8th Islamic Summit opens: members united behind a positive stance and future
Regional-Iran, Politics, 12/9/1997

Deliberations of the OIC 8th Summit conference began today at the conferences Palace in Tehran, with the presence of Kings, Presidents and delegations representing some 55 Moslem countries.

In an inaugural speech, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, said peace in the Middle East region should be just, comprehensive and honorable. The world, he added, is in need of peace and stability, thereby if it is not just and honorable, peace will not be durable, nor lasting, noting that peace in the Middle East is not attainable without the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people -- especially the right to self-determination, the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland and the liberation of the usurped lands, foremost Jerusalem.

He explained the nature of the Zionist entity which is built on aggression and the use of force and continuous violation and defiance of international laws, practicing of state-run terrorism and development of weapons of mass destruction are all factors which seriously threaten peace and security in the region, noting that Iran views with deep worries the hostile schemes which permit foreigners, especially Israel to penetrate into Arab regions.

Concerning the Gulf region, President Khatami called upon countries of the region to preserve their own peace and security, indicating, "We regard the presence of foreign fleets and troops in this sensitive part of the world as a source of tension, concern and environmental calamities."

Concerning conditions in Iraq, especially in its north, the Iranian President said: "We, and within the course of our call on Iraq to cooperate properly with the UN, believe that the interference of foreigners and launching wars and displacing hundreds thousands of civilians does not serve peace in the region." He asserted the need to preserve Iraq's territorial integrity and announced Iran's readiness for any humanitarian initiative in Iraq.

He called upon the Islamic states to precisely evaluate their status and potentials and adopt appropriate policies to achieve political solidarity, full harmony and common investment of internal capacities and potentials. He went on that establishing security and durable peace for the whole world requires giving up the idea of cold war which was built on the presumed existence of a foreign enemy against the public opinion. "Regrettably, there are certain expansionist approaches in the world which have created a false image about Moslems.

"It is the duty of all of us to refuse false claims attached to Moslems, marketed against the enemies of Islam", the Iranian president said, calling for establishing confidence to maintain sustainable involvement in protecting Islam and establishing security on the regional and international levels.

He called upon the summit to adopt common solutions to treat sufferings and upgrade the position of the Islamic states; stressing the need of collective Moslem stand and unity of their ranks to build a modern Islamic civilization.

He urged efforts to build a civilized Islamic society which enjoys a special identity, warning against blind openness to the world.

"Living in the common Islamic house does not imply backwardness nor denunciation of scientifically-proven facts or isolation from the contemporary world; rather 'we' cannot enjoy peace and security with other nations
and peoples unless we share such a common house," he said.

He called upon Moslems to stick to two main issues: reason and contemplation as well as to Islamic jurisprudence of the holy Qur'an. "The Islamic civil society which we aspire to establish is based on identity which can be enhanced and nurtured through ceaseless efforts of the intellectuals, scholars and thinkers."

"Respect for human rights and the observance of its norms and criteria in this society is not based on the political expediency or merely due to creation of concord with other parties involved," Khatami said, "such an attitude is an outcome of our religious teaching and divine code."

For their part, the Arab states have seen these statements and developments as very positive and already regard this summit a success. The statements by the Iranian leadership are seen as enlightened and serving the greater good of the region and Islam. The praise to the summit for its achievements in laying important grounds for the future has come from all sides.

Saudi Arabia has announced readiness to mediate between Iran and the US if the latter asked for that. The Saudi News Agency quoted Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz as saying if the US asks for mediation we will not hesitate to take part by all means in helping the establishment of stability in the region. "Nothing would please me more than seeing this sensitive part of the world enjoys stability and security."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa confirmed that there is a comprehensive agreement from all Islamic countries on a strong, united attitude towards the essential issues at the summit.

President Assad of Syria stated, "Any dissension in our ranks is a source of strength for Israel and an opening for infiltration into Arab and Muslim countries." He added that the OIC conference should be the starting point of solidarity and unity for all Arabs and Muslims.

Comments by the participants made it evident that Iran has successfully managed the technical organization of this conference, and has succeeded politically in setting a positive tone for the members to build on.

Previous Stories:
  The Islamic Summit challenge: Iran, Turkey and the Arabs. Future conflict or peace?   (12/9/1997)
  OIC Tehran summit backgroud   (12/9/1997)
  55 countries to take part in Tehran's Islamic Summit   (11/27/1997)

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