The statement affirmed that such attacks are incompatible with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Charter and the United Nations Charter, which call for strengthening confidence and encouraging friendly relations, mutual respect and cooperation between Member States, as well as peaceful settlement of disputes and maintenance of worldwide peace and security and to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries.
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In the early hours of January 3, angry demonstrators attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran in protest at Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
Such “aggressions” contravened global law as well as the OIC charter, said the communique, which member state Iran rejected.
Informed sources revealed for Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran faces huge isolation in the meeting of the foreign ministers. All were convicted of “terrorism”.
Iran, however, “rejected” the communiqué while Lebanon also “distanced itself” from the OIC statement.
The Iranian diplomat said the OIC is yet to respond to challenges facing the Muslim world such as the Palestinians’ call for an inquiry into Israelis’ storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque.
China relies on the region for oil but has tended to leave Middle Eastern diplomacy to the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, Britain, France and Russian Federation.
OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani said the strained relations among some of the OIC’s member states were deepening the fractures within the Islamic world and promoting political and sectarian polarization. This will prevent conflicts “that will waste energy and hinder the development of our people”, he said.
President Hassan Rouhani and other officials condemned the attack – seen by millions worldwide via social media – within hours and he has urged speedy prosecution of those involved.
“This attack was part of ongoing attacks on the diplomatic missions in Iran for 35 years”.
“During the same period, the kingdom has maintained a policy of restraint in spite of having suffered – as have neighbouring countries – the consequences of Iran’s continued aggressive policies”.
January 19, 2016 (EIRNS)-Xi Jinping arrived today in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit, before going on to Iran and Egypt, in a trip aimed at intervening against the British provocation of Sunni-Shia warfare.
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Khamenei also spoke for the first time Wednesday about the brief detention by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ naval force of 10 US Navy personnel who strayed into Iranian waters in the Gulf.
