Iran Urges Criminalization of Insult to Islamic Sanctities
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to push for criminalizing desecration of Islamic sanctities at the international level.
Amirabdollahian made the call on Monday at an emergency meeting of the 57-member OIC, which was convened at the request of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, following the recent burning of the copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.
“Unfortunately, the growing trend of intolerance and violence against Islam and Muslims in some European countries has become a fundamental challenge due to the support of certain ruling factions,” Amirabdollahian told the meeting via video link.
The top Iranian diplomat said the sacrilegious and hateful act of insulting the Holy Quran, and the values and beliefs of more than two billion Muslims around the world was the manifestation of a “very worrying trend.”
He underlined that such actions target the mutual understanding and the spirit of peaceful coexistence in the international community by undermining the cultural and religious commonalities among nations and disrespecting human rights, Press TV reported.
The Iranian foreign minister expressed “deep regret” that some people insult beliefs and values under the pretext of supporting the right to freedom of speech and are officially backed by certain European governments.
“We firmly believe that preventing any repetition of insults to religions, including Islam, is in the best interest of everyone,” Amirabdollahian said.
“The recent bitter events in Sweden and Denmark call for a collective responsibility on the part of Islamic countries to exert pressure on European governments to swiftly put an end to such provocative actions and hold the perpetrators accountable and punish them within the framework of the law,” he added.
In his remarks, Amirabdollahian also proposed dispatching an OIC delegation to Sweden and Denmark to meet with their respective authorities, express the deep concern and sensitivity of Islamic governments and Muslim community regarding the recent offensive actions and demand “severe punishment” for those engaged in hate-mongering and anti-Islam activities.
He also called on the OIC's jurisprudential agency and legal arm to urgently address the crucial issue with the aim of devising strategies to criminalize such sacrilegious acts at national, regional, and international levels both in real and virtual space.
The top Iranian diplomat underlined that Islamic governments and the Muslim community, in case of any repetition of such moves in any of those countries, will undoubtedly have no option other than reducing the level of diplomatic relations or even severing diplomatic ties and imposing sanctions against the country in question.