Islamic countries denounce due to the repeated burning of the Koran that freedom of expression cannot "spread hate"

The foreign ministers of the 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have met on Monday to denounce the “repeated” burning of copies of the Koran in Sweden and Denmark, and affirmed that freedom of expression cannot “serve as a pretext to spread hatred”.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the repeated attacks against the sanctities of the Qur'an and confirm that these provocative acts are not acceptable under any pretext,” Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said during his opening speech at the meeting. .

In this sense, the diplomat added that the burning of copies of the Koran that have taken place in recent weeks in front of several embassies of Muslim-majority countries in Sweden and Denmark cannot be considered acts of freedom of expression.

“Freedom of expression should be an ethical value that guarantees coexistence, and not to spread violence, hatred and clash between civilizations,” Bin Farhan said.

The emergency meeting of the OIC, convened at the proposal of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, began with the recitation of a verse from the Koran that refers to coexistence between people and took place behind closed doors.

The head of Saudi diplomacy wished the meeting to have “profitable results to stop these provocative acts”, called on the international community to “reject anything that generates hatred and violence” and described the burning of copies of the Muslim holy book as ” extremism”.

He also called on OIC member states to “take practical measures to resist these attacks” and to “coordinate and integrate with international parties to uphold the values of tolerance and peace and show the true image of Islam.”

For his part, the OCI Secretary General, Husein Ibrahim Taha, also expressed the need to “take measures to stop these provocative actions”, and recalled that the organization “has sent clear messages to these governments (Sweden and Denmark) so that take the necessary measures to put an end to this escalation”.

The leader of the Islamic organization regretted that the Swedish and Danish authorities have allowed these acts “under the pretext of freedom of expression.”

“I call on the Swedish and Danish authorities to reconsider the seriousness of provoking the feelings of Muslims around the world,” said Ibrahim Taha, who assured that the OCI “will do everything possible to put an end to these acts.”