Many walk-outs at Islamic talks

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 8

Many walk-outs at Islamic talks

NZPA . London An international conference attended by Muslim delegations from all over the world ended yesterday by calling on the United States to cease supporting Israel and on the Soviet Union to get out of Afghanistan. It expressed strong disapproval of the Camp David pact between Israel and Egypt. It was the largest and, perhaps, the first Muslim gathering of its kind in the West, with four days of addresses by Muslim politicians, religious leaders, Islamic teachers,, and Muslims living in non-Muslim lands. All through the welcoming address by Salem Azzam, secretary-general of the Islamic Council for Europe, there was a continuing stream of walk-outs as he spelled out Islam’s trouble spots. , . ■ Iranian students interrupted after Mr Azzam trounced both the United States for its policy of support to Israel, and the Soviet Union for the incursion in Afghanistan, because they felt Iran was left out. When he replied that Muslims the world over backed the Islamic revolution in Iraq, the Iraqis walked out. On his call to the Syrian

Government to .cease persecuting the Muslim religious majority, the official Syrian delegation and its diplomats accredited in London left the conference hall. Representatives of the Arab League then stalked out and, finally; the representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation left the hall in solidarity with the protesters. - • • ; ’ Among its decisions, the conference: , - — Hailed the Iran revolution and denounced American sanctions, calling on Muslims everywhere, to rally to help meet this challenge. — Viewed with grave concern what it called a reign of terror in Syria and summoned all governments,. Islamic or. not, to .protect human rights there, i —• Expressed -■ solidarity with the emergent- Turkish State of partitioned. Cyprus and said all Muslims should aid it. \ •— Greeted Muslim liberation movements •,-and reaffirmed the right to independence of Muslims' in" Kashmir, in the East. African Ogaden and Eritrea, and of the Patariis in Thailand. — Expressed concern and anxiety at what it called , the continued denial of human rights to Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries.