Jordan Times
Saturday, March 14, 1998
Regent calls for 'code of conduct' for Arab
intellectuals
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN — His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan, the Regent,
has urged Arab intellectuals to continue their dialogue despite
the obstacles in their path and to take the opinions of others
into consideration.
The Regent, who was addressing the final session of the meeting
by the Arab Peace and Solidarity Organisation on Thursday, called
for a unified "code of conduct" for Arab intellectuals
that would organise and govern their differences through
continuous dialogue.
The Prince, who was addressing delegates from eight Arab states,
voiced hope that a non-governmental, multi-national Muslim or
Arab organisation would be established to solve health, poverty,
culture and communication problems and intensify inter-state
cooperation.
In this regard, Prince Hassan noted the Islamic project to combat
terrorism, which was adopted by the Organisation of Islamic
Conference during its meeting in Iran last year.
The Prince reiterated Jordan's firm stand on the Palestinians
realising their full rights on their national soil, adding that
the coming months will witness a rapprochement in Arab-Israel
peacemaking.
Issa Mdanat, head of Jordan's chapter of the organisation,
expressed his appreciation for the Crown Prince for his patronage
the two-day meeting.
Mr. Mdanat told the Jordan Times that meeting called for an
urgent Arab summit to discuss ways strengthening Arab solidarity
and ensuring reconciliation between Arab states.
The meeting also called for the U.S. and Britain to withdraw the
troops from the Gulf that have been stationed there since the
crisis between Iraq and the United Nations over the activities of
the U.N. arms inspections teams in Baghdad.
"These troops are a threat to Iraq and should be pulled out
of the region to reduce tension," said Mr. Mdanat, a veteran
leftist leader in the Kingdom.
He said the delegates expressed their relief over the way the
deadlock between Iraq and the U.N. was resolved and called for
the world organisation to lift the economic sanctions against
Iraq and reduce the suffering of its people.
Mr. Mdanat said the delegates decided to hold a special session
in the Palestinian self-rule areas in November "as a sign of
solidarity with the Palestinian people." The meeting will
coincide with the 50th anniversary of the division of Palestine.
The meeting also called for Israeli government to honour the
agreements it has signed with Palestinians to bring the peace
process back on track.
"The conference denounced the Israeli policy of terrorism,
especially the demolition of houses, mass arrests and land
confiscation, and called for putting an end to these
measures," Mr. Mdanat said.
The meeting, which was opened Wednesday, also called for halting
normalisation of ties with Israel and ending "any sort of
cooperation" with Tel Aviv.
The delegates also urged Turkey to reconsider its "military
cooperation" with Israel and to strengthen its ties with
Arab and Muslim states instead.
The delegates represented chapters of the organisation in Syria,
Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan.