Officials from more than 20 Islamic countries said Saturday that political, economic and social reforms must go hand in hand with steps toward settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
| "Yep. Nothin's gonna work unless they get that fixed. Without the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict settled, why, there's no way we can elect our own dog catchers or install ATM machines at our banks!" |
The commitment to reforms came during a four-hour meeting that included those Muslim nations, industrialized democracies, the Arab League and other groups. The United States, a driving force behind the conference, sees the changes as a way to make these societies less of a breeding ground for political extremism. At a news conference after the discussions, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was not disappointed that the Muslim delegates insisted on linking internal reforms to the Mideast dispute.
| "Of course I'm not 'disappointed.' We expected the same old hokum." |
"We're not starting reform or holding up reform. It's ongoing," Powell said. "Reform has to go on. A child needs an education now." Much of the discussion, conducted mostly in private, focused on raising the low literacy rates in the region and on ways to provide equal treatment for women.
| That's a really nice balloon y'got there. Is that lead? |
Economic development also was on the agenda. Treasury Secretary John Snow said the region's unemployment rate is about 50 percent. "The best development program is a job," Snow told reporters. "And a job comes from growth."
| With 50 percent unemployment, they've got a lot of growing to do. No wonder there's so much cannon fodder available. |
The Arab-Israeli dispute was a recurring theme with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal saying the "real bone of contention" for Muslims is "the Western bias toward Israel."
| Yeah, but we weren't discussing Israel. We were discussing your unemployment rate. |
A statement issued at the conclusion of the conference said the participants "reaffirmed that their support for reform in the region will go hand-in-hand with their support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict." |