Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Foreign Affairs Minister, participated in the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States, held today virtually.
The meeting, chaired by Mauritanian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, was devoted to discussing the recurrent burning and desecration of copies of the Holy Quran in Denmark and Sweden.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq called for the meeting, attended by OIC countries’ foreign ministers, in addition to OIC Secretary-General, Hissein Brahim Taha.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Al-Zayani affirmed that the Islamic world must assume its political and legal responsibility towards preserving the sanctity of the Holy Quran, in order to stop these disgraceful practices, and ensure that they are not repeated, being inconsistent with all human values, freedom of religion, and the values of tolerance and human coexistence, adding that they violate international norms and laws, and ignite hatred, extremism and violence.
The Foreign Minister reiterated the Kingdom’s denunciation of calls for religious hatred by any means, and its constant call to promote dialogue, understanding and cooperation among religions, cultures and civilisations, as the best means to promote peace and harmony worldwide, as well as spread the values of tolerance and human coexistence.
He called on the international community to adopt urgent international legislation and laws that curb the spread of the phenomenon of Islamophobia, criminalise the desecration of the Holy Quran and Islamic sanctities, and promote the values of tolerance and coexistence among peoples of different religions, beliefs and cultures.
He stressed that Bahrain categorically rejects the exploitation of freedom of opinion and expression, by extremist groups or individuals, to offend the Islamic religion and desecrate the Holy Quran, without taking the feelings of two billion Muslims around the world into account.
The Foreign Minister urged the international community to consolidate respect for religious rights and freedoms, prevent offences to all religions and beliefs, as well as religious sanctities and symbols, calling for stepping up constructive cooperation in establishing a culture of peace, tolerance and mutual respect, in a way that would enhance security, peace and human coexistence across the world.
BNA(R)