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TEHRAN (AFP) - The majority of Iran's reformist-dominated parliament on Sunday called for an international conference in support of the Palestinian "intifada," or uprising, the state news agency IRNA reported. More than 155 MP's from the 290-seat legislature signed a petition demanding that Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karubi call an international emergency conference aimed at "defending and supporting the Palestinian people's cause." The signatories condemned the "crimes committed by the Israeli army," voicing Iran's support for the "sacred war of the Palestinian people." In his opening speech, Karubi affirmed that the "intifada can neither be stopped nor extinguished." "Despite the increasing violence and repression of the Zionist regime against the innocent and defenseless Palestinian people, the wave of popular protest and aversion against the occupants of Jerusalem is intensifying on a daily basis," Karubi told the parliament, adding it is the responsibility of "all Muslims, freedom-supporters, academics and governments" to defend the Palestinian nation. Iran in recent days has stepped up its call for an emergency meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) foreign ministers to address the status of Palestine. Visiting OIC Secretary General Ezzeddin Laraki on Saturday announced that the 56-member group was prepared to stage the meeting that Iran, which holds the group's rotating presidency. Nearly every top Iranian official has denounced Israel for the violence and President Mohammad Khatami earlier in October voiced his support for an OIC meeting to coordinate policy against Israel. The last meeting of OIC foreign ministers was in Pakistan in 1994. Iran does not recognize Israel and is opposed to the peace process. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Muslim nations to pave the way for a jihad, or holy war, against Israel. |
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