JEDDAH, 3 August 2004 — The secretary-general of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned yesterday the “terrorist acts” against churches in Iraq.
“These acts totally contradict Islamic Shariah, which stresses the sanctity of human life and (calls for) protecting and respecting the citizens of the state, including followers of other religions that are under the protection of the Islamic state,” said Abdelwahed Belkeziz said in a statement reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
At least 10 people were killed and some 50 wounded when six bombs blew up outside four churches in Baghdad and another in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul during evening mass on Sunday.
The attacks were the first on the minority Christian community’s churches since the start of a 15-month insurgency.
Iraq’s Muslim leaders including top Shiite scholar Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani and firebrand preacher Muqtada Al-Sadr also condemned the attacks on religious institutions.
In a statement, Sistani condemned the blasts as “grotesque crimes” and said Iraqi minorities had to be protected.
Kuwait, Iraq Restore Ties
Kuwait and Iraq restored diplomatic relations yesterday, exactly 14 years after ties were severed when then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein sent his forces to occupy the small Gulf emirate.
“The two sides discussed ways of boosting cooperation between the two countries in all fields and agreed to resume full diplomatic relations,” said a joint statement issued after a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah said that ambassadors would be appointed in due course “because there are formalities” which must first be carried out.
“But the important thing is the resumption of diplomatic ties, which happened. As to the (reopening of) embassies ... it will come,” he told reporters after Allawi’s departure. Allawi later arrived in Bahrain as part of a two-week regional tour.
The joint statement, issued on the anniversary of the Aug. 2, 1990 invasion, said the two neighbors had also agreed to set up a higher committee co-chaired by their prime ministers to boost economic links.
Allawi visited Kuwait toward the end of a two-week regional tour.
Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait was ended seven months later by a US-led multinational coalition in the 1991 Gulf War. Kuwait served as the main launchpad for last year’s US-led invasion of Iraq that ousted Saddam’s regime.
