Iran calls ICC arrest warrant for Omar Al Bashir unjust

News number: 8712151031 17:04 | 2009-03-05 Foriegn Policy

Iran: Arrest Warrant for Bashir Unjust TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman has condemned the arrest warrant for Sudanese President Hassan al-Bashir over alleged war crimes.

Hassan Qashqavi said that the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) was ‘unjust’ and ‘politically-motivated’. The ICC on Wednesday issued an international warrant for the arrest of President Bashir for ‘war crimes, and crimes against humanity’ in the violent Darfur region, press tv reported. Qashqavi said the warrant was a ‘blatant violation of the international law’, which undermined the ‘immunity of heads of state’. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo holds Bashir responsible for the six-year conflict in Darfur, which the UN says has left 35,000 people killed. The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also condemned the ICC warrant on Wednesday. He called on the Sudanese government to speed up investigations of war crime suspects and put them on trial. Bashir has rejected allegations, calling the warrant ‘worthless’. If charged, Bashir will be the first incumbent head of state to stand trial before the international court.

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OIC Secretary General claims ICC warrant for Al Bashir will undermine peace efforts

OIC Secretary General strongly rejects the ICC indictment against President of the Sudan

Date: 04/03/2009 

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has expressed his deep disappointment over the announced indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Omar Hassan El Bashir of the Sudan and strongly rejected this move which is void of sound reasoning.

While reiterating the principled position of the OIC on the issue, the Secretary General expressed his concern that this action could seriously undermine the ongoing efforts aimed at facilitating early resolution of the conflict in Darfur and promotion of long lasting peace and reconciliation in the Sudan. He also pointed out that this action could further lead to dangerous ramifications and greater destabilization for the country and the entire region.

Secretary General Ihsanoglu, at the same time, rejected the kind of selectivity and double standards applied by the international community in dealing with issues of crimes against humanity and war crimes which directly affects the credibility of the international legal system.

The Secretary General once more appealed to the UN Security Council to suspend the move by the ICC in the interest of the ongoing peace efforts in the Sudan.

Taking this opportunity the Secretary General reiterated his call to the Sudanese authorities to expedite the investigations and judicial procedures to bring the perpetrators of the alleged crimes committed in Darfur to justice so that the principle of justice is respected and upheld unequivocally.

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Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condems Israeli libel of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)–The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in a press release Feb. 22 condemnded the Israeli Channel 10 for broadcasting libelous content against the Christian Prophet Jesus Christ and his Mother Mary.

The Secretary General reaffirmed the consistent position of the Organization of the Islamic Conference against disrespect and defamation of the Prophets of the revealed faiths and the insult of religious symbols.

Ekmeleddin also express the organizations solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land and urged the people of all faiths to take a unified position against the defamation of religions and beliefs and insulting symbols that are sacred to different religious faiths.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

 

EHC / EHC

World diplomats at Islamabad conference commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/04/18568096.php

World diplomats at Islamabad conference commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam

by al-masakin
Wednesday Feb 4th, 2009 8:51 AM

World diplomats at Islamabad conference ‘Future of Change’ commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam
Iranian Envoy Recounts Major Muslims Concerns

future_of_change_islamabad_4feb09.pdf
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TEHRAN, Feb. 4 (FNA)—Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mashaallah Shakeri Wednesday pointed to the West’s biased stance towards the world of Islam as among the Muslims’ major concerns.

Criticizing some Western countries’ stance toward Muslims and linking them to terrorism, Shakeri said in a seminar dubbed as ‘Future Agenda of Change, Role for the Muslim World’ in Islamabad, that Muslims believe that the war on terror is for crushing them.

He noted that another reason for Muslims’ concern is that the West resists against recognition of Islamic countries’ changes, including what happened in Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

He also described major powers’ unilateralism in South Asia and the Middle East as another cause for Muslims’ concerns.

The Iranian diplomat also expressed hope that US President Barack Obama’s policies regarding Muslims would be different from those of Bush, and said Iran would positively respond to any change by the new US administration.
Reminding the world nations’ hatred for war and bloodshed, he urged the new US administration to work on democracy and peace and respect Muslims.

In international relations, war is not the solution to problems, the Iranian diplomat reiterated.

Ambassadors of Islamic countries ask Obama to address root causes of terrorism

Islamabad, Feb. 4 (APP)—Muslim world is hopeful of a change in US policy towards the Islamic world with arrival of the Obama administration, said ambassadors of prominent Islamic countries. Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Ali S. Awadh Assery, Ambassador of Syria Riad Hussain Ismat, Ambassador of Iran Masha’s Allah Shakeri, Ambassador of Iraq Kais Shbhi Al-Yacoubi and diplomats of Morocco and Nigeria agreed that election of President Obama points towards long desired change.

