OIC Suspends Sweden's Special Envoy as Quran Burnings Ignite Widespread Anger and Protests

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has taken the decision to suspend the status of Sweden's special envoy following a series of Quran burnings in Stockholm that have caused widespread anger and protests in numerous Muslim countries.

The suspension is a direct result of the Swedish authorities granting licenses that allowed for the repeated abuse of the sanctity of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols. The protests were sparked by an Iraqi man of Christian origin living in Sweden, who identified as an atheist and publicly announced his plans to burn the Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm.

In response, demonstrators in Iraq stormed the Swedish Embassy, leading the Iraqi government to sever diplomatic relations with Sweden. Although the man did not set the Quran ablaze as initially intended, he kicked and stepped on the Islamic holy book, which further fueled the outrage.

The OIC's decision to suspend Sweden's special envoy came about after a meeting held by the bloc's executive committee following a previous Quran-burning incident. The committee urged the secretary-general to consider suspending the status of special envoys from any country where copies of the Quran or other Islamic values and symbols are desecrated with the consent of the authorities. In addition to the Quran burnings in Sweden, a subsequent public burning of the Quran in Denmark also sparked protests, some of which turned violent in Iraq.

Protesters clashed with police as they attempted to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad where the Danish embassy is located. In Basra, demonstrators set fire to facilities belonging to a demining project of the Danish Refugee Council. Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the burning of the Quran, deeming it a shameful and disrespectful act that creates divisions between religions and cultures.

However, they also highlighted the importance of respecting freedom of expression and assembly, acknowledging that Sweden and Denmark do not specifically prohibit the burning of holy texts by law, as some other countries still do.

The OIC has conveyed its decision to suspend Sweden's special envoy through a letter sent to the country's foreign minister. This move serves as a strong message from the organization, emphasizing the importance of respecting the sanctity of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols, while also drawing attention to the need to balance freedom of expression with the responsibility to avoid actions that can provoke and harm various religious communities.