Islamic clerics gather to find solution to Iraqi conflict

Scores of Islamic clerics from seven Arabic countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) met in Bogor town of Indonesia's West Java on Tuesday, aiming to find a solution to the protracted conflict in Iraq.

The seven countries were Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Syria, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

The two-day meeting in the historical Presidential Palace in the scenic botanical city in the foothill of Jakarta was expected to result a final draft of document, he said.

Secretary General of the OIC Ekmeleddine Ihsanoglu is among the participants, said Wirajuda.

"It is our grievance hope that this conference will contribute to the international effort to bring peace and harmony in Iraq," he said.

The meeting was hosted by the government of Indonesia in collaboration with the country's two biggest Muslim organizations of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammaddiyah.

Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country, with 87 percent of its 240 million population being Muslim. The country has been long contributed in the peace process in the Middle East.

Source: Xinhua