Saudi FM reiterates rejection of desecration of Quran in call with Danish counterpart
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of the desecration of the Quran during a phone call with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Prince Faisal called on Denmark to take “immediate measures to put an end to such extremist acts… that provoke Muslims across the world.”
He also told the Danish FM that “extremists have exploited freedom of speech to fuel hatred,” adding that they do not only seek to criticize the religion of Islam but to also “provoke Muslims.”
“The only ones who benefit from such acts are extremists,” Prince Faisal told Rasmussen.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen voiced Denmark’s condemnation of attempts to burn the Quran, noting that Denmark had already denounced such acts. Sweden and Denmark have seen a string of protests in recent weeks, in which copies of the Quran were burned or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim countries and demands that the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings. More Quran burnings took place on Monday and both countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to deescalate tensions.
On Monday, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened in an extraordinary session to discuss the recent developments and strongly condemned the Quran burnings.
The organization called upon member states to take appropriate action, whether political or economic, in countries where the Quran is being desecrated.