Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has urged the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to continue its efforts to strengthen Islamic unity and set out strategies to confront challenges facing the Muslim world.

King Salman made this comment while receiving OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani and his accompanying delegation at Al-Yamamah Palace on Sunday.

Speaking to the OIC delegation, King Salman said: “The organization should work to unify the rank of Muslims and get rid of division and extremism.”

He instructed the OIC, the second largest international organization after the UN, to effectively deal with challenges and issues facing Muslim countries in a way that would benefit them and their peoples.

Crown Prince Muqrin, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the OIC’s Islamophobia Observatory released its February report on Sunday. It documented an increase in anti-Islam activities in the US during the month. “This is evident from the intense media campaign and the significant number of incidents targeting Muslims, mosques and Islamic centers,” said the report.

The observatory pointed out that media outlets and political players were very active during February in creating a climate of fear, hatred and suspicion against Muslims.

Pamela Geller, an American version of the Dutch Islamophobe Geert Wilders, has been at the forefront of whipping up anti-Muslim frenzy.

The observatory noted that atheist far-right groups have been systematically nurturing anti-Islam sentiment in the country. The observatory said that there has also been growing Islamophobia in Canada and that the decision in Shawinigan, Quebec, to ban the construction of a mosque is a particular cause for concern. Furthermore, the Canadian government backed Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney’s comments against the niqab in February, something that the observatory views as religious suppression and contrary to religious freedom.

Meanwhile, King Salman received a telephone call from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and discussed major developments in the region. He also sent a message to Sudanese President Omar Bashir on strengthening bilateral ties.