This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani opened a summit in Malaysia on Thursday, calling for Muslim countries to cooperate in fighting US 'economic terrorism.'
The summit, attended by hundreds of delegates including heads of state and religious leaders, aims to tackle the Islamic world's woes. However, it has been snubbed by Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest shrines.
The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the Saudi-based global body representing Muslim nations and organisations, has been criticised for undermining the summit.
Issues including the plight of Myanmar's Rohingya and China's mostly Muslim Uighur minority could be discussed, although criticism may be muted due to China's significant influence in many Islamic nations.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani slammed Washington's global clout, saying: "The American economic regime, and dollarisation of national and global economies, have provided the United States with the possibility of advancing its hegemony under the threat of sanctions and economic terrorism."
He called for greater financial cooperation between Islamic countries, saying the Muslim world needs to be saved "from the domination of the United States dollar, and the American financial regime".
The United States re-imposed crippling sanctions on Iran in 2018 after withdrawing from an international deal aimed at tackling the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. Iran's economy has since suffered a sharp economic downturn.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also suggested reducing dependence on the US dollar, calling on Muslim countries to "free bilateral trade from foreign exchange pressure".
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad welcomed the delegates, saying Muslim countries were "in a state of crisis, helpless and unworthy of this great religion which is meant to be good for mankind".
