Terrorists want to tarnish Islam's image - Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled

NEW YORK, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said terrorist groups aimed at tarnishing image of Islam by carrying out their evil deeds in the name of this great religion.
He called on Islamic countries to step up joint cooperation to defeat terrorist and extremist groups which have no relation with Islam, welcoming relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions to eliminate terrorism and drying up its financing resources.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled was speaking during a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held on sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Kuwait holds the rotating presidency of the OIC ministerial council.
Kuwait, he noted, suffered from terrorism when a suicide bomber blew up himself in a mosque during the holy month of Ramadan last June, killing 26 worshippers and wounding 227 others who were performing the Friday prayers.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled meanwhile said the coup d'etat by the Houthi rebels in Yemen did not undermine the security and stability of Yemen only but also of the entire region, which "compel us to live up to our responsibility and work with our allies for the restoration of legitimacy in Yemen and in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 2216." The OIC, he added, stood by unity, sovereignty, political independence and territorial safety of Yemen, underlined importance of implementing outcome of the national dialogue on basis of the GCC initiative and its implementation mechanism.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled praised efforts of the UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmad.
On Syria, where the conflict entered its fifth year, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted that more than 250,000 people were killed and some a million injured, while four million refugees were living in neighboring countries, and seven million internally displaced.
Syria, he added, has become a haven for terrorist organizations which were executing their criminal operations against innocent civilians as well as tarnishing image of Islam, "a religion of moderation and tolerance." Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled cited His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's statement during a previous OIC meeting that there should be a firm opposition against sectarianism, which was undermining the unity of the Muslim nation.
He urged the UNSC to double efforts to find a comprehensive political solution for the conflict in Syria on the basis of the 2012 Geneva communique in order to honor aspirations of the Syrian people.
Kuwait hosted three donor conferences to help the Syrian people over the past three years, and has contributed USD 1.3 billion out of around USD 7.6 billion.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, on the other hand, reiterated support for the Iraqi government's fight against so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"We are confident the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people are very keen on safeguarding their national unity and territorial integrity, and will not allow these terrorist groups to achieve their wicked objectives," said Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, who commended Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi's reforms.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the Palestinian people still suffering from the Israeli occupation, which was increasing their ordeal. He supported the Palestinians to regain their legitimate rights including the right of self-determination to ultimately establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and in line with the Arab peace initiative.
He called on the government of Myanmar to end the oppression and human rights violations against the Muslim community in the country.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, who paid tribute to late Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, extended condolences for hundreds of people who were killed in a stampede during the Hajj season.
He appreciated Saudi Arabia's provision of services to the pilgrims, and wished speedy recovery for the injured.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, meanwhile, called on OIC member countries to achieve sustainable development after world leaders approved the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Kuwait's delegation included Assistant Foreign Minister for the Minister's Office Ambassador Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Mohammad Al-Sabah, Assistant Foreign Minister for Organizations Ambassador Jassem Al-Mubaraki and Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Al-Otaibi. (end) bs.mao