Tehran, May 28: An elected government should take
office in Iraq quickly, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
said today opening a meeting of the foreign ministers of
Muslim-majority countries.
The Islamic world should shun terrorism as well as
superpower domination, Khatami told delegates at the opening session of the three-day Organisation of the Islamic
Conference.
"Our world has suffered from both violent dogmatists and
arrogant powers," Khatami said. "On the one side, terrorism and fanaticism have distorted religion and, on the other side, the resort to the use of force, domination and unilateralism
have made a mockery of concepts such as freedom and
democracy."
Khatami urged delegates of the 57-member OIC to avoid
both trends.
"It is incumbent on US, in the name of Islam, to keep a
distance from these two frightening faces: Terrorism and
unilateralism," Khatami said.
Iran is currently facing US pressure over Washington`s
allegations that it is harbouring senior members of the
al-Qaeda terror group. Khatami`s government says its policy is to arrest al-Qaeda operatives, and those al-Qaeda members that it has detained do not include seniors.
Turning to Iraq, where a US-led coalition overthrew
President Saddam Hussein last month, Khatami said Islamic
nations demand that its government be placed in the hands of
Iraqis "as soon as possible."
Turning to Iraq, where a us-led coalition overthrew
President Saddam Hussein last month, Khatami said Islamic
nations demand that its government be placed in the hands of
Iraqis "as soon as possible."
Bureau Report
