May 9, 2002	Thursday	Safar 25, 1423

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KUALA LUMPUR, May 8: The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Kuala Lumpur has condemned the perceived link between the Muslim world and international terrorism, a news report said on Wednesday.

Ministers at the meeting, who issued a declaration at the end of their three-day conference, said Islam viewed all forms of violence as a crime, and opposed it as a means to achieve any objective.

The declaration also criticized the media for wrongly equating terrorism with Muslims in general.

The declaration said the media failed to acknowledge that terrorism was an international problem that occurred irrespective of race and religion, and that no society was free from it.

Delegates of the 57-member OIC also expressed concern over fatwas issued by individuals who did not have any expertise, and urged Muslims to only heed fatwas issued by those mandated to do so.

OIC delegates also urged Muslim countries to continue their support for the Palestinian struggle to get Israel to withdraw from its territories.—dpa