Islamic summit hits terrorism snag

It is the first Muslim conference since 11 September

By Jonathan Head BBC South-East Asia correspondent

Delegates at a conference of Islamic countries in Malaysia have failed to agree on a definition of terrorism, according to the Malaysian foreign minister.

Delegates from all over the Muslim world attended the conference

He said the three-day meeting was not long enough to come up with a common definition of what constituted a terrorist act.

The special session of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was called to draw up a response to events from Muslim countries, following last September's attacks on New York and Washington.

But it has been overshadowed by the current conflict in the Middle East.

Terrorism or self-defence?

On the second day of their meeting here in Kuala Lumpur, ministers from 53 Muslim countries were clearly struggling to produce their own definition of terrorism.

The suggestion by the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, that all attacks on civilians, including those by Palestinian suicide bombers, constituted terrorism got little support.

Many Arab states regard such acts as legitimate self-defence.

And even before the conference closed, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the issue would be set aside until a larger, international conference on terrorism could be held.

No time

"We'll not come up with specifics of defining terrorism. Dr Mahathir's speech yesterday sets the tone, but it doesn't mean that all the issues that we raised are possible to resolve at this two, three days conference," he said.

With anger over Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories riding high here, delegates instead discussed ways in which they could put more pressure on Israel.

A proposal by Iraq for an oil embargo received only lukewarm support.