The increase in anti-Islamic actions and desecration of the Holy Quran in the West is upsetting and lamentable, and what is even more sad is the impression that the Muslim World is keeping quiet on the recent despicable incident that took place in Sweden.
In the western world, incidents like 9/11 are of particular significant since they constitute as primary causes of mocking and disparaging Islam and the final divine book of Quran. With the happening of 9/11, a propaganda war had been waged against Islam. At that time, the people of the western society were misled against Islam, while during the same period, Muslim nations failed not only to refute this misinformation but also to use the media to enlighten the western world of the truth by using the media on scientific basis.
Another aspect of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim incidents is that right-wing politicians in the west who are considered extremist leaders were also peddling hateful rhetoric against Muslims. Right-wing political and personal objectives caused a great number of people to turn against Muslims, both deliberately and unknowingly, as a result of the hatred that these individuals disseminate against Islam.
If we examine its third aspect, such factors are proclaimed as legit and legal under the tag of ‘freedom of expression’, however, some important leaders are of the opinion that what is legitimate and legal is not necessarily appropriate either. So, if we go through the laws of different countries or look at the law of the country where the desecration took place, the author does not believe that the law allows such violent incidents. Why would they allow such “freedom of expression” that encourages violence and traumatic situations in a society that never tolerates it?
The despicable politician of Sweden Rasmus Paludan has already been in jail for his prejudiced behavior, and this abominable person had already expressed his evil design before January 21. Unfortunately, this despicable figure was also legally allowed to burn the Holy Quran which in the name of freedom of expression, which is sad and goes against the true spirit of freedom of speech.
As far as international law is concerned, Article 7 of the Universal Declaration clarifies on the issue of not insulting any religion or belief. It is also clear from Article 18 that the worship or prayer of any religion or belief shall not be the object of hatred in any way.
Ironically, the Islamic world’s lukewarm reaction to this tragic event came in numbness and lacked the passion that these events deserved. About 10 countries opted to remain limited to issue condemnation statements only on the incident occurred on January 21, Turkey termed the matter as an attack on Islam, while others simply denounce and retracted.
Some 57 countries from around the world are members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and this number of 57 countries constitute a block, which should have given statement of condemnation and called it as attack on Islam. Turkey rather gave a bold statement.
Like the United Nations, the OIC also has its own charter, but will this charter remain to be a piece of decoration? Will it never be implemented? This was the highest point OIC had to implement its charter. OIC member states also need to understand this charter in its true spirit.
The OIC Charter states that in the event of such an incident or happening, an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should be convened under Article 6 in which the heads of all member states will participate because desecration of the Holy Qur’an is an incident that has hurt the feelings of Muslim across the globe. However, neither the OIC could call an emergency meeting on the issue of desecration, nor could the leaders of the Muslim world could sit at a table and device joint comprehensive response.
Secretary General OIC condemned the incident, which is somewhat a correct step in the right direction, but in the face of widespread sentiment that Muslims around the world were being hurt, the leaders of the Islamic world were unable to unite and take real action.
Emergency meetings are said to be convened only on the most important matters. What could be more important to the OIC than the desecration of the Holy Quran, which has hurt the feelings of over 1.5 billion Muslims?
The OIC was established solely to protect the interests of Muslims, but the supreme interests of Muslims cannot protect their reverence for the Holy Quran.
The biggest action should have been taken that such countries in which the Holy Quran is being ridiculed or desecrated, Muslim countries should resort to boycotting their products so that neither any Muslim consumes their products nor any Muslim country imports them. The responsibility in this case also lies on Pakistan as well, and OIC as an Islamic Bloc can also demand an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on such serious incidents, but this was not done.
Such an act of insult was committed last year as well, and if that kind of action had been taken to task, the anti-Muslim elements would not have been given such a free pass. As of yet, Muslim world didn’t take any action against that damnable person, while under the rules of the United Nations, the OIC as a bloc of the Muslim community can demand action against such incidents.
In New Zealand, a mosque was attacked and many Muslims were martyred, while there is no concept of right-wing and hate speech in Kiwi culture, however, anti-Muslim propaganda, extremism and hate speech against Muslim community have also started as a political strategy which is used as a weapon to gain popularity among their own people.
Leaders of Muslim countries rich with petro-dollars should now come into their senses and realize that if they do not adopt a strong strategy to combat Islamophobia, the lives of Muslims will gradually become miserable.
Turkey and Russia are also stand with the Muslim Ummah on such matters. Turkey took a stand saying that this is an attack on Muslims and will not allow Sweden to be a part of NATO because it has insulted Islam. No Muslim country has even approached Pakistan for support in this matter.
There is a need for us to raise issues like public diplomacy, legal diplomacy and insulting Islam at the level of heads of state. As Turkey has taken action against Sweden, there has exerted pressure on Sweden that can be used to punish the person responsible for spreading hate in Sweden.
Turkey called summoned the Ambassador of Sweden, handed him over the protest letter and demarche, and the same situation should have happened in other Islamic countries including Pakistan. We also need to adopt a framework whereby those responsible for defamation can be punished in the event of such incidents in the future, while the mechanism to eradicate such incidents is already in place in the Charter.
It is possible that during the course of bilateral negotiations, no other country could influence Sweden or any other country responsible for blasphemy, but the collective efforts of Muslim countries can be proved effective in this regard, because even if the leaders of the Muslim Ummah do not come wake up, God forbid, these hands may reach their necks in the future, and the incidents of ridiculing and insulting Muslims may increase to such an extent that the life time of Muslims in the West will become miserable.
Translated by M.M. News Editorial Team