They were speaking at a roundtable conference on “Islam and the West and future agenda of change” held under the auspices of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) here on Tuesday.

Diplomats of Germany, USA, Russia and Japan also spoke on the occasion.

They expressed optimism that President Obama would see the Islamic world with a different perspective and the practice to bracket Islam with terrorism would be stopped. They stressed that the new US administration should seek to root out the real causes of terrorism.

The Saudi Ambassador said the international community should give more funds to Pakistan so that it can be in a better position to counter terrorism and extremism. He said Saudi Arabia has adopted a soft anti-terror policy by integrating and rehabilitating those who got misled and went on the path of terrorism.

The Iranian ambassador spoke about the policies of previous US administration which proved counterproductive. “President Bush spoke enough to the world now the US requires to listen prior to talking,” he added.

He said Iran is waiting to see what change President Obama will bring in its policy towards his country.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that if Iran witnessed any substantive change in US policy it will be replied positively.

The Iraqi ambassador said miracles should not be expected of Obama administration. He pointed out that Israel has always wasted opportunities to secure permanent peace in the Middle East.

He said Islam is about peace and co-existence and the Muslims want that when they extend the hand of cooperation, the outside world should reciprocate in a spirit which promotes unity and harmony.

Speaking on the occasion, a representative of embassy of Japan said idea of co-existence should be promoted to strengthen relations between Islam and the West. He said quest for achieving peace in the world is a laudable initiative taken by the Council of Islamic Ideology.

A representative of Russian embassy said today’s world is interdependent and there is a need for understanding each others point of view on issues.

He said, “Russia as observer at OIC, wants to build good relations with OIC and its member countries including Pakistan.”

He said Russia gives due respect to Muslim Ummah and its proof is that in Russia there are 4750 mosques among 10,000 places of worship.

Katrina, representative of the embassy of Germany appreciated the role of participants in pointing out the problems faced by the Muslim countries and said the issues needed to be addressed in a spirit of reconciliation. She said more than six million Muslims are living a peaceful and respectable life in Germany. She underlined the need for resolving issues through negotiations and by giving due respect to each other.

A representative of the US embassy said people in America believe in the idea of change, adding “America is a land of Christians and Muslims. We need to work together and understand each others point of view.” More than eight million Muslims are living in America.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi said Islam is a religion of peace and it does not believe in taking lives of innocent people.

“Bloodshed and suicide attacks have nothing to do with Islam,” he said and added there are some hidden hands who are carrying out such activities to defame Muslims. He said religious seminaries have vital role in Muslim society as these are source of producing useful citizens.

Minister of State for Religious Affairs Shagufta Jumani expressed the hope that the conference will prove to be a good effort to bridge gap between civilizations and religions.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who conducted the conference, said such interaction would help bridge gap between Islam and the west.

He said recommendations of participants of the meeting would be compiled and forwarded to the government.

He said the election of US President has created cautious optimism and there is hope of reversal of wrong policies of the past.

Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Dr. Khalid Masood in his welcome address said CII is a constitutional body which reviews legislation, presents reports to the government and proposes amendments in laws.

He said the Council had almost completed the process of reviewing all existing laws in the country to bring them in line with the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

Fars / APP / EHC
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Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) concerned over the desecration of Muslim holy sites in the Crimea

OIC expresses concern over the desecration of holy places of Muslims in Crimea

Date: 02/02/2009 

A spokesman of the OIC Observatory on Islamophobia expressed concerns about the rising of vandalism targeting holy places and shrines of Muslims in Crimea which includes desecrating Mosques and destroying and defacing the monuments of famous figures of the Crimean Tatar people erected in Crimean towns as well as gravestones in cemeteries by extremists.

He said that such deplorable activities are beyond all accepted norms of civilized behaviour and would pose threat to inter communal peace and harmony in the society.

The spokesman called for immediate strong measures to be taken by the authorities against the perpetrators of such extremist and hateful acts who are common enemies to the entire international community and to put an end to such incidents.

