ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and the Netherlands and decided to organize a special meeting at the United Nations headquarters to call for international solidarity to combat anti-Muslim rhetoric, state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Thursday.

Last week, Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish leader of the far-right Stram Kurs or “Hard Line” party, burned the Holy Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

On January 22, Edwin Wagensveld, Dutch leader of the far-right Pegida movement, tore pages out of the holy book near the Dutch parliament in The Hague and stomped on them.

The incidents caused widespread anger among the global Muslim community, with several Muslim countries calling out the Western world for “misusing freedom of expression.”

In a bid to take collective action against Islamophobia, an ambassadorial meeting of the OIC member states, convened by Pakistan, took place in New York on Wednesday to condemn the “vile acts”.

“Through this event, the OIC countries would call for international solidarity and cooperation in combating and dismantling anti-Muslim rhetoric and practices including racial profiling, discrimination, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of Muslims,” Munir Akram, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, said while presiding over the meeting.

He said as a follow-up of the resolution the UN adopted against Islamophobia last year, the OIC would “urge the UN Secretary-General to formulate an action plan, in coordination with the OIC countries, to halt and reverse Islamophobia.”

The OIC member states greatly appreciated and reiterated their strong support to Pakistan, which is the current chair of the ICFM (Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers), for taking steps to combat Islamophobia, the APP report added.

Separately, Pakistan’s foreign ministry in a statement asked the international community to raise its collective voice against Islamophobia and work together to promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence.

“That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to mark March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia,” the statement said.

“Pakistan’s concerns are being conveyed to the authorities in the Netherlands. We urge them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and the Muslims around the world and take steps to prevent such hateful and Islamophobic acts.”