“The General Secretariat of the Islamic Conference Organization has informed the Swedish government that it has decided to revoke the status of the Kingdom of Sweden’s special envoy to the IKO,” the organization writes in a press release.
The decision comes after a recommendation at an extraordinary meeting on July 2nd and after further Koran burnings have been arranged in Sweden in recent weeks.
Earlier in the week, a new Koran burning was arranged at the Iraqi embassy. The action attracted a lot of attention in several countries with a Muslim majority, including Iraq and Iran.
The Muslim cooperation body the Islamic Conference Organization (IKO), which has 57 member countries, has called the Koran action “another provocative attack” that cannot be justified by freedom of expression.
“The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of taking the necessary legislative measures to criminalize such attacks, given that the exercise of freedom of expression entails special obligations and responsibilities,” the IKO continued in the press release.
“The General Secretariat is preparing an extra meeting with the Council of Foreign Ministers as soon as possible to continue the deliberations on this issue and make decisions as it deems appropriate,” writes IKO.
TT seeks a comment from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.