President Obama pledges cooperate with Muslim community in letter to the Oranization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)

Obama Says US Can Work with Muslims: OIC

01/02/2009 US President Barack Obama told the Organization of Islamic Conference that he has full confidence that the United States can work together with the world’s largest grouping of Muslims, the OIC said on Sunday.    In a letter to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihasanoglu, Obama said he would work to improve relations with the group, the Jeddah-based organization said in a statement. It did not release the text of the letter.    Obama also thanked the OIC, which represents 1.5 billion Muslims in 57 countries, for its congratulations on the occasion of his inauguration on January 20, the organization said. In an open letter published in major US newspapers on January 21, the OIC urged Obama to work for a “shared peace” in the world rather than one that is “imposed.”    “We warmly welcome your expressed desire to give a major address in a Muslim nation soon after you assume the presidency and hope it will mark the beginning of a more fruitful and better-informed dialogue between the West and the Muslim world,” the OIC said at the time.    “We firmly believe that America, with your guidance, can help foster that peace, though real peace can only be shared — never imposed. A nation can either be great or feared, but rarely both at the same time.”

OIC SG Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stresses the need to combat anti-Islamic bigotry at Eighth Conference of Information Ministers, OIC to launch Islamic Satilite Channel

OIC Chief calls for efforts to confront anti-Islamic smear campaign

Rabat – Safar 01/ January 27, 2009 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stressed the need for exerting coordinated efforts at all levels to confront the aggressive campaign and attacks against Islam, as well as its symbols and lofty values. Speaking to reporters here yesterday on the sidelines of the Eighth Conference of Information Ministers from the 57 OIC member countries, which will begin today, Prof. Ihsanoglu said the media in the Islamic world is going through a sensitive stage. The OIC Chief called for joining the ranks of Muslims to meet the various challenges facing the Islamic Ummah. He said that today’s conference is being held in sensitive circumstances at the domestic level of the Organization that “is witnessing the upgrading of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) and the Islamic States’ Broadcasting Organization (ISBO).” The two-day Preparatory Meeting at the level of Senior Officials concluded yesterday. Addressing the opening session of the meeting on Sunday, the Undersecretary for Media Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information Dr. Abdullah Al Jasser highlighted the efforts exerted by his country to implement the resolutions of the Seventh Session, chaired by the Kingdom, particularly its unstinting action to modernize and revamp the information system of OIC. Representing Morocco at the Meeting, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Information Redouane Belarbi welcomed the participating delegations. He pointed out the importance of convening the current session in the city of Rabat, which hosted the constitutive meeting of OIC in 1969. He indicated that the present Session, which is taking place a few days after the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, is a landmark in the process of joint Islamic action. Ahmed Laajimi, representative of the Secretary-General of OIC, underscored the crucial importance of this Eighth Session since it coincides with the fortieth anniversary of the Organization’s creation. He also referred to the broad themes addressed by the Session and listed the documents submitted to the meeting, including the report of the OIC Secretary-General, the draft resolutions concerning information issues and the code of conduct for information media in Member States. The Palestinian issue and the launching of an Islamic Satellite Channel to serve as a mouthpiece of the Muslim World are the key issues to be discussed at the two-day Ministerial Session. Other topics in the agenda include proposal on code of ethics to serve as a guide for media organs in OIC member countries with a view to preserving the nation’s values and interests, activation of the OIC information and communications sector, the restructuring of the Jeddah-based International Islamic News Agency (IINA) and the Islamic States Broadcasting Services Organization, the enhancement of the Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs’ role and supporting the Global Digital Solidarity Fund. HA/IINA

Open Letter from the Organization of the Islamic Conference to American President Barak Obama

An Invitation to a New Partnership from the organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to President Barack Obama

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January 21, 2009

 

Dear President OBAMA:

 

With great respect, the Organization of the Islamic Conference would like to congratulate you on behalf of the Muslim world on your groundbreaking election as President of the United States. The Muslim world has cheered your election and holds high hopes for your historic presidency. The eyes of the world now eagerly await your leadership and the fulfillment of your vision, promises, and pledges beyond America’s shores.

 

The desire for peace is universal. Yet as the conflicts of the last decade have shown, the quest for peace is easily frustrated. We warmly welcome your expressed desire to give a major address in a Muslim nation soon after you assume the presidency and hope that it will mark the beginning of a more fruitful and better-informed dialogue between the West and the Muslim world.

 

 

Above all, what is needed is the restoration of mutual confidence. Throughout the globe, Muslims hunger for a new era of peace, concordance, and tranquility. We firmly believe that America, with your guidance,

 

can help foster that peace, though real peace can only be shared—never imposed. A nation can either be great or feared, but rarely both at the same time.

