Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to push for criminalizing desecration of Islamic sanctities at the international level.

Amirabdollahian made the call on Monday at an emergency meeting of the 57-member OIC, which was convened at the request of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, following the recent burning of the copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

�Unfortunately, the growing trend of intolerance and violence against Islam and Muslims in some European countries has become a fundamental challenge due to the support of certain ruling factions,� Amirabdollahian told the meeting via video link.

The top Iranian diplomat said the sacrilegious and hateful act of insulting the Holy Quran, and the values ????and beliefs of more than two billion Muslims around the world was the manifestation of a �very worrying trend.�

He underlined that such actions target the mutual understanding and the spirit of peaceful coexistence in the international community by undermining the cultural and religious commonalities among nations and disrespecting human rights, Press TV reported.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed �deep regret� that some people insult beliefs and values ??under the pretext of supporting the right to freedom of speech and are officially backed by certain European governments.

By Tasnim