Head of Islamic regional body commends Mecca Iraq conference.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Text of report by Saudi news agency SPA website

Holy Mecca, 21 October: Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference [OIC], has explained that the signing of the Mecca Document on Iraq is intended to save the Muslims in Iraq from bloodshed. He pointed out that the Iraqi religious authorities concerned signed the document.

In a speech given at the beginning of the press conference he held yesterday - with the participation of the head of Sunni Waqf Department, Ahmad Abd-al-Ghafur al-Samarra'i, and member of the House of Representatives Muhammad Muhammad al-Haydari - after the signing, His Excellency Dr Ihsanoglu stressed: What was achieved today was the result of God Almighty's guidance, and then the relentless efforts that had been exerted by the OIC for a considerable period. He pointed out that an OIC delegation had been conducting contacts with the Iraqi politicians and also with Iraq's neighbouring countries, which participated in many meetings of the OIC. In these contacts and meetings there was wide acceptance and a welcome from both the Iraqi politicians and religious authorities for the ideas presented by the OIC to launch an initiative to spare the Muslims in Iraq bloodshed. …