The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha called on Sweden and Denmark to prevent Quran desecration and “expressed his disap- pointment that no measures were taken in this regard so far”, the 57-member, Jeddah-based body said.
“It is unfortunate that the authorities concerned claiming freedom of expression continue to provide licences to repeat these acts contrary to international law, and this leads to a lack of respect for religions,” Taha said during an OIC meeting held yesterday to address Quran desecrations.
The OIC also called upon member states to take appropriate action, whether political or economic, in countries where the Quran is being desecrated Earlier, the Danish government announced that it would consider legal remedies to ban Quran burnings in front of foreign embassies.
Religions are allowed to be criticised, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said. “But if you stand in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or in front of the Israeli embassy you burn the Torah scroll, it serves no purpose other than to ridicule.”
This, however, endangers the collective security of the country, he said. Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who previously came under fire for desecrating the Quran in Sweden, set the Quran on fire again, this time in front of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm yesterday. As at earlier protests, Momika and Salwan Najem were the only participants, with a small group of counter-protesters gathering outside the police cordon.
Around a dozen counter-protesters held up copies of the Quran, with some waving Iraqi flags, and shouted at Momika. The Iraqi Prime Minister and the President “vehemently condemned the repeated acts of desecration” of the Quran.
They called on the countries where the attacks took place to take a “firmer position and put an end to these criminal practices.” Sweden has already seen its diplomatic relations with several Middle Eastern nations strained over previous protests involving Quran desecrations.
Swedish police have previously stressed they only grant permits for people to hold public gatherings and not for the activities conducted during the events.
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