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PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia : Malaysia said Thursday the Muslim world had to commit troops for a proposed UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and criticised the United Nations for not taking a harder line on Israel.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told an emergency meeting of nations from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) it was not enough to sympathise with victims of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
"We cannot continue issuing mere statements of condemnation for the violence," Abdullah said in opening remarks to the gathering.
"We must play a more proactive role in the present conflict. We must show preparedness to contribute forces for peacekeeping operations under the United Nations banner. Malaysia is ready to do that," he said.
"We must also request a role for the OIC to play in building the peace after the ceasefire is in place," he said.
The premier, who is the current chairman of the 57-nation OIC, accused Israel of a "bigger objective" beyond the recovery of two Israeli soldiers captured on July 12 by the militant Hezbollah, which sparked the crisis.
"Until now, unfortunately, the international community is in paralysis. The United Nations has not been able to do much except to try organising the distribution of humanitarian aid," he said.
"The Security Council could not even muster the moral courage to condemn Israel for the attack on Qana or the killing of UN observers at Khiam," said Abdullah, who called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
More than 50 Lebanese civilians, many of them children, were killed in an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese village of Qana. Four military observers were killed in the bombing of a UN post at Khiam.
Abdullah said every state had a "moral obligation" to stop the war.
"Israel must be made to understand that pursuing their objective through indiscriminate killing and wanton destruction will only breed greater hatred and contempt," the premier said.
"Let us be clear. What is happening to Lebanon and Palestine cannot be tolerated and should be condemned," he added.
Abdullah, who is known for promoting a moderate interpretation of Islam, called on Muslim nations to ponder the crisis "in its totality" and set aside differences between Sunnis, Shiites, Muslims and non-Muslims.
"This is no longer any religious or sectarian issue. It is an issue about humanity," he said.
Countries attending the meeting are Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The OIC's secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and a Palestinian representative are also at the meeting.
- AFP /ct
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