Muslim nations press UN for Lebanon ceasefire
The Islamic world’s biggest bloc today demanded that the United Nations implement an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and investigate what it called flagrant human rights violations by Israel.
Leaders of key countries in the 56-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, including Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey, voiced strong support for the Lebanese people “in their legitimate and courageous resistance against the Israeli aggression.”
“We demand that the United Nations Security Council fulfil its responsibility ... by deciding on and enforcing an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire,” the OIC said at an emergency summit in Malaysia.
The declaration also called for a UN investigation into Israel’s acts.
“We hold Israel responsible for the loss of lives and suffering ... and demand that Israel compensate (Lebanon) and its people for the losses sustained resulting from Israeli aggression,” the leaders said.
Malaysia, which chairs the OIC, rallied presidents, prime ministers and policy-makers of 17 Muslim-majority nations for one-day talks to articulate their opposition to Israel’s attacks in Lebanese and Palestinian territories.
“This war must stop, or it will radicalise the Muslim world, even those of us who are moderate today,” said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who leads the world’s most populous Muslim country.
“From there, it will be just one step away to that ultimate nightmare: a clash of civilisations,” he added.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for a UN-backed force to stabilise the Israeli-Lebanon border.
Muslims “must show preparedness to contribute forces for peacekeeping operations under the United Nations banner,” Abdullah told the conference.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said hostilities must be halted “before the spiralling violence engulfs the entire region and kills the hope for a durable and just peace in the Middle East.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said his country’s “sole request is a comprehensive ceasefire.”
Other top figures assembled included President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, as well as leaders of Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei and Turkey. Foreign ministers and senior officials represented Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
About 100 Malaysian Muslim activists chanted anti-Israeli slogans outside the summit venue.
Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas controlling southern Lebanon have been locked in fierce fighting for three weeks, resulting in hundreds of Lebanese civilian casualties.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, addressing the conference in a video statement, said Israel’s offensive “is taking an enormous toll on human life and infrastructure, and has totally ravaged our country and shattered our economy.”
“Over 900 (have been) killed and 3,000 injured so far, one third of the casualties are children under 12,” he said.
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