OIC Calls for Collective Measures to Prevent Quran Desecration

The 57-member body met at its headquarters in Jeddah. SPA
The 57-member body met at its headquarters in Jeddah. SPA
TT

OIC Calls for Collective Measures to Prevent Quran Desecration

The 57-member body met at its headquarters in Jeddah. SPA
The 57-member body met at its headquarters in Jeddah. SPA

The Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation has called for collective measures to prevent acts of desecration of the Quran.

The 57-member body met at its headquarters in Jeddah to respond to Wednesday’s incident in which a man living in Sweden set several pages of the Quran alight.

The OIC urged member states to “take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of desecration of copies of the” Quran, according to a statement released after the extraordinary meeting.

"We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred," OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said.

The Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the OIC, Dr. Saleh bin Hamad Al-Suhaibani, in the Kingdom's speech, expressed high appreciation for the active attendance “to discuss the blatant provocative actions and the repeated despicable acts of attacking the sanctity of the Quran in Sweden.”

Dr. Al-Suhaibani said: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of these repeated despicable acts and stresses that these hateful acts cannot be accepted under any justification as they clearly incite hatred, exclusion, and racism.”

“The Kingdom calls for harmony, peace, and rapprochement. These acts directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, moderation, and rejection of extremism, and undermine the principles of mutual respect necessary for relations among peoples and states,” he added.



Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee Meets in Riyadh

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed A.Elkhereiji, with the participation of the Chinese delegation, headed by China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, and Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi. (SPA)
The meeting was chaired by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed A.Elkhereiji, with the participation of the Chinese delegation, headed by China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, and Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi. (SPA)
TT

Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee Meets in Riyadh

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed A.Elkhereiji, with the participation of the Chinese delegation, headed by China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, and Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi. (SPA)
The meeting was chaired by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed A.Elkhereiji, with the participation of the Chinese delegation, headed by China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, and Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi. (SPA)

The second meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee to follow up on the Beijing Agreement was held in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed A.Elkhereiji, with the participation of the Chinese delegation, headed by China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, and Iranian delegation, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi.

The Saudi and Iranian sides reiterated their commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement in all its provisions and their continued effort to consolidate neighborly relations between their countries by respecting the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international law. This includes respecting the sovereignty, independence, and security of states.

Saudi Arabia and Iran welcomed the continued positive role played by China and the importance of its support and follow-up on the implementation of the Beijing Agreement that was signed in March 2023.

China underscored its readiness to continue to support and encourage the steps taken by Saudi Arabia and Iran to develop their relationship in various fields.

The three countries welcomed the continued progress in Saudi-Iranian relations and the opportunities it provides for direct communication between the two countries at all levels and sectors.

They noted the great importance of these contacts, meetings and mutual visits between high officials from the two countries, especially in light of the current regional tensions and escalation that threaten the security of the region and world.

The officials welcomed the progress of consular services between the two countries, which allowed more than 87,000 Iranian pilgrims to perform the Hajj and more than 52,000 Iranians to perform the Umrah with ease and security during the first ten months of 2024.

They welcomed the first meeting of the Saudi-Iranian joint Media Committee and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and the Institute of Political and International Studies of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Saudi Arabia and Iran additionally expressed readiness to sign a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). Along with China, they look forward to expanding cooperation among them in various fields including economic and political.

The three countries called for an immediate end to the Israeli assault against Palestine and Lebanon, condemning its attacks and violations of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They further called for the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid and relief to Palestine and Lebanon, warning that the continuing cycle of violence and escalation is a serious threat to the security of the region and world.

The three countries reiterated their support for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen in line with internationally recognized principles under the auspices of the United Nations.