The Quran burning crisis: The Danish Foreign Minister contacted the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ahead of today's meeting and this is what he said... and seven Quran burning demonstrations are taking place in Denmark today.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced that 57 Muslim-majority countries will hold an emergency meeting today in Jeddah, with Denmark and Sweden on the agenda due to the burning and desecration of copies of the Quran in both Copenhagen and Stockholm in recent weeks, which have sparked outrage and reactions in the Middle East. As a result, diplomatic relations are currently strained, and in Sweden, the Prime Minister has ordered increased security measures against terrorism.

At the local level, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen invited foreign affairs officials from Danish parliamentary parties to a meeting about the Quran burning crisis and the government's intention to ban Quran burning in front of foreign embassies in Denmark, which is facing strong criticism from right-wing blue parties. There are reports of a similar move from Sweden, which is also concerned with the Quran burning issue, where a similar meeting will also be held.

Seven Quran burning demonstrations took place in Denmark today, and two in Sweden.

Simultaneously with those meetings, seven demonstrations were announced in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, on Monday to burn the Quran, while two demonstrations to burn the Quran were also announced in Sweden in front of the Swedish Parliament building in the capital, Stockholm.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation receives a telephone call from the Danish Foreign Minister

The organization reported that the Foreign Minister contacted the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday and condemned the burning of the Quran in Denmark. He stated that the Danish government had condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran and was studying the matter with great interest, emphasizing his country's commitment to maintaining friendly and cooperative relations with OIC member states. According to the organization's website, the OIC Secretary-General explained to Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen that Islamic countries were dissatisfied with the "repeated instances of insulting the Holy Quran" under the pretext of "freedom of expression.".

On Sunday, July 30, 2023, preparatory work began for the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah. Senior officials held their preparatory meeting to submit their recommendations to the Extraordinary Ministerial Session (regarding the repeated incidents of burning copies of the Holy Qur’an in both Sweden and Denmark), which is scheduled to be held today, Monday, July 31, 2023. During the recent period, the missions of the Organization and its group of member states in both New York and Geneva have undertaken intensive activity and notable initiatives to inform the bodies in the organizations concerned about the ongoing violations against Islamic symbols and sanctities.

The Secretary-General receives a telephone call from the Swedish Foreign Minister

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) received a phone call yesterday, Sunday, from the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström. During the call, the Secretary General informed the Swedish Minister of the contents of the final communiqué issued by the OIC Executive Committee at its extraordinary meeting held on July 2, 2023, regarding the burning of copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden. He expressed the member states' dismay at the repeated incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols under the pretext of freedom of expression, and reiterated the call for the Swedish authorities to take the necessary measures to prevent their recurrence. The Secretary General also informed the Minister that the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC member states would be studying this issue during an extraordinary session held today, Monday. For his part, the Minister stated that his government rejects the desecration of Islamic sanctities, including the Holy Quran, and that it is keen to maintain good relations with the OIC member states.