The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has condemned the mounting trend of Islamophobia, systematic defamation of Islam and discrimination against Muslims including measures like the ban on constructions of minarets, and other discriminatory measures that incite religious hatred. This came in the Final Communiqué of the OIC Foreign Ministers Annual Coordination Meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 24 2010, according to a press release issued in Jeddah yesterday. The Meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of the Republic of Tajikistan and with participation of a representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, requested the OIC Secretary General to continue OIC initiatives to effectively counter the issue of Islamophobia through discussions and deliberations in various international fora as this issue has dangerous implications on world peace and security. In this context, the Ministers expressed their recognition of the strong effort of religious organizations in standing strongly against the heinous act of burning the Holy Quran. --MORE
