OIC calls on member states to take appropriate measures with countries where Holy Qur'an is desecrated

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on the member states to take appropriate decisions and measures both at political and economic levels with the countries where copies of the Holy Qur'an are burned and desecrated.In the final statement of the 18th extraordinary session, the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC urged the member states to consider what they deem appropriate in their relations with the countries where copies of the Holy Qur'an are desecrated and burned, including Sweden and Denmark, in addition to the necessary decisions and measures at the political level, such as issuing summons to their ambassadors in Sweden and Denmark for consultation, as well as economic and cultural decisions and measures, etc., in expression of their rejection to the recurrent infringement of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic symbols.The statement strongly condemned the flagrant infringement of the sanctity of the Holy Qur'an the latest one was in Sweden and Denmark, expressing its strong regret over the persistent issuance of statements by authorities of the aforementioned countries allowing the implementation of such acts without further action to prevent them. The statement considered the lack of measures from the part of authorities of the two countries that prevent recurrence of such acts a contravention of the UN Security Council resolution that was issued last month on the international tolerance, peace and security.The council decided to send a delegation from OIC under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General to urge the European Commission to express OIC members states condemnation of the crime of desecrating the Holy Qur'an, along with OIC's call for taking necessary measures to ensure non-recurrence of such a criminal act under the pretext of freedom of expression, calling on the international community to unanimously counter these provocative attempts.In addition, the council called on the ambassadors of OIC member states in the capitals -where heinous acts are perpetrated against copies of the Holy Qur'an and other sacred Islamic symbols- to exert collective efforts at the national parliaments level, media, civil society organizations and other governmental institutions to express the OIC position, in addition to urging the relevant entities to take essential legislative measures to criminalize such infringements, taking into account that practicing freedom of expression is solely based on special duties and responsibilities.The statement urged Islamic civil society institutions in the member states to work with their counterparts in the countries where infringements of the Holy Qur'an and other sacred values occur, resort to local courts and file lawsuits to the international law commissions when necessary.The statement called for taking appropriate legal measures towards hate speech and hostile content that would lead to incitement to violence, whether on the internet, or in reality, that would consequently offend the religious beliefs of peoples and compromising their institutions, Holy books and religious symbols