Foreign Minister attends OIC’s emergency meeting

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa took part in the emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) council of foreign ministers that was convened in relation to the firing of ballistic missiles at Mecca by the Yemeni coup militias. The meeting was held today in Makkah.
The minister expressed his delight to be in Mecca and to take part in this important meeting that reflects the gravity of the events and embodies the unified Islamic stance aimed at ensuring that no person or entity can defile the sanctity of the holy lands. The Foreign Minister stated, "We are seeing a major turn in events, and an unacceptable precedent committed by the criminal militias that have no respect for the sanctity of the holiest of Muslim sites. These militias did not take into account the gravity of this matter which effects more than 1.5 billion Muslims. They cannot be trusted and Muslims are not safe from their criminal agendas. Those who do not respect the sanctity of Mecca will not respect the sanctity of any nation, and this terrorist act, using ballistic missiles, is evidence of how set these militias are in their path of defiance of the international community and its resolutions and its constant efforts to ensure that any political solution not be reached in Yemen".

Shaikh Khalid reiterated that the terrorist act that targeted the Holy House of Allah is a violation of all religious, humane and moral principles and that Allah Almighty prepared the valiant Royal Saudi Air Force and enabled them to destroy the missiles before reaching their target. His Excellency affirmed: "every Muslim must feel great pride in what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in protecting the holy lands with the Saudi heroic soldiers in the service of their religion and country. They protect all of pilgrims and visitors and provide them with safety and piece of mind. These efforts cannot be doubted or denied".

The minister reiterated Bahrain’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the face all forms of terrorism and against anyone that aims to destabilize it and targets its Holy sites. His Excellency reaffirmed his support to all steps undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure its safety and stability reiterating that any attempts targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s security is targeting the security of the entire Islamic world.

Shaikh Khalid also affirmed that the coup militias in Yemen have become an anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tool that seeks to destabilize, terrorize and ignite sectarian hatred among all Muslims. H.E. also indicated that the Arab Coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen will continue its efforts to enable the legitimate Yemeni government under the leadership of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi to carry on its duties and restore peace and security to the Yemeni Republic and to reach a peaceful solution based on the principles agreed upon in the Gulf initiative, the outcomes of the national dialogue and Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015).

"We are not against any Yemeni side working in the best interest of the Yemen, and we will continue to stand firmly with the Yemeni people against anyone wishing to harm or prolong their suffering," the minister said.

This emergency meeting of OIC’s council of foreign ministers issued a resolution backing the statement of the Ministerial Executive Committee meeting that adjourned on November 5 in Jeddah, in which the OIC member states demanded a unified stance against the attacks perpetrated by the Houthi-Saleh militias targeting the holy mosque in Makkah.
The member states also considered all those standing behind and arming them as accomplices in the attacks on Islamic holy sites and active participant in efforts to ignite sectarianism and condone terrorism. 
The resolution focused on creating a task team from member states in the executive committee to define clear steps to ensure that such event do not reoccur as well as submit a complaint to the United Nations to take proper international action to ensure that Makkah and other Islamic holy sights are not targeted, and that the OIC’s Secretary-General carry out this resolution and report back to the council of foreign ministers as soon as possible.

During the meeting, Dr. Yusuf Bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen was appointed as the OIC’s new Secretary-General. The committee thanked Iyad Ameen Madani, OIC’s former Secretary-General, for his efforts in developing cooperation between Islamic countries.