 

Myths

 

The Organization of the Islamic

Many myths about Islam, fostered by extremists in both the West and East, have proliferated in the last decade, and a new word—“Islamophobia”—has even entered the world’s lexicon to describe anti-Muslim acts of prejudice and violence. Despite these pernicious myths, you will find that Islam is a religion of peace. Tolerance is its benchmark and borne of the very nature of Islam. Nor is Islam an exclusive religion. It is an integral part of the history of world religions. It continues and confirms the previous scriptures. Along with Christianity and Judaism, Islam emanates from the same part of the world, comes from the same God, and holds to the same Prophets, mainly Abraham. It has been tested over fourteen hundred years, and shown itself to be a religion of compassion, mercy, justice, and equality.

 

Extremists in any faith or tradition are rare, though they often command disproportionate attention. But the often overlooked truth is Islam is also the religion of moderation. It celebrates diversity and acknowledges and venerates a wide array of religions.

 

Islam, in fact, abhors extremism and fanaticism and calls for treading the path of the “middle way” in favor of tolerance and reconciliation. It exhorts Muslims to be morally responsive to the truth and to goodness, and to be alert to all that is false, evil or destructive.

 

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which I have the honor to represent, is not a religious organization. After the United Nations, it is the largest official, inter-governmental organization in the world. It is composed of 57 sovereign states, almost all of whom are secular. The population of these states collectively amounts to 1.5 billion—or one fourth of humanity.

 

Moderation and Modernization

 

One of the OIC’s guiding principles is to practice “moderation and modernization.” To cite one example, it was at our demand that the UN General Assembly organized a host of events and activities around the world to disseminate the idea of “Dialogue among civilizations” as an alternative to those who predict a coming “clash of civilizations.”

 

We have been alarmed by this tendency to divide the world into rival civilizations—civilized and uncivilized, good and evil, friend and enemy. As a youth who spent part of his childhood abroad, you are well aware of the dangers of stereotyping. We believe you will have a unique opportunity to promote tolerance and nurture vibrant multi-cultural societies.

 

It is for these reasons that the OIC has been in the forefront of the Muslim battle against terrorism.

 

Terrorism is a global phenomenon. It has no specific culture, race, or region. The root causes of terrorism are surely complicated but they include deprivation, poverty, despair and, most importantly, political injustice. Children do not emerge from the womb to announce they will become terrorists. They learn to be terrorists when injustice and tragedy are twinned with powerlessness. The decades-long suffering of the Palestinian people provides only the most recent and potent illustration of the link between oppression, injustice, and violence. The violence in the Mideast and the Palestinian people deserve an urgent and just remedy.

 

Change and Partnership

 

The most powerful word in your election campaign was “change.” Change must make the world a better place, correct wrongs and right the twisted. As an organization, we too have undergone substantial reform in charting an enlightened future for the Muslim world. As Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, I wish to assure you that we will be at your side to see that justice prevails and that the forces which are out to undo peace are defeated. At the OIC we are firmly committed to cooperating with you and your new administration to foster constructive dialogue and facilitate solutions to the intractable predicaments plaguing the Muslim world and beyond.

 

In this regard, we are keen to build on the commendable initiative taken recently regarding the appointment of a U.S. Special Envoy to the OIC, and opening an office for him in the U.S. State Department. We are confident that this useful post will be endorsed and perhaps expanded under your leadership.

 

We also look forward to working with the new Secretary of State Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is no stranger to the Muslim world. In the coming months, we hope to build on the existing channel of communication between the United States and the OIC and open new ones.

 

Muslims today, around the world, believe that they have compelling strategic and moral reasons to cooperate and peacefully co-exist with the United States in particular, and with the West in general. Past episodes of short-lived misunderstandings should give way to a long future of peaceful cohabitation, making use of our shared civilizations and values to build a better future for all mankind. As you eloquently stated in your election-night acceptance speech in November, “our stories are singular but our destiny is shared.”

 

Al-Masakin News Agency

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Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad remarks at the Arab Summit in support of Gaza in Doha

Ahmadinejad says Israeli leaders must be prosecuted for war crimes

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Tehran Times Political Desk

DOHA, Qatar, Jan. 16 (Tehran Times)—Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that Israeli leaders must be brought before an international tribunal for crimes against Palestinians. Ahmadinejad made the call in an address to an emergency summit of regional leaders in Doha aimed at discussing the Gaza crisis.

He also appealed for “punishing the criminal leaders of the Zionist entity,” for the 21-day-old Israeli offensive in Gaza which has so far killed more than 1,100 and wounded another 5,000. The Iranian president said over the past 60 years, Palestinian territories have been the core of conflict. “The Zionist entity”, backed by certain Western powers and most notably the United States, wants to destabilize the region, he added. Ahmadinejad described the “Zionist regime” as the “symbol of evil and violation of human rights”. He said the West is an accomplice to Israel’s crimes because the “Zionist entity” could not survive without the financial and military support of the West.

