Collective measures needed to prevent acts of desecration of the Holy Quran: OIC

JEDDAH, July 02 (SABAH): The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has denounced the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and called for taking collective measures to stop the recurrence of Islamophobic incidents in the future.

The statement by the OIC, a bloc of 57 Muslim countries, was issued after an extraordinary meeting in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah called to discuss Wednesday’s incident.

The Islamic body said measures are needed to prevent acts of desecration of the holy book and international law should be used to stop religious hatred after the holy book was burned in a protest in Sweden.

“We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred,” OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan had earlier this week strongly condemned the “despicable act” of the public burning of a copy of the Holy Quran.

“Such wilful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office in condemnation of the abhorrent incident read.

The FO stated that international law binds all the states to prevent and prohibit any advocacy of “religious hatred” that leads to incitement of violence.

“The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents during the last few months in the West calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions.”

The FO, on Pakistan’s behalf, reiterated that the right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and sabotage inter-faith harmony. It said that the concerns regarding the matter were being raised with the government of Sweden.

It also urged the international community and the national governments to undertake credible and concrete measures to prevent the rising incidents of xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.