KUALA LUMPUR (Kayhan Intl.) -- Presidents from many Muslim nations including Turkey and Iran gathered in Malaysia on Wednesday to tackle issues agitating Muslims globally.
At a welcome dinner for the guests, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the Kuala Lumpur Summit would aim to "do something” to improve the lives of Muslims and overcome Islamophobia.
"We need to find a way to address our shortcomings, our dependency on non-Muslims to protect ourselves against the enemies of Islam,” said 94-year-old Mahathir, the world’s oldest premier and one of its most vocal.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who along with Mahathir and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan had been a prime mover behind the summit, made a belated decision to skip the meeting.
Some Pakistani officials said Khan pulled out under pressure from Saudi Arabia, though media reports say his officials deny that was the reason why the world’s second largest Muslim country won’t be represented.
At a welcome dinner for the guests, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the Kuala Lumpur Summit would aim to "do something” to improve the lives of Muslims and overcome Islamophobia.
"We need to find a way to address our shortcomings, our dependency on non-Muslims to protect ourselves against the enemies of Islam,” said 94-year-old Mahathir, the world’s oldest premier and one of its most vocal.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who along with Mahathir and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan had been a prime mover behind the summit, made a belated decision to skip the meeting.
Some Pakistani officials said Khan pulled out under pressure from Saudi Arabia, though media reports say his officials deny that was the reason why the world’s second largest Muslim country won’t be represented.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al-Thani, whose countries have tense relations with Saudi Arabia, are attending.
Saudi state news agency SPA reported that on a call with Mahathir on Tuesday, Saudi King Salman reaffirmed that such issues should be discussed through the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
A Saudi source said the country declined to attend because the meeting was not being held under the auspices of the OIC.
Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, would be represented by Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin, a cleric overseeing the country’s fight against radicalization and terrorism.
Mahathir’s office issued a statement, saying the summit specifically aims to address the state of affairs of the Muslim Ummah for community.
Speaking to Reuters last week, Mahathir expressed frustration with the OIC’s inability to forge a united front and act decisively.
In his meeting with Mahathir, the Iranian president underlined the need for cooperation among Muslim countries to fend off pressures by big powers, particularly the U.S.
"Many problems facing Muslims are due to the interference of the U.S., including the sanctions against Iran,” Rouhani said.
He also touched on "unilateral and cruel” U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying they will fail to dent Iran’s determination to boost ties with other countries.
Rouhani also underlined the need for Tehran and Kuala Lumpur to shore up ties in different sectors, including science, technology, energy, industry, tourism, information technology and medicine.
The Malaysian prime minister, for his part, called for expansion of ties with Iran in all sectors, expressing his country’s strong determination to increase trade ties with Tehran.
He said that the U.S. sanctions have affected trade ties between the two countries but his country is trying to boost trade cooperation with Iran. "We will continue our trade and economic ties with Iran,” he said.
Mahathir the "illegal sanctions” against Iran violate UN law, but expressed hope Tehran will overcome the U.S. and European pressures.
Rouhani later met with Malaysian King Abdullah of Pahang, during which the two sides called for further promotion of ties in different sectors, especially economic and cultural cooperation.
Saudi state news agency SPA reported that on a call with Mahathir on Tuesday, Saudi King Salman reaffirmed that such issues should be discussed through the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
A Saudi source said the country declined to attend because the meeting was not being held under the auspices of the OIC.
Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, would be represented by Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin, a cleric overseeing the country’s fight against radicalization and terrorism.
Mahathir’s office issued a statement, saying the summit specifically aims to address the state of affairs of the Muslim Ummah for community.
Speaking to Reuters last week, Mahathir expressed frustration with the OIC’s inability to forge a united front and act decisively.
In his meeting with Mahathir, the Iranian president underlined the need for cooperation among Muslim countries to fend off pressures by big powers, particularly the U.S.
"Many problems facing Muslims are due to the interference of the U.S., including the sanctions against Iran,” Rouhani said.
He also touched on "unilateral and cruel” U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying they will fail to dent Iran’s determination to boost ties with other countries.
Rouhani also underlined the need for Tehran and Kuala Lumpur to shore up ties in different sectors, including science, technology, energy, industry, tourism, information technology and medicine.
The Malaysian prime minister, for his part, called for expansion of ties with Iran in all sectors, expressing his country’s strong determination to increase trade ties with Tehran.
He said that the U.S. sanctions have affected trade ties between the two countries but his country is trying to boost trade cooperation with Iran. "We will continue our trade and economic ties with Iran,” he said.
Mahathir the "illegal sanctions” against Iran violate UN law, but expressed hope Tehran will overcome the U.S. and European pressures.
Rouhani later met with Malaysian King Abdullah of Pahang, during which the two sides called for further promotion of ties in different sectors, especially economic and cultural cooperation.
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