"Our world has been buffeted from two sides by violent dogmatists and arrogant powers," said Khatami

TEHRAN, May 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami opened Wednesday, May 28, a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers, calling on the pan-Islamic body to support Palestinian resistance and Iraqi sovereignty and condemn terrorism carried out in the name of Islam.

"It is our duty to reiterate our steadfast support to the Palestinian resistance, which is an unmistakable example of a liberation movement against organised state terrorism," Khatami told the opening session of the three-day meetings.

"The oppressed people of Iraq need the resolute support of all Muslim and freedom-loving states.

"The Muslim people of Iraq and all Muslim countries now expect that a political system, chosen by the Iraqi people, should take control of the situation ... (and) that the management of the affairs of Iraq be placed in the hands of its people as soon as possible," asserted the Iranian leader.

All 57 member states except Iraq are taking part in the plenary conference.

An OIC source said no invitation was sent to Baghdad because there is no legitimate authority running Iraq's affairs.

The OIC, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has repeatedly called on the U.S.-led occupation forces to leave Iraq as soon as possible.

"Arrogant Powers"

Khatami, in addition, condemned terrorist organizations that carry out attacks in the name of Islam.

But he also lashed out at the "unilateralist" response to such terrorist attacks, in an implicit criticism of the conduct of the United States in its declared war on terror, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"Our world has been buffeted from two sides by violent dogmatists and arrogant powers.

"On the one side terrorism and fanaticism have distorted the humane and freedom-seeking face of religion, and on the other the seeking of hegemony and unilateralism have made a mockery of such respected concepts of freedom and democracy," averred Khatami.

"It is incumbent on us, in the name of Islam, to keep a distance from these two frightening faces," he added, asserting that "discrimination, hatred, violence and repression are alien to the spirit of and truth of Islam.

"We need to ponder, more than ever before, on the dynamism, innovation and efficacy of the OIC," Khatami said.

Terrorism and dialogue between civilisations, a pet topic of Khatami, will be discussed in light of an OIC anti-terrorism document issued before the September 11, 2001 attacks and the latest bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca.

The fight against Al-Qaeda is also set to figure prominently in the talks in the light of U.S. allegations that members of the network, taking shelter in Iran, were behind the Riyadh attacks.

The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan, and the difficulties facing Muslims around the world, especially in troubled spots like Kashmir and Chechnya.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople has been invited to attend the meeting as a "guest" of the conference, and there will also be special talks on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) drive for independence.

Bangladesh, the world's third largest Muslim-majority country, last week put forward senior politician Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for the post of OIC secretary general, held since 2001 by Abdulwahed Belkeziz, a former foreign minister of Morocco.