OIC troika to meet in Jeddah over cartoon row

Riyadh: The recent cartoon row that stirred protests across the Muslim world will be the major highlight of the high-level troika meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference scheduled to be held in Jeddah on March 15 and 16.

Speaking to Gulf News, Atta Allah Al Mannan Bekheit, Assistant Secretary General of OIC, said that the ministerial level meeting of the troika (Qatar, Malaysia and Senegal) will discuss a number of issues of concern for the Muslim world.

"The ministers will discuss the adverse affect of the cartoons insulting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) published by some European newspapers on relations between the Muslim world and the West.

"They will also review the reactions of the OIC member countries toward the blasphemous cartoons that started with a self-imposed massive boycott of Danish products in most of the Arab and Muslim countries that later spilled over to violent protests in some countries," he said, adding that the steps taken by the OIC from the very first day after the cartoons appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in October last year, were aimed at solving the stalemate in a peaceful and cordial manner.

According to Bekheit, the troika meeting will also discuss the situation in Iraq and Palestine. It will underline the need for exerting joint efforts at the regional and international levels to support the Palestinian people in the wake of the Israeli blockade.

Bekheit, who is also spokesman of OIC, noted the recent observations made by Prof Akmel Al Deen Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of OIC, who is currently on a visit to Britain, about the cartoon row. "The OIC chief expressed displeasure over the way the cartoon issue was being handled in Europe. He also warned that the Islamophobia in Europe is not going to benefit anybody," the OIC spokesman noted.

Addressing a press conference in London, Prof Ihsanoglu drew attention to the fact that the Muslim world needs two basic things, namely modernity and moderation.

EU CALL
Joint resolution urged to ease tension

European Union foreign policy chiefs urged the bloc on Friday in Salzburg, Austria to work with Islamic states on a joint UN resolution to help ease tensions caused by a row over cartoons

of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The call came as the head of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) criticised the EU for not doing enough to heal wounds with Muslims caused by the affair.

- Reuters