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Muslim Leaders on 'Cancer' of Terrorism: 'We Cannot Stay Silent'

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Sectarianism and violence is dividing the Muslim world and some of its leaders say the Islamic community must help put an end to it.

"Fighting among brothers leads to big sorrows," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told delegates attending the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

"Sectarianism divides our Muslim community," he continued. "Civil wars and armed clashes threaten our peace and tranquility."

Leaders of some of the world's largest Muslim countries are in Istanbul for the 13th annual summit of the OIC. A top Egyptian diplomat told attendees that Muslim nations must engage and defeat the terror that's perpetrated in the name of Islam.

"We will continue to fight against forces of darkness and extremism that misrepresent the real teaching of Islam, which is based on tolerance," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in his opening speech.

Shoukry added that Islam needs moderation and called on OIC members to develop a comprehensive strategy that will defeat terrorism and extremism.

"We hope we will win despite all of the sacrifices we gave," he added.

Çavuşoğlu warned that if nothing is done to stop the cancer within Islam, "terrorism and radical trends" will continue to divide the Islamic community and the result will be more bloodshed.

"Muslims are the ones that experience the biggest harm," he said. "We cannot accept this situation. We cannot stay silent in front of such a picture."

The summit comes at a time when radical Islamic forces are wreaking havoc across large swathes of the Middle East and North Africa.

Çavuşoğlu said the "Muslim world should criticize itself" and take a "stand against terror" to stop the mayhem.

"This disease tries to set Muslims against one another," Çavuşoğlu told those gathered. "Unfortunately, some terror organizations use our religion's name. So, their damage to Muslims increases. Islam means peace. We will not let some murder circles to abuse our religion."

The OIC was founded in 1969 and consists of 56 member states. For decades, the organization has acted as the collective voice of the Islamic world.

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Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and of Indian descent, CBN News’ Senior International Correspondent and Co-Anchor, George Thomas, has been traveling the globe for more than 20 years, finding the stories of people, conflicts, and issues that must be told. He has reported from more than 100 countries and has had a front-row seat to numerous global events of our day. George’s stories of faith, struggle, and hope combine the expertise of a seasoned journalist with the inspiration of a deep calling to tell the stories of the people behind the news. “I’ve always liked discovering & exploring new