Decrying what they perceive as a Western campaign to unfairly link their religion to terrorism, Islamic nations are calling for stronger efforts to resolve frustrations they say have fueled extremism -- such as the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the Palestinian struggle.
Delegates at the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, considered the Muslim world's most important political grouping, said many of their countries have been unjustly scrutinized for alleged links to extremists after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
"We plead with the Western world to cooperate with us, to help our vision of moderate Islam become more dominant," Munir Akram, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations, told The Associated Press.
"We may not endorse the acts of desperation, such as suicide bombings, which have followed these injustices, but that does not illegitimize important causes such as the Palestinian struggle."