ANKARA (Anadolu/Al Jazeera) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on member states to sponsor art and media productions with a view to combating Islamophobia and insults against religious symbols.
The move aims “to clarify and strengthen the tolerant principles of Islam calling for coexistence, tolerance and respect for the other and renouncing violence, intolerance and hatred,” Information Department Director Wajdi Ali Sindi told an emergency meeting of the OIC States Broadcasting Union (OSBU).
The meeting discussed mechanisms of confronting desecration of religious sanctities in the media in the wake of last week’s burning of Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an, in Sweden.
Sindi said the OIC is working with its partners “to enhance understanding of the responsible use of freedom of expression in the media, and to establish national mechanisms to hold accountable the media that continue to feed hate speech and intolerance, and implementing the OIC media strategy to combat Islamophobia.”
Last week, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Qur’an under police protection in front of Stockholm Mosque.
The criminal act triggered widespread condemnations across the Arab and Muslim countries amid calls for Sweden to put an end of such acts against Islamic symbols.
The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an urgent meeting on the burning of Qur’an, following a request from Pakistan.
The debate on the rise of religious hatred will likely take place later this week, a spokesperson for the Geneva-based UN council told a press briefing on Tuesday.
The Swedish government condemned the “Islamophobic” act, after the OIC called for measures to avoid future desecration of the Muslim holy book.
Officials from numerous countries, including many in the Middle East, have also reacted to the incident, calling on Stockholm to step up measures against religious hate.
Morocco went beyond a statement of condemnation and recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We will teach the arrogant Western people that it is not freedom of expression to insult the sacred values of Muslims.”