Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith called on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to convey condemnation on the burning of holy Quran.
While meeting the UN Secretary-General at UN headquarters in New York in his capacity as the Acting Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) CFM Muhith said, “We deeply condemn the repeated incidents of the public burning of holy Quran in few countries as they insult the sacred values of Muslims worldwide.”
He was accompanied by representatives of other OIC countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Pakistan. During the meeting Ambassador Muhith told the Secretary-General that Such despicable acts of holy Quran’s desecration not only inflames the sentiments of Muslims worldwide but also goes against the principles of freedom of expression, religious tolerance and individual beliefs. This form of religious hatred may lead to incitement of violence and thus destabilize the peace and security in many countries.
Muhith also referred to the case of Rohingya Muslims who were forced to take shelter in Bangladesh owing to the consequences of religious and ethnic hatred in Myanmar.
He urged the UN Secretary General to request all UN member states to take appropriate legal measures at the national level to combat religious intolerance including islamophobia, hate speech and desecration of holy Quran and other religious symbols.
Guterres expressed his solidarity with the OIC members and strongly condemned this heinous act of religious hatred.
UN Secretary General also assured the OIC representatives that he would do his best in his capacity as the UN Secretary-General to support the global efforts in preventing the recurrence of such anti-religious hatred in future.
To express the similar concerns, earlier led by Ambassador Muhith, OIC representatives called on the President of the General Assembly Csaba Korosi on 14th July and President of the Security Council for the month of July Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward on 20th July.
