Iran FM calls for emergency OIC meeting over Qur’an desecration in Sweden

Iran’s foreign minister has called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to discuss the latest act of desecration of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke on the phone with Hissein Ibrahim Taha, the OIC secretary general, late on Friday to discuss the heinous act, the second of such kind in less than a month.

He proposed that an urgent ministerial meeting of the OIC be held at the earliest time possible for exchanges of views on the issue.

“If the Swedish government does not take an effective action immediately, Islamic countries should give a firm, united response to Sweden over the desecration of the divine scripture, the Holy Qur’an,” he added.

Ibrahim Taha, for his part, condemned the sacrilegious move and offered a report on the contacts made and the measures taken following the incident.

He also vowed to put a ministerial OIC meeting on the agenda in consultation with the member states.

The two sides stressed the need for Muslim countries to take a firm action in order to prevent a repetition of such insults.

On Thursday, Salwan Momika, a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee, desecrated the Muslim holy book during a demonstration outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm amid strict protection provided by the Swedish police.

This was the second time Momika was disrespecting the holy book amid the approval of Sweden’s authorities. He set a copy of the Qur’an on fire on June 28, prompting similar raging protests across the Muslim world.

The appalling act opened the floodgates of protest across the world’s Muslim community, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoning the Swedish ambassador to Tehran and conveying the Islamic Republic’s vehement condemnation of the heinous act.