Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reaffirmed today what he had often expressed in earlier statements as to his deep concern over the continued use of excessive military force by the Syrian Security in the face of the Syrian citizens demonstrating peacefully to demand a greater measure of democracy, political freedom and economic and social justice. The Secretary General stressed in his remarks that this kind of approach that has been used over the past several months in dealing with public demands has proven its failure to contain the crisis. Rather, it has led to further loss of lives and an even more complicated domestic situation with all the negative impact on the regional and international opinion whose rejection of this approach has been gaining momentum. The Secretary General exhorts the Syrian leadership to exercise the highest level of restraint through an immediate halt of the use of force to quell the public demonstrations and through engaging in a dialogue with all the forces in Syria in order to reach an agreement on steps in favour of satisfactory and early reforms. The Secretary General expressed the OIC’s readiness to play some role in this framework, being convinced that dialogue is the only safe option through which the overwhelming crisis could be contained such as to spare Syria the danger of slipping towards an internal abyss and such as to avert the swelling international anger at this kind of approach. The Secretary General pointed out that the noble Islamic faith lays a particular stress on the inviolability of human life in all circumstances, and expressed the hope, once again, that the current Ramadan blessed days of fasting would offer inspiration and motivation for the Syrian leadership to see to an early halt to the bloodshed and brutality used against the citizens and to respond positively to the legitimate demands of their people.