Muslim leaders tried to sort out their differences over Middle East peace, Gulf security and other issues at the Islamic summit in Tehran yesterday. They wrangled late into the evening after a power blackout caused by heavy rain delayed the start of the second day's work at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit.
Muslim leaders were trying to resolve disputes about the wording of the Tehran Declaration, drafted by the host country, Iran, to be adopted before the three-day conference ends today.
One difference pitted Tehran against moderate Gulf Arab states which rely on a US military umbrella to protect them from perceived threats from Iraq and non-Arab Iran. Iranian leaders called on Tuesday for Gulf states to reach a collective defence and security agreement.
The hard line supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denouncing the deployment of foreign forces in the oil-rich region, said the use of "Islamic power and dignity" would "eliminate the pretexts for this improper presence".
Iran was also at odds with the Palestinians and Arab states such as Jordan and Egypt, which have signed peace treaties with Israel as part of US-led peace efforts denounced by Tehran, but previously endorsed by the Islamic organisation.
Arabs fell out among themselves when Jordan presented a surprise resolution, which some Arab delegates said could be interpreted as granting King Hussein guardianship over the al-Aqsa Mosque in Arab East Jerusalem, Islam's third holiest shrine.
Iraq made a passionate plea for the lifting of UN sanctions imposed for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. "Is it correct that non-Muslim circles call for the lifting of the siege, including His Holiness the Pope, and this conference ends without any stand or measure concerning the siege imposed on Muslim, patient Iraq?" asked Deputy President Taha Yassin Ramadan.
He condemned Turkey for its repeated invasion of northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish separatists. The Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, whose country was also censured for its military co-operation agreements with Israel, was due to leave Tehran last night.
Several Muslim leaders touched on the theme of Islamic militancy, preoccupying many of their governments. The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr Amr Moussa, attacked unidentified OIC member states for providing financial and other support to Muslim militants damaging the image of Islam.
"They are receiving political and financial support from Muslim sides," he said. "Is it proper for backward murderers, hired guns, to receive such support and move in such freedom?"
President Hafez al-Assad of Syria told the conference: "While we reject the use of violence in internal issues, we clearly stress the right of peoples to resist occupation and aggression. Resistance is a legitimate right and duty."
President Mohammad Khatami of Iran congratulated President Elias Hrawi on Lebanon's stand against Israeli occupation. "Today the Islamic resistance in Lebanon has become the national resistance," he said, without naming the pro-Iranian Hizbullah militia.
Iran kept up its diplomatic drive to improve ties with former Arab foes, some of them visiting the Islamic republic for the first time since the 1979 revolution.
Mr Khatami received his Palestinian counterpart, Mr Yasser Arafat, who earlier braved a snowstorm to visit the tomb of the founder of Iran's revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
"Unfortunately, the racist Zionist regime doesn't abide by any rules," state television quoted Mr Khatami as telling Mr Arafat. "We were pessimistic about this peace process from the outset because of the nature of the Zionist regime."
An aide to Mr Arafat said his talks with Mr Khatami had been "very open and frank", adding that the Palestinians were keen to mend their strained relations with Iran.