Organisation of Islamic Cooperation calls for collective measures to prevent Quran burnings
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a call on Sunday for collective measures to prevent future incidents of Quran burnings. The statement came in response to a recent incident in which a copy of the Quran was burned outside a mosque in Stockholm. The OIC, comprised of 57 member countries, convened a meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah to address the incident. The act of burning the Quran was carried out by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi citizen residing in Sweden, who stomped on the holy book and set several pages on fire.
- Islamic World
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 03:48 | 02 July 2023
- Modified Date: 03:51 | 02 July 2023
An Islamic grouping of 57 states said on Sunday that collective measures are needed to prevent acts of desecration to the Quran and international law should be used to stop religious hatred after the holy book was burned in a protest in Sweden.
The statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, most of whose members have a Muslim-majority population, was issued after an extraordinary meeting in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah called to discuss Wednesday's incident.
"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.
A man tore up and burned a Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays. The act angered OIC member Türkiye whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the NATO military alliance.
Swedish police had granted permission for a protest to take place. But after the burning, police charged the man who carried it out with agitation against an ethnic or national group.
The incident has triggered large protests in Baghdad in front of the Swedish Embassy. It has also been condemned by the United States.
Countries including Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco have summoned Swedish ambassadors in protest.
Türkiye in late January suspended talks with Sweden on its NATO application after a Danish far-right politician burned a copy of the Koran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
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