Sweden’s Consulate
Officials have said that a mentally disabled person carried out an armed attack at Sweden’s consulate in Izmir. A female staffer of the consulate sustained critical injuries in the attack.
The attack occurred at 0945 GMT on Tuesday in the Konak district of Izmir in Turkiye.
The attack took place outside Sweden’s honorary consulate. The wounded woman is working as a secretary at the diplomatic mission. She is in critical condition.
Turkish authorities have detained the assailant with the gun and have initiated an investigation into the incident.
Notably, the honorary consulates represent their nationals’ interests abroad but are not run by professional diplomats.
The Swedish foreign ministry said they do not comment on threats to foreign representatives.
OIC condemns the desecration of the Holy Quran
Meanwhile, the OIC expressed its concern over the rise in Islamophobia following recurring incidents of the Holy Quran burning in Nordic countries.
In the 18th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC, a comprehensive resolution was adopted. The OIC expressed concern over increasing incidents of intolerance, and discrimination.
Moreover, the OIC expressed “disappointment” with the response of Sweden and Denmark to a series of Quran burnings that have sparked outrage across the Middle East.
The OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha called on both countries to prevent Quran desecration. Taha said that it was unfortunate that the concerned authorities continued to provide licenses to repeat the desecration of the Quran
The OIC announced that Taha would lead a delegation to the European Union. The delegation will urge EU officials to prevent the recurrence of such criminal acts.
Additionally, the OIC called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special rapporteur on combating Islamophobia.
