On the Night of Power as millions of worshipers throng the Grand Mosque in Makkah in an exemplary display of unity to seek the mercy and forgiveness of Almighty Allah, a few blocks away their leaders have gathered to brainstorm on the ways to bolster the unity of the Ummah and safeguard its interests.

The holy city teeming with pilgrims who have come from all parts of the world and all walks of life presents a perfect setting for the extraordinary Islamic Summit called by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The Syrian crisis, the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, the Israeli intransigence, and Afghanistan imbroglio are some of the main issues to be discussed by the two-day 4th extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which starts in Makkah Tuesday evening.

Leaders of Muslim countries have started arriving for the summit to which Muslims in particular and the international community in general are eagerly looking forward.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his accompanying delegation arrived in Madinah. “The call for the summit came at an appropriate time to unite the ranks of Islamic nations and confirm cohesion among them,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.He expressed his hope that the summit would yield concrete results.

The aim of the Makkah summit is to ensure unity during this delicate time as the Muslim World faces the dangers of fragmentation and sedition, King Abdullah said while proposing the summit.

The King has been following developments in the Muslim World and that is why he called for the Makkah summit, said Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, at an earlier press conference.

“King Abdullah wants to make sure that the summit issues decisions which serve the interests of all Arab and Muslim countries,” the Emir said.

Praising the King’s call for the summit, Shoura Council Speaker Dr. Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh said that the meeting comes at the most appropriate time when the Ummah is in dire need of solidarity and unity.

OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said in an interview with the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) that the Muslim world has high hopes that the summit will adopt resolutions that would prompt the international community to join forces to stop the bloodshed in Syria.

“The Muslim nation is undergoing its most challenging period since World War I. This necessitates that the summit adopts resolutions that can end the state of fragmentation and restore unity among OIC member states,” he said.

The tragic situation in Syria and the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar will figure prominently at the summit, he said at a press conference in Jeddah.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to present an integrated development plan for the city of occupied Jerusalem during his speech, Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Shtayyeh told the Voice of Palestine Radio.

Yemeni President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari have joined the world leaders in expressing optimism on the success of the summit.

Hadi praised King Abdullah as a man of political farsightedness, vision and sagacity.

“King Abdullah realizes the challenges of the Muslim Ummah and an urgent need to boost Islamic solidarity. The Makkah summit is a historic opportunity for boosting solidarity, conciliation and unifying the Muslim ranks,” he said.

Zardari said King Abdullah’s initiative reflects his keenness to find practical solutions to the various crises of the Muslim World.

He said King Abdullah enjoys wide respect among Muslim countries in particular and the international community in general.