CASABLANCA: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, received a telephone call late Saturday night from US President Barack Obama in which the two leaders discussed the situation in Egypt and expressed their disapproval of the chaos and looting and threats to security and safety. King Abdullah said that the stability of Egypt and the safety and security of its people was a “non-negotiable issue” and that threats to them were “unjustifiable under any pretext”. According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), King Abdullah also described the achievements and advancements of Egypt as “inseparable from the achievements and advancements of the Arab and Islamic Ummah”. SPA said that the US president understood the viewpoint of the King concerning the stability and security of the region. Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), meanwhile, said Sunday that the GCC “wants stability in Egypt”. In a statement given on the sidelines of an investment forum in Malaysia, Al-Attiya said that the GCC “hopes that the situation returns to normal soon”. GCC economies, he added, are “strong” and “have no fear at this stage of any economic repercussions from the crisis in Egypt”. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), also released a statement the same day expressing his “extreme concern”. Ihsanoglu called upon the people of Egypt to exercise “utmost self-control” and “protect lives”. Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, said Sunday he wanted to see a multi-party democracy emerge in Egypt but could not say how soon that might happen.
