The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Group in New York, strongly condemned the despicable act of desecration of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Sweden on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

This abhorrent act is yet another manifestation of the alarming level of the lslamophobic, racist and discriminatory trends spreading across the globe.

Such senseless and provocative acts not only trigger widespread anguish among 1.5 billion Muslims but also denigrate their religious sensitivities.
In fact, the desecration of any religious scripture is a matter of great concern and goes against the fundamental values of religious coexistence and intercultural dialogue that the United Nations stand for.

Such provocative acts are contrary to the spirit of Articles (19) and (20) of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and cannot be justified under the right to freedom of expression or opinion, which carries responsibilities under international law.

They also undermine mutual respect and harmony among peoples and aim at reversing the international efforts to attain a culture of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect.

The OIC Group also notes with concern other recent acts of lslamophobia, including heinous attacks on mosques and persecution of Muslims around the world driven by religious intolerance, hatred and negative stereotypes. Under international law, States are duty bound to prohibit any advocacy of religious hatred, leading to incitement of violence.

The rise in such lslamophobic incidents during the last few months in some European and other countries, despite global condemnation, calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions.

There is a need for a collective resolve to promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful co-existence, the spirit of which was reflected in the commemoration of the first ever International Day to combat lslamophobia earlier this year.
The United Nations Member States must take credible and concrete measures to prevent the rise of xenophobia, lslamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

The relevant stakeholders must ensure that the perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice and appropriate measures are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.