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Muslim scholars have played a pivotal role in setting the agenda of the Islamic summit, due to kick off Wednesday, December 7, in the holy city of Makkah, a Saudi daily reported Monday, December 5.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said, in statements published by the English-language Arab News, that scholars have prepared a detailed report on the Muslim world’s pressing issues and predicaments to form as the agenda of the summit.

"The report has been turned into a 10-year plan to restructure the Islamic nation," he said, adding that the plan "will pave the way for more Islamic integration and cooperation."

Kings and presidents from the 57-member OIC will meet for a special two-day summit called by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz.

Presidents of Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates as well as the kings of Morocco and Bahrain have already confirmed their attendance.

OIC foreign ministers were expected to meet on Tuesday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia to draft the summit agenda.

The plan drafted by scholars includes proposals to strengthen an Islamic academy of jurists to counter militants who use religion to justify violence.

Prince Saud explained that by issuing unified fatwas, the academy would prevent the deviants from spreading their evil ideologies.

Officials say the OIC leaders will highlight Islam’s peaceful message -- with the twin aim of tackling domestic extremism and answering critics who link Islam with terrorism.

The summit will agree on two documents: the "Makkah Declaration" which contains "the true principles and common vision of a moderate Islam," and the "Program of action to modernize the OIC," according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

AFP has further learnt that the attendees will confirm a name change for the body to become the "Organization of Islamic Countries".

OIC spokesman Atta Manan said the scholars also made proposals for tackling Islamophobia, for managing conflict and dealing with problems faced by Muslim minorities in the West.

"We don’t seek a UN-style body, but we want to have a crucial say in the resolutions adopted by the world body," said Ihsanoglu.

The summit will also discuss proposals for a "Makkah Visa" to reduce obstacles to business and raise trade between Muslim countries to 20 percent of their trade from 13 percent now, Reuters reported.

"The Makkah Visa will be a kind of Schengen visa," said Manan, referring to the bloc of European Union nations which allow document-free travel across their borders.

He added that the scholars also made proposals on women empowerment.

"Women should play a role. They are largely marginalized now, but they should play an effective role in society."

The summit will also focus on economic issues and challenges facing the nation.

The establishment of a crisis fund by the Islamic Development Bank will be discussed by the summiteers.

At the 21st annual session of the OIC's permanent committee for economic and commercial cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul on November 24, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called for a free trade zone among Islamic nations "in the near future."

Turkey also proposed that OIC member countries collectively design and build a passenger plane.

Ihsanoglu on Sunday, December 4, said the current charter of the pan-Muslim body was no longer able to rise to the demands of the Muslim peoples and countries.

He told the Saudi Al-Watan daily that the summit would debate proposals to amend the 34-year-old charter.

The OIC chief said the proposed changes include activating the only on-paper Islamic court of justice through signing up to an agreement.

Turkish Ihsanoglu, who took office in January, pledged that the OIC would play a key role on the international and regional arenas.

"We don’t seek a UN-style body, but we want to have a crucial say in the resolutions adopted by the world body," he told the newspaper, adding that the OIC was eyeing a permanent UN Security Council seat.

The OIC was set up in Rabat, Morocco, on September 25, 1969 in reaction to an Israeli arson attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on August 21, 1969.

The participants appointed a secretary general and chose Jeddah as the headquarters of the OIC, pending the liberation of Al-Quds, which would be the permanent host.