Suspending Syria’s OIC membership politicized

A senior Iranian lawmaker has censured suspension of Syria’s membership in the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as a “politicized” move.

“Suspension of Syria’s membership as a Muslim country in this organization is a political move engineered by Saudi Arabia, and is continuation of what they did in the Arab League [from which Syria was also expelled last November],” head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Thursday.

He added, “Syria is an Arab and Islamic state; and suspension of Syria’s membership in the OIC lacks any legitimacy and rationale.”

Boroujerdi further noted that Syria’s expulsion from the OIC will not alter the Islamic and Arab nature of the crisis-hit nation, describing the latest anti-Syria bid as illegitimate and illogical.

In a statement issued at the end of an OIC summit in the Saudi holy city of Mecca early on Thursday, the organization announced suspension of Syria’s membership.

The move to suspend Syria had been approved on Monday at a preliminary meeting of the OIC foreign ministers.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011, with many people, including large number of security forces, killed in the turmoil.

While the West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of the killings, Damascus blames outlaws, saboteurs and insurgents for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.