JEDDAH (Reuters) – During an emergency meeting on Sunday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) emphasised the urgent need for concerted action to avoid the destruction of the Holy Quran, which is extremely important to Muslims around the world.

The need for unity stems from a traumatic episode in Sweden, in which the sacred book was burned on fire during a demonstration. This tragedy aroused significant outrage and fear among the world’s Muslims.

Following an unusual meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the incident that occurred on Wednesday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a statement.

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Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the OIC, emphasised the importance of reminding the international community of the obligation to follow international law, which expressly prohibits the propagation of religious hatred.

On the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Azha festivities, an individual tore up and burned the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s primary mosque. This conduct has sparked widespread indignation, notably in Turkey, a member of the OIC, as Sweden wants Turkey’s backing for its entry to the Nato military alliance.

Despite the fact that the Swedish authorities had granted authorization for the protest, the person responsible for the burning was later charged with inciting agitation against an ethnic or national group.

Given a prior incident in late January in which a Danish far-right politician burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Turkey had already halted discussions on Sweden’s Nato application. The current event in Sweden has strained relations between the two countries even further.