DHAKA: The Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, representing more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, affirmed on Thursday a commitment to unity in combating ‘sectarian’ policies.

A two-day meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah affirmed that OIC members will stand ‘united in combating sectarian, confessional, and exclusion policies that have led to sedition in some countries and threatened their security and stability,’ said a statement read by Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, reports The Straits Times.

The statement did not explicitly name Iraq, where Saudi Arabia blamed the ‘sectarian’ policies of the Shia-led government for the takeover by Sunni Muslim jihadists of key cities and large swathes of the country.

BDST: 1856 HRS, JUNE 19, 2014