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Muslim nations try to rid their religion of terrorist tag
Putrajaya, Oct 14: Decrying what they perceive as a western campaign to unfairly link their religion to terrorism, Islamic nations are calling for stronger international efforts to resolve new and old frustrations such as the US occupation of Iraq and the Palestinian struggle which have fueled extremism and violence.
Putrajaya, Oct 14: Decrying what they perceive as
a western campaign to unfairly link their religion to
terrorism, Islamic nations are calling for stronger
international efforts to resolve new and old frustrations such
as the US occupation of Iraq and the Palestinian struggle
which have fueled extremism and violence.
“We plead with the western world to cooperate with
us, to help our vision of moderate Islam become more
dominant,'' Munir Akram, Pakistan's ambassador to the United
Nations, told reporters at a summit of the
57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, considered
the Muslim world's most important political grouping.
“There is obviously a sense of anger in the Muslim world, since we have suffered many injustices,'' Akram said on the sidelines of the summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia's new administrative capital. “We may not endorse the acts of desperation, such as suicide bombings, which have followed these injustices, but that does not illegitimize important causes such as the Palestinian struggle.''
Delegates at the summit which concludes Friday following a two-day meeting of up to 35 national leaders said many of their countries have been unfairly scrutinized for alleged links to extremists after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
OIC members range from alleged terror sponsors Iran, Libya and Syria to moderate, mostly secular nations such as Malaysia, and US military allies such as Bahrain and Qatar.
Bureau Report
“There is obviously a sense of anger in the Muslim world, since we have suffered many injustices,'' Akram said on the sidelines of the summit in Putrajaya, Malaysia's new administrative capital. “We may not endorse the acts of desperation, such as suicide bombings, which have followed these injustices, but that does not illegitimize important causes such as the Palestinian struggle.''
Delegates at the summit which concludes Friday following a two-day meeting of up to 35 national leaders said many of their countries have been unfairly scrutinized for alleged links to extremists after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
OIC members range from alleged terror sponsors Iran, Libya and Syria to moderate, mostly secular nations such as Malaysia, and US military allies such as Bahrain and Qatar.
Bureau Report