The Secretary General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed his outrage against and condemned the series of bomb attacks perpetrated against five Shiite Mosques in Baghdad yesterday and the ensuing roadside bomb attack near a Sunni mosque in the town of Hilla today. He voiced his indignation and repulsion at these wave of inhuman acts specifically targeting places of worship and worshipers. Secretary General Ihsanoglu, while reaffirming his solidarity with the government and people of Iraq in the face of these vicious attacks, conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of the wounded. The OIC Secretary General described the heinous attacks as acts of mere provocation at a crucial transitory period, targeting the Iraqi nation and its unity for the sake of evil calculations which have nothing to do with the welfare and future of Iraq. He cautioned that the enemies of Iraq will continue their provocations in the days ahead to stir sectarian strife and violence. Therefore, he appealed to the Iraqi political and religious leaders to openly exhibit solidarity and dialogue with their words and deeds against any attempt to stir sectarian divide, in order not to let the provocations harm the unity and brotherhood of the Iraqi people. Secretary General Ihsanoglu, referring to the 2006 Makkah Document, particularly urged all Muslim religious leaders in Iraq to draw attention to and highlight the Islamic principles which sanctify human life and consider it sacrosanct and inviolable and to condemn the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
