UNITED NATIONS:
The Group of Islamic Convention (OIC) stepped up its diplomatic initiative on the UN over the most recent desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden as outrage in opposition to Islamophobia unfold throughout the Muslim world on Friday.
Saudi Arabia, Iran and a number of other different international locations summoned Swedish envoys to precise their indignation on the Stockholm incident, whereas Turkiye issued arrest warrant of the individuals chargeable for the provocative act in Denmark.
A delegation of OIC international locations, together with Pakistan, referred to as on UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres and UN Safety Council’s President Barbara Woodward on Thursday to apprise him of the extraordinary anger within the Muslim world.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram, along with envoys of Egypt and Bangladesh in addition to chargé affairs of Saudi Arabia and Mauritania, urged the UN chief to take motion geared toward stopping such “abhorrent” acts.
Within the mild of a recently-adopted decision by the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Akram underlined the necessity for the Western international locations to outlaw deliberate acts of provocation, which may result in violence.
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He additionally conveyed to the UN chief that the OIC would want him to undertake a Plan of Motion in opposition to Islamophobia. The secretary-general referred to as the acts of desecration as each condemnable in addition to “silly”.
He agreed that the decision adopted by the Human Rights Council ought to be carried out by all of the member states, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general, mentioned in an announcement.
“The secretary-general expressed solidarity with the Muslim group, condemning acts of intolerance, violence and Islamophobia which exacerbate tensions and contribute to discrimination and radicalisation,” Dujarric added.
Later, the ambassadorial group additionally met the us President for the month of July, Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the UK, to convey the OIC’s considerations over this outrageous act.
In June, on the day of Eidul Azha in Stockholm, an Iraqi immigrant dedicated the act of desecration in entrance of the principle mosque within the Swedish capital throughout a protest that was allowed by the native police.
He repeated the Islamophobic act on Thursday throughout one other protest, hours after the Iraqi protesters burnt the Swedish embassy in protest in opposition to permission granted by the Stockholm police for the occasion to go forward.
On Thursday, the Iraqi authorities expelled the Swedish ambassador, recalled its cost d’affaires in Sweden, and suspended the enterprise licence of Swedish telecom large Ericsson.
On Friday, Center East powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran, Qatar and Jordan summoned Swedish diplomats to denounce Stockholm’s permission for the anti-Islam protests on free speech grounds.
Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a letter to the UN secretary-general requested him “to instantly condemn this motion and take the mandatory measures as quickly as attainable with the intention to forestall the recurrence of such acts”.
Turkiye, which may veto Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Group (Nato), referred to as on Stockholm to take “dissuasive measures to forestall hate crimes in opposition to Islam and its billions of followers”.
Ankara additionally issued arrest warrants for Danish politician Rasmus Paludan and 9 different suspects concerned in an identical Islamophobic act in entrance of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January, the Turkish justice minister mentioned.
Avenue protests
Protesters took to the streets of the Iraqi and Iranian capitals on Friday to denounce Sweden’s permission for anti-Islam protests, as Stockholm withdrew its workers from its Baghdad embassy.
Lots of of individuals gathered in Baghdad’s Sadr Metropolis – the stronghold of firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr – after Friday prayers, chanting “Sure, sure to Islam, sure, sure to the Koran”, an AFP correspondent mentioned.
In Tehran, a whole lot of protesters, waving Iranian flags and carrying copies of Islam’s holy e book, chanted “Down with the USA, Britain, Israel and Sweden” as some set the blue-and-yellow Swedish flag ablaze.
Dozens of principally black-clad demonstrators gathered outdoors Sweden’s Tehran embassy amid tight safety and demanded its closure and the expulsion of Sweden’s ambassador.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah supporters rallied throughout the nation, with a number of a whole lot in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hezbollah motion chief Hassan Nasrallah referred to as for expulsion of the Swedish envoy.
Sweden on Friday cited safety considerations in a call to relocate embassy workers and operations from Baghdad, after protesters stormed its embassy compound in a pre-dawn raid this week.