Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Calls For UN Intervention After Quran Burning Cases In Sweden, Denmark

The OIC, which represents 57 states, called on the UN secretary general to appoint a special rapporteur on combating Islamophobia, in a 35-point action plan. 

People hold copies of the Quran during a protest outside the Swedish Consulate on July 30, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey

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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has called on intervention by the United Nations into the recent incidents of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark while also strongly condemning the incidents. A special session of the body of foreign ministers met virtually on Monday, on the same day as a further protest took place outside the Swedish parliament involving desecration of the Muslim holy book. The OIC, which represents 57 states, called on the UN secretary general to appoint a special rapporteur on combating Islamophobia, in a 35-point action plan. 

It also urged all governments to fully implement the existing law or adopt a new legislation if needed, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as per a Guardian report. 

The OIC also told its groups in New York and Geneva to “continue raising and informing the concerned organs of the United Nations” and pressed for the issue to be placed on agenda of the session of the UN general assembly in September. 

They should take “necessary measures towards referring this resolution to the relevant organs of the United Nations official document and to request them to include this issue on their agenda under article (1-3) of the UN charter, which calls for promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people without discrimination on the grounds of sex, language, or religion,” it added. 

“Attempts to spread Islamophobia are increasing in many parts of the world, as evidenced by the increasing number of incidents of religious intolerance, negative stereotypes, hatred and violence against Muslims; as the incidents of burning copies of [the Qur’an] aggravate intolerance and discrimination,” said the OIC. 

The Swedish foreign affairs minister Tobias Billström on Monday said he would study the demands carefully and continue conversations with the OIC and its member countries.