Assad blamed for destruction

CAIRO: Leaders of the Muslim states on Thursday called for a "serious dialogue" between Syria's government and an opposition coalition on a political transition to end nearly two years of civil war, but pinned most of the blame for the bloodshed on the state.
The summit backed an initiative by Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to broker negotiations to stop the fighting in which at least 60,000 people have died.
“We all agreed on the necessity to intensify work to put an end to the tragedies which the sisterly Syrian people are living through,” Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi told the closing ceremony.
"We stress that the primary responsibility is on the Syrian government for the continuation of violence and destruction of property, and we express our deep concern at the deterioration of conditions and the spread of killings that led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and the Syrian authorities' commission of massacres in cities and villages," it said.
The statement called for talks between the opposition Syrian National Coalition and "representatives of the Syrian government who are committed to the political transformation of Syria and those who have not been involved directly in any form of oppression".
It also urged all other opposition groups to join the SNC.
They also supported efforts to help Mali "regain its territorial integrity," in an apparent reference to France's military intervention in the African country.
In the final statement of the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, delegates stressed "firm support for current efforts by Mali to regain its territorial integrity and its authority over all national territory."
They also slammed the "despicable actions committed against civilians... and the destruction of cultural sites, such as those classified by UNESCO as world heritage" sites, the Islamic leaders said.
OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, said the initiative "focuses on the unity of the Syrian lands, comprehensive dialogue between the Syrian factions and responding to any country that wants to join in this dialogue".
Syria was not represented at the summit after it was suspended from the OIC last August, nor was the Syrian opposition present.
The final communiqué called on the National Alliance for Syrian Revolution and other opposition forces and the regime’s representatives to engage in a serious dialogue to open the way for a transition in a democratic manner.
The Islamic leaders participating in the summit also commended the effort for granting aid to Syrian refugees in a meeting in Kuwaiti in which $1.5 billion worth aid was promised. They praised the humanitarian efforts made by Syria’s neighboring countries to host the thousands of refugees fleeing the regime’s oppression.
The communiqué also stressed the need to protect the historical and religious locations in Syria.
The OIC condemned terrorism in all its forms and at the same time demanded a clear and commonly agreed upon definition for the term "terror."
The summit said that payment of ransom had been a source of fund for terror groups and called on the member countries not to pay any ransom and cooperate with others not to pay it. It also supported the Saudi Arabia’s efforts to set up a United Nation’s center to combat terror.
The OIC condemned the terror attack on the gas facility at Aminas in Algeria. “It was aggression not only against Algeria and its neighboring countries but also against the Islamic values of toleration and dialogue,” the communique said.
The communique also expressed the OIC leaders’ deep concern at the increasing reports of attack against Islam, Muslims and Islamic symbols in different parts of the world. They stressed the need for fostering a culture of tolerance between all communities to rein in hatred against Islam and Muslims.
The leaders of the OIC member countries also condemned strongly the unprovoked Israeli aggression violating Syrian territorial integrity and sovereignty and demanded that international community take immediate steps to stop any future violations by Israel.
While identifying the Quds (East Jerusalem) and Palestine as the core issue of the Muslim Ummah, the OIC called on the member countries to set up an Islamic Financial Security Network to help Palestine offset the financial crisis created by Israel. The summit also reiterated that Quds is an indivisible part of Palestine occupied by Israel in 1967.
The leaders also demanded an immediate halt to Israel’s inhuman blockade against the people of Gaza.
They also appealed to all Palestinian factions to unite under the Palestinian Liberation Organization and also all groups to respond to President Muhammad Abbas’s call for holding general elections in all towns as early as possible.
The summit also supported Lebanon’s efforts to liberate all its territories, offered support to Yemen for its unity and peace. It also backed Sudan’s efforts to tide over its economic difficulties after its partition and the successful Somalian president’s election.
The OIC called on humanitarian organizations and OIC member countries to provide necessary help to rehabilitate thousands of Mali refugees. It also stressed the need for safeguarding the cultural sites in Timbuktu.
The Muslim leaders also expressed satisfaction at the smooth democratic elections in Niger Republic.
The summit called on the international community to continue its support for the people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terror and drugs trade.
It also reiterated support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their right to self-determination and also expressed concern at the violations of human rights there and called on India to permit an OIC fact-finding commission to visit the region.