Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 31/07/2023
His Excellency Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), renewed his call to the Swedish and Danish authorities to take formal measures to prevent the recurrence of desecration and burning of copies of the al-Mushaf al-Shariff. He also expressed his disappointment that no measures were taken in this regard so far.
The Secretary-General's statement came in his speech at the opening of the 18th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, under the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Chair of the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization. The meeting was held virtually on Monday, July 31, 2023, to discuss the recurring incidents of desecration and burning of copies of the al-Mushaf al-Shariff in Sweden and Denmark. Mr. Taha recommended OIC Member States to take the sovereign measures they deem appropriate in their relations with Sweden and Denmark, to express their rejection of the position taken by the authorities concerned in the two countries regarding the repeated insult to the sanctity of al- Mushaf al-Shariff, and to prevent the recurrence of such acts that may generate serious repercussions at a time when great efforts are being made to spread the values of tolerance, moderation, mutual respect and understanding, to which the OIC and its Member States have always contributed.
Mr. Taha added that, pursuant to the mandate entrusted to him by the OIC Executive Committee, he conveyed the concerns of Member States to the Governments of Sweden and Denmark, the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council. He stressed that the nature of these provocations had reached an alarming level, expressing the disappointment of the OIC countries that the concerned authorities continued to issue licenses that allowed such acts to be committed.
The Secretary-General called on the Swedish authorities to consider the seriousness of the issue for the Islamic world and its repercussions on its relations with the OIC countries, as the Secretary-General informed the Swedish government of suspending the status of Sweden's special envoy to the OIC. The Swedish Foreign Minister, in turn, stated that his country's government refuses to offend Islamic sanctities and was keen to maintain good relations with the OIC Member States.
The Secretary-General also received a phone call from the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs. He briefed the Minister on the OIC position and the deep concern of its Member States, as well as the Secretary-General’s call for him to take the necessary measures to prevent such acts in the future. The Danish Minister said that his government condemned the incident of burning copies of the Qur’an, and that it was studying with interest measures that can be taken in this regard, stressing his country's keenness to maintain friendly relations and cooperation with OIC Member States.
On the other hand, the Secretary-General expressed his utmost appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, current Chair of the Islamic Summit and Chair of the Executive Committee, as well as to the Republic of Iraq, for convening this extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. He noted that the UN Human Rights Council recently addressed these developments, in response to the request of OIC Member States and adopted Resolution 53/1 on "Combating religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence," calling for full compliance with the content of this resolution.
