JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia

 The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a Monday statement that, in the wake of this month’s attacks in Paris, hatred and Islamophobia had reached "alarming levels".

On Saturday, the OIC began its eighth regular session of its Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) -- which will go on until Thursday -- under the banner "Freedom of expression Versus Hate Speech".

"Hatred and Islamophobia have reached such an alarming level that non-observance of the teachings of the Holy Quran could lead to major dangers," Ilham Ibrahim Ahmed, a Sudanese ambassador and chairwoman of the IPHRC’s current session, said.

Cases of Islamophobia have reportedly risen -- with a number of mosques in Europe being attacked -- since the extremist Daesh group claimed responsibility for a string of attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 in which 130 people were killed.