TEHRAN Head of the Headquarters for International Congress on Ayatollah Boroujerdi and Sheikh Shaltut, Seyed Jalal Mir Aqaei, said Iran and Egypt are two important countries that can influence regional issues.

He told the TEHRAN TIMES that if the two countries cooperate intellectually and practically, they can be effective in settlement of the differences of the world of Islam, particularly the Palestinian issue.

Sheikh Shaltut said Camp David signed by Egypt hampers greater cooperation with Egypt, expressing hope that this obstacle can be removed so that concerted efforts can be made for saving the world of Islam.

On Palestinian issue, he said if Islamic countries decrease 10 percent of their dealings with the Zionist regime and reduce oil sale to the U.S. by 10 percent, these can exert sufficient pressure for resolving the Palestinian issue (pressing the Zionists).

He said the problem confronted by the world of Islam is the reliance of some countries on support of foreign countries.

Director of Propagation Department of the university and editor-in-chief of the weekly ****Sout al-Azhar**** Dr. Mohammad Abd al-Latif Shalbi said Israel insists on destroying the entire Palestinian people and insults to Islamic sanctities.

He said Israel does not seek real peace despite the cooperation the Arabs have had with Israel, adding that Israel is being fully supported by the U.S. both financially and psychologically.

Shalbi said Muslims should be more active as far as Palestine is concerned, adding that America President Bill Clinton, the most cunning American president, has not taken any measure for settlement of the Palestinian problem, only recently coming to think of the concern and that when his tenure is at its close.

He stressed that Muslims should closely follow up the Palestinian issue and added that if peace talks have failed, the only solution is to launch the Islamic jihad that can help us achieve our desired goal.

He said the victory of Lebanese Hizbollah is the best proof substantiating this argument, expressing hope that Muslims would waken up and help the Palestinians with the unity of expression and Islamic jihad.

Head of the society of the world Islamic workers Jamal al-Bana who is also a writer told the TEHRAN TIMES that there is far difference between governments and nations.

He said Sadat signed a peace accord with Israel but the Egyptian people consider Israel as their enemy.

Bana who is the brother of Hassan al-Bana said Israel achieved victory as the result of the lack of sense of the Arabs and Muslims, not because of its strength.

He stressed that Palestinians should constitute a unified entity and avert discord.

Bana said Palestinians should be patient so that their problems can be resolved.

He said the organizations and governments ruling Islamic countries are responsible for the suffering of the Muslims.

An Egyptian journalist, Fahmi Hoveidi, said, it is true that the countries that decided to boycott Israel did not do it. The boycott of American, Israeli and Western goods is good and will be a useful step, he said.

On the ways to preserve national cultures, he said, "It depends on the Muslim nations themselves. There are some Westernized people who try to spread Western culture and values. They argue that we should follow the Western model if we want to achieve the same achievements they have. But the fact is that we are Muslims and we have our own model. We should follow our own Islamic model."