SECRETARY GENERAL IN HIS STATEMENT BEFORE THE FOURTH FRIENDS OF SYRIA MEETING IN MARRAKECH: A CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA SHALL AFFECT THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES

At the Fourth Friends of Syria Meeting, held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, on 12 December 2012, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, warned against the worsening of the catastrophic situation in Syria into a civil war that would devour more thousands of the innocent and negatively affect the neighboring countries and the entire region. He asserted that it is the duty of all stakeholders to extend urgent help to the violence victims. The OIC Secretary General expressed the deep concern and bitterness over the latest development in Syria despite the ongoing collective efforts exerted by the international community to disentangle this crisis in light of the continuous horrible massacres and random killings of the innocent civilians, notably women and children, as well as the devastation of houses and infrastructure. Ihsanoglu indicated that, in his capacity as OIC Secretary General, he issued repeated calls to put an end to the systematic killings in Syria. These calls emanated from the instructions of Islam that enshrines the sanctity of the human soul and prescribes for its safeguarding and preservation. He confirmed that the OIC, since the inception of the crisis, complied with the principle of non-interference into the internal affairs of its Member States and respected their sovereignty and territorial integrity. This was accompanied by its keenness to preserve the safety and security of the Syrian People. However, the continuous deterioration in the security situation and the escalation of the oppressive practices and killings that resulted in huge number of victims led to the internationalization of the crisis. Ihsanoglu reiterated the OIC full support to the efforts of Al-Akhdar Al-Ibrahimi, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria. He said that the OIC welcomed the latest step when all hues of the Syrian opposition groups signed the Doha Agreement to establish a uniform opposition entity that paves the way to unify the Syrian opposition towards its gaining the recognition of the international community.