Yesterday, Monday, the parliaments of Islamic countries called for "taking the necessary measures to respond to provocations" by burning copies of the Noble Qur'an, while the Turkish Ministry of Interior said that it had raised security measures to the highest level after repeating such actions in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, in anticipation of any provocations. Possibly, while the Finnish police said they would not allow the burning of holy books.
On the Islamic level, the parliaments of the 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned in a closing statement of its 17th conference what it described as the "programmed" burning of the Qur'an in European countries, describing it as "barbaric practices."
In a statement called the “Algeria Declaration,” where the conference was held Sunday and Monday, with the participation of Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Shantoub, she added that the federation condemns and denounces “in the strongest terms the programmed burning of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands (during the past days).”
The statement stressed that "this step is a heinous crime and a flagrant attack on the most sacred sanctities of Muslims and their feelings under the name of freedom of expression," stressing that (these) barbaric practices are inconsistent with all human and moral values and principles.
The "Algiers Declaration" called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to "take the necessary measures to respond to these provocations and make recommendations in this regard."
Turkey raises security measures
And from Turkey, the Ministry of the Interior said that the intelligence information that is sent from time to time within the scope of the security warning is being carefully studied, explaining that security measures have been raised to the highest level in the country after copies of the Holy Qur’an were burned in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, in anticipation of any provocations. potential.
The Turkish Ministry of Interior added in a statement that it had evaluated information that organizations such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State "are looking for ways to carry out terrorist acts in many countries under the pretext of responding to the burning of the Qur'an in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands."
The statement confirmed that Ankara's struggle against terrorist organizations continues without stopping, and that the Turkish security forces carried out 1,042 security operations against ISIS last year.
About a week ago, several countries warned their citizens against traveling to Turkey due to the possibility of terrorist attacks, following the provocations that took place in Sweden following the burning of a copy of the Noble Qur’an.
Finland against burning holy books
The Finnish press reported in news attributed to the Finnish News Agency yesterday that the National Police Council considers the burning of holy books a "punishable crime".
"If the burning of the Qur'an had been planned, the police would have informed the organizer in advance that he would not be allowed to do so," said police official Visa Bihajoki, whose views were reported in the news.
The press reported that, unlike other Scandinavian countries, Finnish law protects "religious peace" and can punish violations of it.
On January 21, the leader of the far-right "Hard Line" party, Rasmus Paludan, burned a copy of the Qur'an near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, amid tight police protection that prevented anyone from approaching him while committing this provocative act, as he repeated last Friday. In front of a mosque belonging to the Islamic Community Association after the end of Friday prayers in the Dorthefig neighborhood of Copenhagen, he tried to provoke the worshipers in the mosque.