JEDDAH – In response to the desecration of the Holy Quran, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stated on Sunday that it would suspend the status of Sweden’s special ambassador.
According to a statement from OIC, Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha informed the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs of the decision in a letter.
On July 2, following the initial incident that took place in front of a mosque in Stockholm, the OIC General Secretariat called an unusual meeting of the Executive Committee.
The group considered various actions, such as suspending the Special Envoy’s status, to reassess connections to any nation where copies of the Holy Quran or other Islamic values and symbols are profaned with the approval of the relevant authorities.
According to the statement, Secretary-General applauded the steps several member nations had taken to denounce the ongoing assaults on Islamic sanctuaries.
According to the statement, Taha urged all of the OIC’s members “to take the sovereign decisions they deem appropriate to express their position condemning the granting by the Swedish authorities of licences that enabled the repeated abuse of the sanctity of the Holy Qur’an and Islamic symbols, and to express the OIC states’ rejection of such disgraceful acts under the pretext of freedom of expression.”
The OIC Secretary-General further “stressed the importance of taking the necessary legislative measures to criminalise such attacks, bearing in mind that the exercise of freedom of expression entailed special duties and responsibilities.”
He emphasised the significance of upholding the newly passed resolution of the UN Human Rights Council that deals with “combating religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence.”
In order to further examine the issue and make any required decisions, the OIC General Secretariat is getting ready to convene an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
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