Organization of Islamic Cooperation chief slams planned burning of Qur’an in Sweden

RIYADH: Hissein Brahim Taha, the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, strongly condemned the planned burning of a copy of the Qur’an on Thursday during a protest outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm, describing it as an act of provocation.

Taha is currently consulting with OIC member states about the final communique issued by the organization’s executive committee on July 2, which stated that provocative actions such as the burning of religious texts violate the spirit of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and cannot be justified by rights to freedom of expression or opinion. His consultations will consider possible measures to prevent such acts.

He expressed deep disappointment that Swedish authorities continue to grant permission for protests likely to include the desecration of religious symbols such as the Muslim holy book, despite the potentially serious consequences, and highlighted the fact that the UN Human Rights Council recently adopted a resolution on “countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”

He emphasized the importance of adhering to the principles of international law and urged Swedish authorities to stop granting permission for extremist groups and individuals to carry out such provocative and potentially dangerous activities. He also called on the nation’s government to take action to avoid any further escalation of the situation.

The protest in Stockholm, involving two men, went ahead. CNN reported that it did not observe any copies of the Qur’an being burned but that one was kicked and damaged. Earlier in the day, demonstrators angry about the planned Qur’an burning, stormed the gates of the Swedish Embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, setting fire to part of the building before they dispersed by security forces.