MECCA, Saudi Arabia: Muslim leaders were yesterday to mull proposals to expel war-hit Syria from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, piling pressure on Damascus to halt its crackdown on the opposition.
The OIC represents 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and that it is holding a meeting yesterday night in Mecca, the holiest Islamic city, is of particular significance — the 26th of the holy month of Ramadan is the night when the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, according to Muslim tradition.
Foreign ministers who held a preparatory meeting on Monday recommended the suspension of Syria’s membership, the OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose country has openly criticised the push to suspend Syria, is attending the extraordinary meeting.
It was proposed by Saudi King Abdullah, who is pushing to mobilise support for the Syrian rebels.
Tensions had been simmering for months between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran, as both long-standing regional rivals had taken opposite stances on the uprising in Syria, which topped the summit’s agenda. — AFP