Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 23/07/2023
His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, condemned in the strongest terms the burning by an extremist group of a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. He expressed deep dissatisfaction with the repeated incidents of transgression against Islamic sanctities, which constitute incitement to religious hatred, intolerance and discrimination, warning of their dangerous consequences.
He recalled the provisions of the Final Communique, issued by the OIC Executive Committee at its extraordinary meeting, held on July 02, 2023, which stipulated that such provocations were contrary to the spirit of Articles (19) and (20) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and could not be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression or opinion. He noted that the right to freedom of expression and opinion entailed responsibilities under international law, which clearly prohibited any incitement to religious hatred, intolerance and discrimination. He also underlined 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 urged the Danish government to take the necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such provocative acts and avoid their repercussions.
