(AFP) - Malaysia's hardline Islamic opposition party has protested Israel's military offensive in Lebanon and Gaza outside the United Nations headquarters here.
Led by the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), some 50 protestors called on the UN to take action against the Jewish state to stop what they said was "the massacre of the innocents."
Shouting "Long live Islam", "Down with Israel" and "Down with America", the protestors also set alight an Israeli flag in front of the UN building, which was heavily guarded by Malaysian police, reports Trend.
The rally, which included opposition politicians and other Muslim groups, then delivered a protest memorandum to a UN official which was addressed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
"We see that the United Nations has lost its function to maintain international peace and security. It is now being more controlled by America," PAS Deputy President Nasharuddin Mat Isa told AFP.
"With all the happenings, even with the killing of the UN peacekeepers, still no action has been taken," Nasharuddin said, referring to the Israeli bombing of a UN post in Lebanon last week.
Mainly Muslim Malaysia, currently chairing the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), will hold an emergency meeting with leaders from 16 other member states Thursday to discuss the situation in Lebanon and Gaza.
Nasharuddin said the meeting was tardy but he was satisfied the 57-nation grouping was "doing something" to address the problem.
PAS said women and children from the party were scheduled to hand over a protest memorandum at the OIC meeting venue on Thursday in Malaysia's administrative centre of Putrajaya, while more protests were being organised for Friday.