JI demands OIC summit on Mideast

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has urged the government to immediately convene an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, in light of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

Speaking at Mansoorah on Friday, he said the recent acts of aggression in Gaza and Iran were being carried out under the patronage of the United States a country he described as an enemy of the Muslim world. He stressed that the Muslim Ummah, along with peace-loving nations, must urgently adopt a joint strategy to counter US-Israeli aggression.

“After wreaking havoc in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US now appears determined to replicate the same destruction in Iran,” said Rehman. “It [the US] continues to support India’s blatant human rights violations in IIOJK. Without Washington’s backing, Israel holds no power and yet, despite overwhelming international support for a ceasefire in Gaza, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at ending the conflict. This is a deliberate push towards global warfare.”

The JI chief reaffirmed that the people of Pakistan stood firmly by the people of Iran. He called on the governments of Muslim countries to reject the fear of American pressure and boldly represent the sentiments of the Ummah.

Criticizing Islamabad’s silence, he noted that despite clear threats of an expanding war including Israel’s attacks on Iran and the US signaling deeper military involvement, the government has failed to take concrete steps. “The entire Muslim world is looking to Pakistan for leadership,” he said. “Islamabad must rise to the occasion and play a decisive role on the issues of Gaza and Iran. If the flames of war continue to spread, it will not only engulf the Middle East but also South Asia and beyond a catastrophe that will be impossible to contain.”

He called on Muslim nations to set aside individual interests and unite for the collective good of the Ummah. “Only through unity we can thwart the sinister designs of anti-Islam forces,” he stated.