Justice International backs PMs oil-weapon call

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Justice International has expressed its support to the call made by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Muslim nations to use oil as a collective weapon to stop the increasing oppression faced by the Islamic world.

Spokesperson for the non-profit organisation, SM Mohamed Idris said under these circumstances, it is justifiable under international law to use oil as a weapon to defend the rights of the Palestinian and Iraqi people.

"In using oil as a weapon, measures must be taken to protect the interests of the developing countries," he said in a press statement today.

"We urge the prime minister to call an urgent meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Council to consider his proposal.

"He should also contact leaders of progressive governments in the Third World and Europe to consider taking economic and diplomatic measures to stop the war in Iraq and to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he added.

Justice International is a non-governmental organisation based in Boston, dedicated to the relief of refugees and victims of war and disaster around the world.

In the last two years, more than 1,500 people have been killed, most of them civilians, of whom nearly 40 percent are children due to Palestinian atrocities.

The US Administration is now threatening to launch a war against Iraq unilaterally although the move is opposed by many countries, even a significant number of Americans.

Unimaginable suffering

Meanwhile, Mohamed said Mahathir must have had enough of the oppression of Palestinians by Israel and the threatened American war against Iraq when he made the call.

"Israel has repeatedly flouted international law and the United Nations Charter to illegally occupy Gaza and the West Bank and to violate the human rights of the Palestinian people," he said.

"Israel's rougish conduct has gone unpunished because of diplomatic, economic and military support given to it by the US," he added.

Mohamed said the people of Iraq had been subjected to "unimaginable suffering" by the UN economic sanctions which cannot be lifted because of US and British opposition. He said every month, 8,000-odd children below the age of five directly die due to the sanctions.

"The continued imposition of the sanctions has been termed "genocide" by senior UN officials and constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law," he stressed.

In a related development, Mohamed appealed to Mahathir to direct the police to issue permits to hold demonstrations and public meetings to express their anger towards the "arrogant imperialist behaviour" of the US administration.

He said these demonstrations by people outside the US will strengthen the hands of those opposing the war.



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