Minister Shahid calls upon the international community to take stronger measures to stop the recurrence of acts of hatred against Islam
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, today virtually participated in the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The meeting, co-hosted by the Governments of Saudi Arabia, as Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit, and Iraq, discussed the repeated incidents of desecration and burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark, and also the storming of the holy grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Minister of National Security of Israel.
In his remarks, Minister Shahid strongly condemned the recent burning and desecration of the Holy Quran. He described this vile act that as one that hurts the sentiments of all Muslims, and as a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression. He further said that it would lead to the spread of hatred and divisions within societies. Noting the importance of standing together for respect and mutual understanding, he noted joint efforts that led to the adoption of the Human Rights Council resolution on “combating religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”. He also pointed to the powerful example set by a Muslim individual, who chose not to burn the Torah and the Bible, despite being allowed to do so, describing his act as a true reflection of what Islam represents – peace and tolerance.
In addition to this, he also condemned the repeated violations of the holy grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem. He reiterated that the Government of Maldives will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in their inalienable right to self-determination. He also reiterated the Maldives’ long-standing position that a sustainable peace in the Middle East can only be achieved from a two-state solution, with the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a resolution entitled “Repeated Incident of Desecration of Copies al-Mushaf ash-Sharif in the Kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark” and a communique entitled “Regarding the storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation government’s officials” were adopted, with Member States agreeing to work together to stop acts of hate against Islam.
ENDS