• OIC convenes emergency meeting to discuss abhorrent incident.
• EU says act is even more deplorable as it was committed on Eid.
• UNAOC says that “such a ‘vile act’ is disrespectful to Muslims.”

The European Union and the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) slammed the act of desecrating the Holy Quran in Sweden’s capital of Stockholm — under authorities’ protection.

An Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, Wednesday stomped on the holy book and set several pages alight in front of the capital’s largest mosque, that too on the first day of Eid ul Adha.

Swedish police had granted him a permit in line with free speech protections, but authorities later said they had opened an investigation over “agitation”.

Reacting to the “despicable act” of the public desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran, the Swedish government had on Saturday strongly condemned the “Islamophobic act committed by individuals in the country.

In a statement, Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “This act in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish government.”

In a statement later, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said the Union joins the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its strong rejection of the burning of a Quran by an individual in Sweden.

“This act in no way reflects the opinions of the European Union,” the spokesperson said.

Burning the Quran or any other holy book is offensive, disrespectful, and a clear act of provocation, Massrali said, as Muslims protested across several nations.

The spokesperson mentioned that manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance have no place in Europe.

“It is even more deplorable that such act was carried out on the important Muslim celebration of Eid [u]l Adha.”

Massrali said the European Union continues to stand up for freedom of religion, belief, and expression — abroad and at home.

“Now is the time to stand together for mutual understanding and respect and to prevent any further escalation,” she said, after strong protests in Iraq.

‘Disrespectful to Muslims’

A top official for the UNAOC unequivocally condemned the “vile act” of burning pages of the Holy Quran.

In a statement, Miguel Moratinos, the UNAOC’s High Representative, said that “such a ‘vile act’ is disrespectful to Muslims.”

Moratinos reiterated the importance of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right.

At the same time, he stressed that the desecration of sacred books and places of worship as well as religious symbols was “unacceptable and can lead to incitement of violence”.

He also reiterated that mutual respect was essential for building and promoting just, inclusive, and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and dignity for all.

In this context, the high representative recalled the United Nations Plan of Action to safeguard religious sites led by the UNAOC, which provides an overarching framework and a set of recommendations, including strengthening religious pluralism and promoting mutual respect and human dignity.

OIC emergency meeting

In a press release Thursday, the General Secretariat condemned the recurrence of these despicable attacks and attempts to violate the sanctity of the Holy Quran and other Islamic values, symbols and sanctities.

The OIC reaffirmed the commitment that all states have assumed, under the Charter of the United Nations, to promote, encourage, respect and observe human rights and fundamental freedoms for all peoples universally and without any form of distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The OIC has also decided to convene an emergency open meeting of the Executive Committee next week to discuss the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden.

The meeting will be held in Jeddah to discuss the measures to be taken against the heinous act and to adopt a collective position on the necessary course of action.

The Muslim World League (MWL), too, strongly condemned the crime of burning a copy of the Holy Quran.

In a statement by the Secretariat-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the WML and the chairman of the Organisation of Muslim Scholars, denounced this absurd and heinous crime, carried out under the protection of the police and under the claim of practicing freedom of expression.

The MWL chief added that the heinous act, in reality, abuses, among many things, the actual concept of freedom, which calls for respecting and not provoking others under any pretext.

In Riyadh, the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) has expressed strong condemnation of the act.

In a statement, the KAICIID expressed its deep regret for the support given to the people who did this heinous act in terms of ‘freedom of opinion and expression.’

It reiterated that respect for the beliefs and sanctities of others is a priority, especially as it relates to human rights as approved by UN conventions and recognized by international laws.

‘Despicable act’

Pakistan had earlier this week strongly condemned the “despicable act” of the public burning of a copy of the Holy Quran.

“Such wilful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office in condemnation of the abhorrent incident read.

The FO stated that international law binds all the states to prevent and prohibit any advocacy of “religious hatred” that leads to incitement of violence.

“The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents during the last few months in the West calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions.”

The FO, on Pakistan’s behalf, reiterated that the right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and sabotage inter-faith harmony.

It said that the concerns regarding the matter were being raised with the government of Sweden.

It also urged the international community and the national governments to undertake credible and concrete measures to prevent the rising incidents of xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

— Additional input from APP