Monday January 5, 2009
OIC should send peacekeepers to Gaza, says Dr Zahid
By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Muslim countries should form their own peacekeeping force and send them to Gaza, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi said.
Such force should come under the auspices of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), he added.
“I will bring up the proposal to the Prime Minister during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“It’s time the OIC member countries set up our own peacekeeping forces to handle disputes such as civil wars or even invasions by major world powers in Islamic countries.
“Such issues can be resolved much more quickly with this form of intervention when it involves Muslim countries.
“If the United Nations (UN) and Nato can have their own peacekeepers, then the OIC should have its own peacekeeping troops.
“I hope this measure will be decided and approved at the next OIC heads of government meeting,” he told reporters after launching the Ade Nasution Centre with Indonesia’s Parti Amanat Nasional (National Mandate Party) candidate Ade Daud Iswandi Nasution here yesterday.
The centre was formed to get 950,000 registered Indonesian voters in Malaysia to vote in their country’s general elections slated for April 9. Ade Daud is contesting in the elections.
Zahid was commenting on reports of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza to quell militant rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed in the violence.
Asked if Malaysia would take the lead in heading the peacekeeping mission in Palestinian territory, Zahid said there would be dissenters among OIC countries to the proposal.
“It will be better if the entire OIC members act in unison to ensure the success of this type of mission.
“We all know that the UN resolutions or stern warnings from the global community when Israel launches its attacks are ineffective in settling the issue.
“The UN should not be beholden to the United States. It should not practise double standards,” he added.
Zahid also concurred with the proposal by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Muslim countries boycott American-made goods in protest against the attacks on Palestinians.
“Muslims should also boycott goods produced by companies with ties to Israel,” he added.
Ade Daud said Muslim countries should not be too hopeful of United States president-elect Barack Obama to settle the Palestinian problem.
“I think Obama will listen more to the Jewish lobby,” he said.
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