NYT/AP: Leaders (at Mecca summit) Vow to Fight (Muslim) Extremist Ideology

Leaders Vow to Fight Extremist Ideology
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 8, 2005


MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Leaders from more than 50 Muslim countries promised Thursday to fight extremist ideology, saying they would reform textbooks, restrict religious edicts and crack down on terror financing.

Kings, heads of states and ministers closed a two-day summit in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, that had been convened to address terrorism, seeking to counter criticism that the Islamic world has done little to confront extremism.

''The Islamic nation is in a crisis. This crisis does not reflect on the present alone, but also on its future and the future of humanity at large,'' said the final statement of the gathering. ''We need decisive action to fight deviant ideas because they are the justification of terrorism.''

In the declaration, the countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference promised to ''change national laws to criminalize financing and incitement'' as well as purge extremist ideas from school curriculums.

It also underlined that ''fatwas'' -- or Islamic religious edicts -- must only be issued by ''those who are authorized,'' an effort to rein in edicts by clerics who denounce other Muslims and allow their killing....


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Saudi-Islamic-Conference.html

extremist ideology of fundemental, literalist Christians.

''We need decisive action to fight deviant ideas because they are the justification of terrorism war.''