DUBAI: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist group outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen.
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the repeated incidents of “transgression against Islamic sanctities” in a statement.
In the statement, the OIC secretary general stated that such acts “incite religious hatred, intolerance, and discrimination,” and warned of the dangerous consequences they bring.
He also emphasized that these provocations go against the spirit of Articles (19) and (20) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression or opinion.
Taha emphasized that the right to freedom of expression and opinion comes with responsibilities under international law, which strictly forbids incitement to religious hatred, intolerance, and discrimination.
He also referred to the provisions of the resolution on “combating religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence” recently adopted by the UN Human Rights Council.
The Secretary-General called on the Danish government to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such provocative acts and avoid their repercussions.