Islamic Bloc Urges Syria Suspension

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation's executive committee has recommended suspending Syria's membership in the pan-Muslim grouping, it said in a statement on Monday.

The committee has "recommended to the meeting of the council of foreign ministers to be held in Djibouti the suspension of Syria's membership in the OIC in light of the bloody events taking place in the country," said the statement that followed a meeting in Saudi Arabia late Sunday.

It did not specify the date of the Djibouti meeting.

Saudi Arabia supported the recommendation," the statement quoted Foreign Ministry undersecretary for bilateral relations Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer as saying.

"The meeting must take decisive and strong action after the failure of half solutions and all efforts to stop the massacres against the Syrian people," Prince Turki said.

The OIC committee also urged the U.N. Security Council "to assume its full responsibilities to put an end to the violence and bloodshed taking place in Syria," where human rights monitors say at least 15,000 people have been killed since an uprising against President Bashar Assad erupted in March 2011.