Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated virtually in an extraordinary meeting held by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday, during which the organization expressed “disappointment” with Sweden’s and Denmark’s response to a series of Quran burnings.
In the meeting, Prince Faisal “strongly condemned and denounced the repeated attacks on the sanctity of the Holy Quran,” as the recent Quran burnings have sparked outrage across the Middle East.
The OIC called on member states to take appropriate steps in their relations with the countries where the desecration of the Holy Quran is occurring. These actions can be political, including recalling ambassadors for consultation, or economic and cultural measures.
Furthermore, the OIC decided to send a delegation led by the Secretary-General to engage with the European Union’s Commission to express the member states’ condemnation of the recent events.
During the meeting, Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha urged Sweden and Denmark to prevent Quran desecration and expressed disappointment at the lack of action taken so far. Taha emphasized that freedom of expression should promote respect and coexistence, not incite hatred and conflicts between cultures and nations.
The incidents of Quran burnings have led to unrest in Iraq, where protesters stormed the Swedish embassy earlier this month. Governments in the region have expressed their outrage, with Iraq expelling Sweden’s ambassador and Iran refusing to allow a new Swedish ambassador into the country.
Both Sweden and Denmark reached out to the OIC in an attempt to calm tensions. Sweden’s foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, assured that Stockholm rejects acts insulting the Quran and seeks to maintain good relations with OIC members. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also condemned the insults to the Quran and expressed his government’s interest in studying the issue.
Saudi Arabia, known for its Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, has previously summoned Swedish and Danish diplomats to deliver protest notes denouncing these “disgraceful” acts against the Quran.