OIC calls extraordinary moot to discuss Holy Quran’s repeated desecration

Session, scheduled for Monday, was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia to address incidents in Sweden and Denmark

ISLAMABAD:

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary virtual session for the Council of Foreign Ministers of member states (CFM) on July 31 to discuss the repeated incidents of desecration and burning of copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

This session has been convened at the request of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit, and the Republic of Iraq.

The urgent meeting of ministers has been called in response to the final statement issued by the OIC Executive Committee after an extraordinary meeting held at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on July 02, this year.

The statement addressed the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden and called for high-level emergency meetings as needed.

Read more: Saudi Arabia summons Danish charges d'affaires over Holy Quran burning

The meeting is being held considering the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha’s consultations with the member states regarding the implementation of the final statement issued by the Executive Committee.

Further measures are also being considered in response to the repeated provocative actions that represent deliberate religious hatred and intolerance.

The far-right group Danske Patrioter on Monday posted a video in which a man is seen desecrating and burning what appeared to be the Holy Quran.

It was just the latest such incident to stir anger in the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia, home to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina, has also denounced protests by a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee who last month burned pages of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque.

Read more: Sweden working to ensure disrespect of Holy Quran not repeated, says foreign minister

In a separate protest last week, a refugee, Salwan Momika, stepped on the Holy Quran but did not burn it, prompting Riyadh to hand a protest note to the Swedish charge d’affaires.

Pakistan and Egypt have also continued their condemnation of successive acts of sacrilege across Europe, which have sparked widespread anger and condemnation within the Muslim world.

Pakistan slammed the desecration of the Muslim holy book, as well as the dishonouring of its national flag, outside its embassy in Copenhagen.

Last month, two major protests took place outside of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad in the aftermath of that burning, with protesters breaching the embassy grounds on one occasion.

The governments of several Muslim countries, including Iraq, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Morocco issued protests about the incident, with Iraq seeking the man’s extradition to face trial in the country.