All people of the world have witnessed today that “international law” has been violated by Israel, Ahmadinejad stated.

People expect their governments to take action to end the military campaign in the Palestinian territories, lift the siege on Gaza, and push for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian regions, he added. Ahmadinejad echoed requests by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hamas leader Khaled Mesha’al to sever diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

He also called on world leaders to boycott Israeli products as well as the products of companies linked to Israel. He particularly welcomed the decision by the Venezuelan and Bolivian leaders to cut diplomatic relations with Israel in protest to its attacks on the Gaza strip. Ahmadinejad also lauded a Malaysian decision to boycott Israeli products.

The Iranian president criticized the Security Council for failing to end the violence in the Middle East, saying “We must see reforms in the Security Council.” He also called on Middle Eastern countries to preserve unity in the face of Israeli efforts to destabilize the region. The latest war on the Middle East proves that Israel is taking advantage of the division in the Arab world, he stated. “If the Arab world remained unified…no country would have justified its silence on what is going on in Gaza,” said the president.

He also welcomed an initiative by Qatar’s emir to establish a monetary fund to help the victims of war on Gaza. Also present at the summit was Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who also called on all Arab countries with diplomatic ties to Israel to “cut all direct and indirect ties with Israel, and shut down its embassies.” Assad said his country had halted unofficial peace talks with Israel indefinitely, and that he considered the Arab peace initiative dead.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries who have signed peace treaties with Israel and have Israeli embassies. Mauritania also has diplomatic ties to Israel, while Qatar is the only Persian Gulf country with commercial ties with the Tel Aviv regime.

“Resistance has become the only path to peace, which comes through returning rights from an enemy that only understands the language of force,” AFP quoted Assad as saying. He added that the summit in Doha came in response to the demands of the Arab public to act in the face of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Qatar pressed ahead with the summit despite the absence of Palestinian Authority chief Mahmud Abbas and without the endorsement of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Addressing the summit earlier, Hamas leader Khaled Mesha’al vowed that the Palestinian resistance movement would not accept Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire. “I assure you, despite all the destruction in Gaza, we will not accept Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire…We tell our loved ones in Gaza, the aggression will soon crash on the rock of your steadfastness,” AFP quoted Mesha’al as saying.

“Our demands are that the aggression stops, the enemy retreats completely from Gaza, that the blockade is lifted without ever returning to it, and that the border crossing at Rafah (on the Egyptian border) is opened,” Mesha’al said, adding that only Egyptian and Palestinian forces are to supervise the border.

The official Qatar News Agency said that the leaders of Algeria, Comoros, Lebanon, Mauritania, Sudan and Syria were attending the summit while Djibouti, Iraq and Libya had sent senior officials. Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, whose country currently presides over the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), also arrived in Doha for the summit.

Iran and Turkey were the non-Arab states taking parting the meeting. Ankara sent an aide to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Doha. “This meeting is the fruit of Qatari, Arab, Syrian and Islamic determination … in defiance of all the pressures exercised to prevent it,” said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallam in Doha

OIC president praises Iran’s stance on Gaza

Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN, Iran, Jan. 16 (Tehran Times)—The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Chairman Abdoulaye Wade on Thursday thanked Iran for its principled stand on the Gaza crisis and other regional and international issues.

The Senegalese president made the remarks in a meeting with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran. Both sides condemned the Zionist regime’s criminal acts in Gaza and called for an immediate halt to Israel’s aggressions against the Gazans. Ahmadinejad said the “worst tragedy” is taking place in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

According to Gaza medics, at least 1,133 Palestinians have been killed and another 5,130 wounded since Israel unleashed blitz on Gaza on December 27. The medics said some 600 of the victims have been civilians, including 355 children.

He said, “The leaders of Israel have lost control and that is why they are slaughtering the people of Gaza.” He added people across the world have been holding demonstrations against the ongoing crimes in the Palestinian territory.

Although today the people in the Gaza Strip are in dire need of food, water, and medicine the Zionist regime does not let the humanitarian aid get through to them, he added. Ahmadinejad called on the U.S. and the European Union to cease their “unlimited support” for Israel. Ahmadinejad praised Wade for his attempts to help resolve the Muslim world’s problems and hoped that his efforts will soon bear fruit.

Wade said his country as the rotating chair of OIC will discuss the current situation in Palestine with all OIC members. Ahmadinejad and Wade headed to Qatar on Friday and took part in Arab summit on the Gaza conflict.
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