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Russ
ian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise appearance as a
speaker at the opening session of the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) here today.
He won warm applause from the leaders of the Islamic world when he
said through an interpreter that terrorism should not be equated to
any religion.
While always slated to attend as an observer, he was not on the
list of speakers for the summit, which is the biggest Islamic
conference since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.
"The position of Russia is constant and clear. Terrorism must not
be equated to any religion, culture, tradition, or any way of
life," Putin said.
He went on to say that "Russian Muslims are an inalienable part of
Russia".
Russia is home to some 20-million Muslims - around one inhabitant
in seven.
Like other religions, Islam saw a surge in membership after the
fall of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
However Russia has garnered much criticism from the Muslim world
over its brutal war against separatist rebels in the mainly Muslim
republic of Chechnya.
Putin said there were now more than 7 000 mosques in Russia
compared to about 700 in 1991.
Russia and the Islamic countries could have a "mutually
advantageous cooperation," he said, pointing out that both want a
central United Nations role for settling international problems -
an apparent reference to their joint opposition to the US-led war
on Iraq.
Among the more than 30 other leaders present at the summit are the
presidents of Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran,
Turkey, Algeria and Sudan. – Sapa-AFP.
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