Rojak and Cocktail: Islamic leaders 'outraged' over Lebanon

Islamic leaders 'outraged' over Lebanon

Abdullah chairs the Meeting of Friends of the Chairman of the 10th Islamic Summit Conference. With him are Secretary-General of OIC Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (left) and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (right).

Islamic leaders meeting in Malaysia have expressed anger over what they say are international double standards on Israel's offensive in Lebanon.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, told an emergency meeting of the body that the "Islamic Ummah (community) is outraged" because they do not understand how the human tragedy has been allowed to continue.

"The failure of peace initiatives will endanger not only the peace efforts in the Middle East, but peace and stability in the whole world... another failure in this regard can instigate further violence and terror," he said.

Some diplomats at the meeting demanded that Israel be investigated for "war crimes" against civilians.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's prime minister and chair of the 57-nation body, said that Muslim countries had to commit troops for a proposed UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

He said: "We must play a more proactive role in the present conflict. We must show preparedness to contribute forces for peacekeeping operations under the UN banner. Malaysia is ready to do that."

Badawi said the UN had failed to act in Lebanon and that "the Security Council could not even muster the moral courage to condemn Israel for the attack on Qana, or the killing of UN observers at Khiam".

'Incalculable consequences'

Pakistan echoed Ihsanoglu's comments, warning that continued inaction by the international community over the Middle East conflict would have "incalculable consequences" for regional and world security.

Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan's prime minister, said: "The failure of the international community, especially the UN and the major powers to halt this outrage, is adding to popular anger in the region and around the world.

"This paralysis is dangerous and can have incalculable consequences for long-term peace and security in the sensitive Middle East region and in the world.

"It will also serve a severe blow to the international campaign against terrorism."

About 100 Malaysian Muslim activists demonstrated outside the summit venue as the leaders arrived, chanting anti-Israeli slogans and holding banners that read, "Israelis are real terrorists" and "Don't allow Muslims to be slaughtered".

Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Senegal, Indonesia, Iran and Yemen, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization were amongst the countries represented at the meeting.
(Source-aljazeera.net)

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It is characteristic of the Malays that having once placed their trust and respect in a person, they are loath to revise their opinions even under altered circumstances. Thus, it is no longer their convictions that count but those of Dato Onn. -C.H.E. Det aka Mahathir Mohamad (1950) "New thoughts on nationality", Sunday Times, April 9. As quoted in the book Beyond Mahathir (2003) by Khoo Boo Teik.

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( Sun2surf.com- P. Gunasegaram is group executive editor of The Edge.)