UN Human Right Council to host urgent meeting over Sweden Koran burning incident
Reuters reported. A spokesperson of the global human rights body also informed that it will likely conduct a debate on the issue of the rise of religious hatred later this week. The Koran burning incident in Sweden drew criticism from various quarters.
The Swedish government on Sunday condemned the incident outside Stockholm’s main mosque and called it an “Islamophobic" act. “The Swedish government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims," the foreign ministry said in a statement. “We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government," the statement added.
The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called an “extraordinary" meeting in Saudi Arabia and deliberated on the steps to prevent the acts of the desecration of the Holy Koran. The body also vouched for international law to stop hatred based on religion. Iran's establishment also reacted sharply to the incident and decided to not send a new ambassador to Sweden.
"The process of dispatching them has been held off due to the Swedish government's issuing of a permit to desecrate the Holy Koran," Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian said. Morocco also took similar action and recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period. The country summoned Sweden’s chargé d’affaires and expressed its “strong condemnation of this attack and its rejection of this unacceptable act." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is holding Sweden's bid to join NATO said “We will teach the arrogant Western people that it is not freedom of expression to insult the sacred values of Muslims." (With agency inputs)
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