Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mounir Ben Rejiba vehemently condemned the repeated desecration and burning of copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark. He stressed that such acts deliberately offend and provoke Muslims and constitute a blatant attack on the sacred beliefs of Islamic communities and an affront to their identity. Such acts undermine the spirit of understanding, tolerance and respect for religious and cultural diversity. Addressing the eighteenth extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was held virtually on Monday, Ben Rejiba called for urgent action by the concerned nations and European institutions to raise awareness of the grave consequences of these irresponsible attacks. He stressed the moral and legal responsibility in countering these acts, which feed extremism and all forms of religious-based hatred and violence. The Secretary of State praised recent decisions by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council to combat hate speech and the desecration of holy sites. He called for the implementation of an international action plan to criminalise and bring to justice those responsible for such attacks, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry. The need to join efforts to combat Islamophobia, hatred, bigotry and racism was also stressed, in line with the principles of the OIC and in accordance with international treaties promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence among nations. Another aspect of Tunisia’s statement reaffirmed its unwavering support for the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital. Amid the critical developments in the Palestinian issue, particularly with regard to Al-Quds, Tunisia stressed the importance of Palestinian reconciliation efforts to strengthen unity. Furthermore, Tunisia urged resistance to attempts to change the existing situation in occupied Al-Quds and emphasised the need to protect the Palestinians. This call is in line with the President’s appeal, which recognises that there can be no security and peace in the region without the restoration of the stolen rights of the Palestinians and the establishment of their state in full freedom and sovereignty on their land. The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the OIC, chaired by Mauritania, concluded with the adoption of a resolution on the crime of desecration and repeated burning of copies of the Holy Quran. The meeting also issued a statement condemning the recent intrusion into the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse