PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Oct 13: The world’s Muslims began a major conference here on Monday with calls for the United States to set a timetable for leaving Iraq, fierce condemnation of Israel and anger over their treatment since 9/11.

The three themes were highlighted by speakers at the opening session of a meeting of foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, preparing for a summit of heads of state on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabar Al-Thani of Qatar, which has held the OIC chairmanship since the last summit three years ago, told the meeting that Muslim states needed to push for “a specific timetable for ending the occupation” of Iraq.

Syed Hamid Albar, foreign minister of the incoming OIC chairman, Malaysia, said: “Foreign occupation of the country must be brought to an end as soon as possible.”

“The occupying powers must work in earnest on a timetable for a democratically elected government to be installed within a reasonably prompt timeframe,” with the United Nations playing a central role, he said.

Sources told AFP, however, that it appeared from meetings behind closed doors that a resolution on Iraq to be presented by heads of state would not go into specifics.

“It will proclaim attachment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, call for swift empowerment of the Iraqis and a quick end to occupation,” an Arab diplomat said.

There was total agreement, however, over resolutions condemning Israel for its strike on an alleged militant base in Syria a week ago and aggression towards the Palestinians, the diplomat said. Speakers singled out the situation in the Middle East as a priority for the summit.

“This blatant act of aggression against Syria must be condemned in the strongest terms as provocative, arrogant and dangerous,” said Mr Albar.

He also condemned Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas and called on Israel to drop any plans to deport or kill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, saying his assassination would be “clearly an act of state terrorism.”

Turning to the upheaval in global politics since the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, he said the Muslim world was facing “great challenges”.

“The threats of unilateralism, globalization and terrorism, the precarious situation in the Middle East and the uncertain future in Iraq, to name a few, have only served to threaten our very survival.”

OIC RESTRUCTURING: The two-day meeting called for concerted efforts, rather than rhetoric, to restructure the OIC.