Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hussein Brahim Taha condemned in the strongest terms, another provocative act of desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran in front of Iraq Embassy in Stockholm on Thursday.
He expressed deep disappointment that the Swedish authorities continued to permit extremists to commit such despicable acts despite in flagrant defiance of the sentiments of Muslims worldwide, according to an OIC press release.
“Such provocations are contrary to the spirit of Articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and cannot be justified under the right to freedom of expression or opinion,” Taha said.
“Such provocations — cannot be justified under the right to freedom of expression or opinion,” citing the Final Communique of the extraordinary meeting of OIC Executive Committee, held on July 2, 2023. The right to freedom of expression and opinion carries responsibilities under international law, which clearly prohibits any incitement to religious hatred, intolerance, and discrimination. The Secretary-General also recalled the content of the resolution on “Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence,” adopted recently by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Source: Kuwait News Agency