OIC Chief condemns killing of Muslims in Thai Mosque

Jeddah, June 10, SPA -- The Secretary General of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has
condemned the armed assault waged on Monday (8th June, 2009) against
Muslim worshippers at Al-Furqan Mosque in Narathiwat province in
southern Thailand.

In a press statement released here last night, he expressed his
heartfelt regret over the killing of the mosque's Imam [prayer
leader] along with ten worshippers and the severe wounding of ten
other people.

This tragic incident falls within a string of aggressions conducted
by armed and organized elements that have targeted worshippers and
worship venues in southern Thailand in a bid to terrorize Muslims and
restrain them from demanding their legitimate rights. These armed
groups enjoy the support of influential parties, he added.

While Ihsanoglu emphasizes his firm denunciation of terrorist acts
affecting innocent civilians, he called upon the Thai government to
undertake a probe into this tragic incident, apprehend its
perpetrators in order to refer them to justice, and deploy the
necessary efforts to protect the lives and property of Muslims in
southern Thailand.

--SPA