OIC Must Continue Supporting Palestina's UN Membership Bid

Jakarta, Jan 30 (ANTARA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must continue supporting Palestine`s United Nations membership bid, Secretary of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia`s second largest mass organization, Abdul Mu`ti, said here on Monday. "OIC`s support for Palestine will be political pressure on the UN and United States to recognize Palestine as a nation and eventually make the latter a new member of the UN," he said. Abdul Mu`ti also called on the US to commit istself to the Indianapolis agreement about the two-state solution as a feasible and fair way out for the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied for full UN membership for the state of Palestine on Sept. 23. Israel and the United States oppose Palestine`s bid for membership and recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, saying it is aimed at de-legitimizing Israel. They say the only way Palestine can get statehood is via peace talks with Israel. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (PUIC) during its 7th meeting in Palembang, South Sumatra (Indonesia), recently plans to form a special committee to handle the Palestinian issue. The plan was contained in a draft resolution to be adopted at the end of the eight-day conference in Palembang on January 31, 2012. The committee would be made up of 12 countries, namely Palestine, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Senegal, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Under the draft resolution, the special committee for Palestine would perform its duties in one year`s time. The Turkish National Assembly had expressed readiness to host the first meeting of the 12-member committee. According to the committee`s work agenda, the PUIC special commission in the draft resolution gave a mandate to the secretary general to set the date of the committee`s first meeting. In the draft resolution, the parliaments of OIC member states were also strongly opposed to Israel`s plan to declare Al-Quds Al Syarif city as its capital. They described the move as Israel`s direct aggression against the Palestinian people and their human rights. In addition, PUIC also lauded the regional and international community`s support for Palestine. The conference was participated in by 37 countries. They are Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania and Morocco. In addition, Mozambique, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.