OIC foreign ministers welcome new Syrian opposition umbrella

The Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states on Saturday welcomed the Syrian opposition’s agreement reached in Doha last Sunday under the patronage of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the formation of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC). The ministers expressed in their final statement their appreciation for Qatar’s efforts in sponsoring the agreement and inviting the rest of the Syrian opposition spectra to join the new entity in order to be inclusive for all spectrums of the Syrian opposition. The statement also reiterated the support for the fair and just Palestinian issue and the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, condemning the Gaza blockade and offering unconventional support for the Palestinian U.N. observer status bid. The Djibouti declaration also condemned the denigration of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) calling on the member countries and international community to resist all forms of Islamophobia. “We call upon all member states and the international community to oppose, through international mechanisms and institutions, the promotion of media content inciting hatred and contempt of religions, and for the need to respect religious and cultural diversity around the world”. The statement cited,” We reaffirm the principles contained in the inter-faith and intercultural dialogue initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which was adopted by the World Conference on Dialogue of 2008 in Madrid against defamation of religions and their symbols,” the statement added.