The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on September 12 announced that it would make all-out efforts for the UN recognition of Palestine when the General Assembly convenes in New York this month. “OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has urged a number of countries to recognize Palestine,” said Ambassador Tariq Bakheet, spokesman of the 57-member organization. He pointed out that 132 countries had so far recognized Palestine. He said OIC’s Palestine Committee would meet on the sideline of the General Assembly to inspire other countries to support Palestine’s demand for UN recognition. “We expect Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas will request the UN to recognise Palestine while addressing the General Assembly on Sept. 27,” the OIC spokesman said.
In another development, the OIC denounced the announcement made by a section of Egyptian Copts on the production of an offensive and derogatory film on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), saying it would incite communal hatred. The spokesman welcomed the statements by the three main Coptic groups in Egypt that producers of the proposed film were ignorant of the true teachings of Christianity. The OIC spokesman called on the producers to show respect to the religious sentiments of Muslims and followers of other faiths.