Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to convey condemnation on the burning of Holy Quran.
"We deeply condemn repeated incidents of the public burning of Holy Quran in few countries as they insult the sacred values of Muslims worldwide," he said while meeting the UN Secretary General at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday in his capacity as the Acting Chair of the OIC CFM.
He was accompanied by representatives of other OIC countries including Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Pakistan, according to a message received on Friday.
During the meeting, Ambassador Muhith told Guterres 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.
He further stated that inaction against this form of religious hatred may lead to incitement of violence and thus destabilize the peace and security in many countries.
He 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.
Muhith urged Guterres 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.
He 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.
Earlier led by Ambassador Muhith, OIC representatives called on the President of the General Assembly Csaba Kor"si on July 14 and President of the Security Council Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward on July 20 to express similar concerns.
