The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to address the recent desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden, calling for collective measures and the application of international law to prevent acts of religious hatred in future.
The meeting, held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, was called by Saudi Arabia in its capacity as chair of the Islamic Summit Conference.
The incident occurred on the first day of Eidul Azha when a man, who had sought refuge in Sweden from Iraq several years ago, tore up and burned the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque.
Swedish police charged him with agitation against an ethnic or national group and violating a ban on fires in the area.
The act drew strong condemnation from various countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, and Iran.
In response to the incident, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha emphasized the urgent application of international law, which prohibited the advocacy of religious hatred.
The OIC reiterated its condemnation of such acts and urged governments worldwide to take effective measures to prevent their recurrence.
Additionally, the OIC highlighted the importance of promoting and observing human rights and fundamental freedoms as outlined in the UN Charter.
The Swedish government condemned the burning as an “Islamophobic” act and stressed that it did not reflect its views.
While condemning the act, the Swedish foreign ministry acknowledged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration in the country. However, it also stated that expressions of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance have no place in Sweden or Europe.
In a related development, Iran announced that it would not send a new ambassador to Sweden in protest to the incident.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated that while administrative procedures for appointing a new ambassador had concluded, the process of dispatching him was put on hold due to Sweden’s permit for the desecration of the Holy Quran.
