JEDDAH, 23 October 2006 — The Organization of the Islamic Conference plans to hold a reconciliation conference of Iraqi political leaders in Makkah during the upcoming Haj season, according to a high-level OIC source.
“The plan is to bring together leaders of all political groups in the country around a table to discuss all outstanding issues in order to achieve national unity and establish peace and stability in Iraq,” the source said.
The move follows a two-day meeting of Shiite and Sunni religious scholars in the holy city that resulted in the signing of the Makkah Declaration that forbids Sunnis and Shiites from killing each other. The declaration, which was signed on Friday, has been likened to a fatwa, or religious ruling, although the signatories did not specifically describe it as such. The Oct. 19-20 meeting of religious scholars organized by the OIC called for a complete end to the sectarian killings in the war-torn country. It agreed that all houses of worship are sacrosanct, including mosques and non-Muslim houses of worship.
The Makkah Declaration has been welcomed by Iran. “In the past few days we witnessed the successful organization of Shiite and Sunni Iraqi scholars in Makkah and the signing of an accord,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hossieni told reporters in Tehran.
“This was an initiative by the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the spread of such news truly sent a wave of happiness to the hearts of those worried about Iraq’s security,” the AFP news agency quoted him as saying. “We hope that this can help different layers of the Iraqi people have peaceful lives together and thus neutralize the plots of those who wish Iraq ill,” Hosseini said about the 10-point declaration signed by 28 scholars.
Jordan too yesterday expressed its support for the document. “Jordan welcomes the Makkah Declaration which reflects Jordan’s steadfast position of support to all efforts aimed at preserving Iraqi unity and ending violence,” government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh said in a statement carried on state-run Petra news agency.
Speaking about the proposed large-scale reconciliation conference in Makkah, the OIC source said the plan includes issuance of a comprehensive reconciliation declaration in order to prevent killings, destruction and acts of sabotage in the country. “The idea of the conference is still in the early stage as we have not yet prepared the list of people who will participate. However, there is a strong view in favor of holding the conference in Makkah during the Haj season,” the source said. Haj is expected to start on Dec. 29.
The source also disclosed plans to open an office of the 57-member OIC, the largest organization in the Islamic world, in Baghdad. Ambassador Mahdi Fatahallah, director of political affairs at the OIC, did not deny or confirm plans to hold the new Makkah conference. However, he indicated that the OIC would play a greater role to bring about national unity and stability in Iraq. “In the coming days, we’ll follow the outcome of the Makkah Declaration and distribute its copies to all member countries,” he added.
OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the chief architect of the Makkah meeting of Shiite and Sunni scholars and the declaration, said a committee would be set up to follow up implementation of the agreement. He also emphasized that a political will was essential for the success of the declaration.
Meanwhile, bombers attacked crowds of holiday shoppers as shell-shocked Iraqis marked the end of the bloodiest Ramadan since the US invasion, and Washington weighed a change in tactics.
Hundreds of Iraqis have been murdered in both sectarian violence and clashes between armed militia factions, while US military casualties for October have already hit the highest monthly death toll of 2006.
In renewed violence yesterday, several bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing at least five people and wounding around 50, including children, medics said.
One blast hit a bakery in the mainly-Shiite suburb of Jadida in Baghdad, injuring 20 people who had come to buy sweets and pastries, the latest in a series of attacks targeting families preparing for the upcoming feast.
— With input from agencies
