The Iranian government has taken concrete steps to garner support from Muslim countries around the world, and together with Saudi Arabia held an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which emphasized condemnation and strong protest against acts of insulting Islam.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Iranian government hopes that the major Muslim countries in the world, including Indonesia, show a firmer response and stance in opposing all actions that disdain and insult Islam.

The Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Jakarta, Mahdi Rounagh, said in a special interview with Indonesia Window here, Thursday, responding to developments in the Al-Quran burning incidents that occurred in Denmark and Sweden some time ago.

"The Iranian government has taken concrete steps to garner support from Muslim countries around the world, and together with Saudi Arabia held an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which emphasized condemnation and strong protest against acts of insulting Islam," he said.

According to Rounagh, Indonesia with the largest Muslim population in the world is an important country that also attended the OIC emergency meeting, besides Bangladesh, Pakistan and other member countries of the organiation.

"The presence and cooperation between Muslim countries around the world is expected to further strengthen the unity of the Muslim Ummah in giving warnings to countries that allow harassment of Islam to occur," he explained.

Rounagh further said that the OIC emergency meeting proposed that the OIC immediately form a high-level delegation, and together with the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) pay visits to Sweden and Denmark to express deep concern over the frequent occurrence of similar incidents in the name of freedom of expression.

“This delegation is also expected to demand arrest of the perpetrators (of the burning of Al Qur’an) and appropriate punishment in accordance with the rulings in their respective countries," he asserted.

Rounagh also said that another suggestion conveyed at the OIC emergency meeting was for the Islamic Fiqh Forum which is under the auspices of the organization headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to immediately discuss the issue of burning Al-Qur'an, and declare that such actions are a form of crime and illegal.

"Hopefully this declaration can be implemented nationally, regionally and internationally," he said, stressing that the unity of the Islamic community is very important in preventing actions that undermine Islam, which so far have often occurred in the West.

On July 21, members of the Islamophobic nationalist and right-wing group 'Danske Patrioter (Patriot Denmark)' burned Al Qur’an in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Previously, on June 28, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Sweden, stepped on and kicked Al Qur’an, just weeks after he burned the Muslim holy book outside a mosque in the capital city of Stockholm.

Editing by Indonesia Window