| Notes from the big OIC confab in Damascus this weekend. Fairly familiar list of particulars, and you'll note that Cuba is currently holding the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement. |
Foreign Ministers of Islamic countries, meeting in Damascus Saturday, called for activating role of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in the international political scene. The top diplomats urged OIC member states to back the pan-Islamic organization's endeavors to facing international challenges:
- They underscored importance of activating dialogue between cultures and civilizations, as well as spreading true meanings of Islam.
- They reiterated support for the Palestinian people in their resistance against the Israeli occupation, calling for the immediate lift of the Israeli siege off Gaza Strip.
- They called for prosecuting the Israeli war criminals before international courts for violating international law, judaizing occupied Jerusalem and tarnishing the holy city's historic sites.
| Er. Judaizing occupied Jerusalem? Good gravy. |
| It's a legitimate point, sort of. You see, after Israel declared independence, Jordan got Old Jerusalem along with the West Bank, and promptly "de-Judaized" it, aiming to make the Arab territory entirely Jew-free. After Israel conquered Old Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967, Jews started moving back. Hence, "Judaizing" the Old City, in Arab eyes. After all, anything ever part of the Ummah is always part of the Ummah. |
The foreign ministers, in their speeches, urged backing to governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan in their quest to restore peace and security in their countries.
- They voiced satisfaction for the establishment of the Islamic Solidarity Fund which would be active in fighting poverty, boosting education, health and social care.
- Cuba, in its capacity as rotating president of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people.
NAM renewed condemnation of the Israeli aggression against the occupied Palestinian territories, saying that the Palestinian people have full rights to establish their independent state within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
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