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For over 30 years, the Organization of Islamic Conferences<\/a> (OIC) has attempted to forge the Muslim world into a cooperative body that works towards mutual goals. And for 30 years, this body that hoped to be a sort of \u201cMuslim UN\u201d has been all but irrelevant. Meeting in Doha, Qatar, the loosely organized group of 57 predominantly Muslim countries agreed<\/a> on little more than a short anti-war statement<\/a> that also called on Iraq to respect<\/a> UN resolutions. But even that didn\u2019t have much teeth, as several OIC members (Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) are actively participating<\/a> in the preparation for war against Iraq and successfully lobbied<\/a> to remove language calling on member states to refuse to grant the US access to military facilities. Also not making the floor was a proposal<\/a> by the United Arab Emirates calling on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down to avert war. \u201cI cannot say [the conference] was successful in all measures,\u201d said Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani. \u201cBut I can say there was good progress. There is a consensus and that\u2019s very important for the Islamic world.\u201d The conference wasn\u2019t a total waste of time, though. There was a thoroughly entertaining and colorful<\/a> spat between Iraqi Vice President Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri and the Kuwaiti delegation, which had just called for Saddam to step down. \u201cShut up, you monkey, you traitor!\u201d fumed<\/a> Al-Douri. \u201cCurses be upon your moustache!\u201d This comes on the heels of another meeting of the \u201ctribes with flags\u201d (as a British historian of the Crusades once called these countries) \u2013 the Arab League<\/a>. Meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh over the weekend, the League summit featured Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi<\/a> saying Saudi King Fahd was willing to \u201ccooperate with the Devil\u201d to protect his country. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah retorted that Qaddafi was \u201can agent for colonizers.\u201d Who needs Al-Samoud<\/a> missiles when you have barbs like these?<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.\n<\/p>\n

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