(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Jakarta March 07 (QNA) - HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud headed the delegation of the State of Qatar participating in the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Holy Jerusalem).
At the outset of a speech he delivered at the morning session HE Al-Mahmoud conveyed greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his wishes of success to the summit.
He stressed that the summit will spare no effort to achieve the aspirations of the Muslim world countries for achieving the objectives that serve solidarity among them to reach further progress in order to enhance the status of the Islamic nation.
HE Al-Mahmoud also expressed thanks to the president government and people of the friendly Republic of Indonesia for the warm reception generous hospitality and the care given by President Joko Widodo for the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Holy Jerusalem) pointing to the special meeting held last April in the Indonesian capital Jakarta for OIC representatives during the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference which was held to discuss a host of issues foremost of which was the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Holy Jerusalem).
He also thanked OIC Secretary-General Iyad bin Amin Madani for the efforts he made to prepare for this summit and for leading the works of the OIC general secretariat wishing him and all the secretariat officials all success.
In his speech Al-Mahmoud underlined that the convening of this summit in Jakarta gives it the specialty of place as it is held in the largest Islamic country in terms of Muslim populations in addition to being an important place for mustering Islamic support for the Palestinian cause particularly under the difficult condition the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque the first qibla (direction to which Muslims turn in prayer) and the third holiest shrine is passing through.
HE Al-Mahmoud explained that the convening of this summit sends a clear message revealing the Islamic nation's firm and incessant commitment to the collective responsibility towards the championing and protection of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He added that the Palestinian cause is going through increasing challenges and successive developments necessitating further work and cooperation and that shoulders on our organization which is second in number after the United Nations a huge responsibility for the support of the Palestinian people to overcome the crises through which they are going.
The repercussions of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories have been increasing day after day on the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people HE Al-Mahmoud said noting that developments in the occupied Palestinian territories the killing destruction confiscation of lands settlement expulsion of the population building of the racial segregation wall reveal the seriousness of the current situation not only on the Palestinian people but on the whole Islamic nation.
HE Al-Mahmoud said Qatar is doing what it must do through the Qatari-Palestinian Committee for the Support of Jerusalem and Jerusalemite in order to preserve Jerusalem Al Aqsa Mosque rebuilding Gaza and the Palestinian reconciliation which he said Qatar hopes will result in Palestinian unity.
In the same regard he added that Qatar is following with great concern the brutal Israeli attacks and condemns the Israeli practices in terms of continuing settlement and disrespecting the international decisions and resolutions and humanitarian considerations.
HE Al-Mahmoud said the summit and the following ones aim to unite all energies and resources in order to enhance the organization's work in international platforms and come up with a united stance in support of Palestinians in restoring their legitimate rights and building their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital noting that OIC was first established in 1969 to defend Jerusalem.
The deputy prime minister said all mechanism and means at disposal in international law and international humanitarian law should be deployed to protect the Palestinian people and its sanctities in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.
He said this extraordinary summit will be a key tributary for the 13th edition of the Islamic summit in Turkey in April to follow up on decisions of the current summit.
Concluding his address HE Al-Mahmoud thanked Indonesia's president government and people hoping that the summit will reach the desired outcomes that meet the aspirations of the Islamic nation. (END)