MAKKAH, 9 December 2005 — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that peace imposed on the Muslim world would not be real unless justice was done to Muslim issues.
During a press conference at the Al-Safa palace in Makkah, the Iranian leader said Muslims should demand justice and equality among the nations of the world. Addressing the nuclear question, Ahmadinajad said that nations with nuclear arsenals cannot speak about peace solely from their own perspectives, but must also take into consideration other nations’ needs for justice.
Praising the OIC conference as a serious step toward achieving pan-Islamic progress and unity, Ahmadinejad said that Islam has the ability to achieve justice and to demand it, and that these Muslim dreams can be achieved step by step.
When questioned about Iran’s involvement in Iraq, Ahmadinejad pointed out that Iran is a neighboring country to Iraq and that they are historically connected. On the question of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western pressure on Iran’s nuclear development prospects, the president said that there are two sides to the issue: The political and the legal. He said that he is dealing with the legal side according to rules and regulations of the agency.
Regarding Saudi-Iran relations, Ahmadinajad emphasized the importance of the two countries in the Islamic world and noted that it was fortunate that the two countries share similar views on many issues.
Leaders of other Muslim countries held press conferences on the last day of the Makkah summit.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia thanked King Abdullah for the call to hold the summit in this very difficult time. In her speech, she said that the summit was important and necessary because of the difficult time facing the Muslim nation. She called for the establishment of a new commercial system between Muslim countries. She also stressed the importance of fighting terrorism.
