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03-07-2023
STOCKHOLM: Reacting to the “despicable act” of the public desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran on the occasion of Eid ul Adha, the Swedish government on Saturday strongly condemned the “Islamophobic act committed by individuals in the country.
In a statement, Sweden’s ministry of foreign affairs said: “This act in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish government.”
A man tore up and burned a copy of the holy book outside Stockholm’s central mosque on Wednesday. Police later charged the man with agitation against an ethnic or national group.
A series of demonstrations in Sweden against Islam has offended the Muslim world, including Turkey, whose foreign minister said it was unacceptable to allow anti-Islam protests in the name of freedom of expression.
Earlier today, a top official for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) unequivocally condemned the “vile act” of burning pages of the Holy Quran in front of a mosque in the centre of Stockholm as Muslims were offering Eid ul Adha prayer.
In a statement, Miguel Moratinos, the UNAOC’s High Representative, said that “such a ‘vile act’ is disrespectful to Muslims.”
Moratinos reiterated the importance of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right.
At the same time, he stressed that the desecration of sacred books and places of worship as well as religious symbols was “unacceptable and can lead to incitement of violence.”
He also reiterated that mutual respect was essential for building and promoting just, inclusive, and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and dignity for all.
In this context, the high representative recalled the United Nations Plan of Action to safeguard religious sites led by the UNAOC, which provides an overarching framework and a set of recommendations including strengthening religious pluralism and promoting mutual respect and human dignity.
Pakistan, on June 29, strongly condemned the “despicable act” of the public burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden on the occasion of Eid ul Adha, in another incident of desecration of the sacred book. (Int’l News Desk)
