By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Members of parliaments of Islamic countries condemned Thursday the Israeli “massacres” in Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories, which claimed lives of innocent people.
The lawmakers, in the “Cairo Declaration” at the conclusion of the 5th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of Organization of the Islamic Conference Members (PUOICM), condemned the Israeli siege on the Palestinian areas, the Israeli suppressive policies, the demolishing of houses, destruction of farm lands, building of Jewish settlements and separation barrier, and the setting up of road blocks which slice off the Palestinian territories.
The conferees condemned the Israeli excavation near Al-Aqsa mosque and said they were undermining the Islamic sacred sites, calling on the international community to live up to its responsibilities and pressure Israel to halt its acts.
They denounced the Israeli expansionist policies and the Jewish state’s attempts to change demographic status of occupied Jerusalem in breach of the international law.
The legislators called for the immediate release of speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Abdulaziz Al-Duwaik and Palestinian MPs from the Israeli jails.
The MPs, meanwhile, reiterated support to the Arab peace initiative as the solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict. The initaitive calls for the liberation of all occupied Arab territories in return of peace with the Jewish state.
They said the Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their home country in accordance with the UN resolutions.
They, however, condemned the European Parliament’s (EP) interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic countries.
On Iraq, participants in the conference called on OIC member states to support the Iraqi government’s efforts for restoring law and order and achieve national reconciliation.
Participants condemned all outside interference in Iraq’s affairs as violations to all international treaties and charters and called for a more substantial role for the United Nations in Iraq.
They called for halting all attempts to divide Iraq along sectarian and ethnic lines and re-iterated their readiness to support Iraq economically and take part in its reconstruction process.
They called for restoring the occupied Golan Heights to its mother state Syria and for returning the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms to Lebanon. They also called on the Lebanese people and government to mend their differences and condemned all outside interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
They also expressed support to the Arab Peace Initiative in Lebanon and urged OIC member states to shoulder their responsibilities in Lebanon’s reconstruction.
In Sudan, participants in the conference called on all warring factions in Darfur to join the peace process and lauded the Sudanese government’s efforts to maintain the situation under control in the troubled province of Darfur.
Signatories of the Cairo Declaration slammed the trade in human beings, specifically children and dismissed calls for imposing additional sanctions on Sudan over the Darfur issue.
On the situation in Somalia, participants called on all Somali warring factions to start a dialogue.
On the Iranian issue, they underlined the right of all countries, including Iran, to use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose in line with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
They also called for seeking a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear file.
Participants expressed solidarity with the Turkish part of Cyprus and called for a fair solution to the Cyprus issue.
On Azerbaijan, the MPs called for immediately and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azeri territories.
The Cairo Declaration underlined need of separating between terrorism and rights of people to struggle against occupation, reiterating their rejection to the link between Islamic on one hand, extremism, terrorism and violence on the other.
They condemned the assassination for Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto late last month.
The lawmakers asserted importance of dialogue between civilizations and rights of Islamic minorities worldwide particularly in Europe.
They urged the UN to rapidly endorse an international resolution that forbid the assault against three heavenly faiths, and called for the spread of moderation, forgiveness and dialogue.
Turning to economy, the conferees called on the Islamic governments to increase financial assistance to African countries to enable them fight desertification, poverty, drought and famine.
They called on the Islamic countries to further active joint economic action and encourage scientific research and technology.
Kuwait was represented by National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi, and MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabae, Saad Al-Shuraye, Adel Al-Saraawi, Jamal Al-Kanderi, Mubarak Al-Khurainej and Abdullah Akkash.