Riyadh: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday mounted a veiled attack on a Muslim summit in Malaysia shunned by Saudi Arabia, saying such gatherings would weaken Islam.
Hundreds of delegates are attending the gathering in Malaysia including heads of state and religious leaders but the meeting has been snubbed by Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest shrines.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad dismissed those concerns in a phone call Tuesday with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, insisting the summit was not intended to create a new bloc.
But in thinly veiled criticism of the four-day summit starting on Wednesday, OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen said such gatherings would divide Muslims.
"It is not in the interest of an Islamic nation to hold summits and meetings outside the framework of the (OIC), especially at this time when the world is witnessing multiple conflicts," Othaimeen told Sky News Arabia, without directly naming Malaysia.
He added that "any weakening of the OIC platform is a weakening of Islam and Muslims." Malaysian officials say King Salman was invited to the Kuala Lumpur meeting but was not attending.
Meanwhile, The president of sanctions-hit Iran called Thursday for Muslim countries to cooperate in fighting US "economic terrorism" at the opening of a summit aimed at tackling the Islamic world's woes.
The summit has also been criticised for undermining the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the Saudi-based global body representing Muslim nations and organisations.
