Leaders and ministers of more than 50 Muslim countries urged their nations to fight terrorism and called for moderation within Islam as they opened a summit in a palace overlooking Islam’s holiest shrine.

“We do not have the luxury of blaming others for our own problems. It is high time we addressed our national and regional problems with courage, sincerity and openness,” said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Turkish secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Yes high time indeed. It’s only taken what, a few decades of terrorism and violence to get you to this point. But let’s not forget that some amongst you feel it necessary to make comments that Israel should be wiped off the map, or moved to Europe. Then this statement …

“We should fight terrorism by dealing with its roots and causes, whether committed by individuals, groups or states,” Ihsanoglu said. “Terrorism is a crime that every Muslim should fight.”

… might be taken more seriously. Are you going to ask Iran to stop funding Hamas and Hizbollah?

Then this made me laugh a little …

“The future of humanity depends on this part of the world,” Ihsanoglu said. “What is going on in the Islamic world has dire consequences elsewhere.”

“Lack of moderation is one of the main sources of instability and chaos in the modern world,” he said, stressing the need to combat poverty, illiteracy and corruption in the Muslim world.

… he’s right of course. It does have dire consequences – whether or not we aim all our nuclear missiles at the sandpit.

But to be fair he does have the right issues in hand, poverty, illiteracy and corruption. He did forget one thing though, the overwhelming majority of dictatorial systems that run the Middle East. If they’re attending the conference, isn’t he talking about -them-? Not likely to receive a warm welcome now, is it? It needs UN backing, or more of the John Bolton action, he’s on a roll already after getting the UN to condemn Hizbollah!

ConservaTown News is also a little sceptical of Ekmeleddin’s statements, although their article focuses on the muslim fund for the poor (and the hypocrisy of muslim billionaires doing nothing); Israpundit focuses on Ahmadinejad’s latest comments that Israel should be moved to Europe – it should be noted that Ahmadinejad is lumping us all together, and not just focusing on the Nazis/Germans who committed Holocaust atrocities; Clarity and Resolve also talks about his anti-semite statements; and finally Macsmind has some final comments from the BBC article about the conference …

The meeting in the holy Muslim city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia called for changes in national laws to criminalise financing and incitement of terrorism.

It also called for new school curriculums to purge extremist ideas.

The declaration also said that fatwas, or Islamic religious edicts, must only be issued by those who are authorised to do so.

… and again, you’d think that these would be obvious, and enacted a long time ago (like, right after 9/11).