THE act of insulting Islam, the Holy Qur’an, the Prophet and His Companions have now reached beyond the tolerance level of the Islamic world. In the joint session of Parliament of Pakistan, the parliamentarians unanimously protested against this insulting act of an insolent and showed their effective response and concern at the official level. It was also decided that blasphemy of the Holy Quran will be strongly condemned on the occasion of Friday prayers in mosques across the country. After Friday prayers, peaceful protest rallies were held across the country till late at night. Western societies will have to change their biased behaviour against Muslims and Islam. Leaders of Western countries not only support religious extremists but also commit it themselves. In France, Norway and Sweden, incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran and blasphemy often occur which is inexcusable in any way.
Because of the incident of burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden, the religious sentiments of Muslims around the world have seriously been hurt. Therefore, the peaceful but fierce protest of Muslims is understandable. Like all the Muslims of the world, the Muslims of Pakistan also have strong religious attachment, that’s why their reaction is also strong. Ever since the day when this tragic incident took place, there has been intense anger and anxiety on the public level throughout Pakistan. People of all schools of thought participated in the protest rallies in large numbers.
Muslims respect the feelings of people of all other religions and faiths. This point is repeatedly presented in the protest rallies. Interfaith harmony and tolerance are taught time and again. The rallies were taken out to present their stand to the world. In the rallies, it was taught that instead of hurting the religious sentiments of non-Muslims, they should learn the eternal teachings of Islam and make the world a cradle of peace and love. If the followers of different religions and civilizations adopt a policy of hatred and conflict, an atmosphere of war and conflict will be created in the world.
UN to meet on Sweden Quran-burning stunt decried by Muslim world. This forum is to debate rise of religious hatred after stunt in Stockholm outside a mosque. The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an urgent meeting on the burning of a copy of the Quran, following a request from Pakistan. The debate on the rise of religious hatred will likely take place later this week
The desecration of the Quran took place just outside the Swedish capital Stockholm’s main mosque last week and was carried out by a man during a protest authorised by the police. The Swedish government condemned the “Islamophobic” act, after an international Islamic body called for measures to avoid future desecration of the Muslim holy book. Officials from numerous countries, including many in the Middle East, have also reacted to the incident, calling on Stockholm to step up measures against religious hate.
Morocco went beyond a statement of condemnation and recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period. Morocco’s Foreign Ministry also called on Sweden’s chargé d’affaires in Rabat and expressed its “strong condemnation of this attack and its rejection of this unacceptable act”.
Soon after the incident, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, chanting: Yes, yes to the Quran”. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We will teach the arrogant Western people that it is not freedom of expression. None has right to disgrace Islam. It is an insult to the sacred values of Muslims.”
Ankara is currently holding up Sweden’s application for NATO membership on accusations that the Nordic nation harbours people Turkey considers “terrorists”. Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters that he was concerned because Sweden was unable to prevent provocations. Fidan said that Turkey expects Sweden to fulfil its commitments under a deal struck at the NATO Madrid summit last year, in order to be able to join the military alliance.
America and its allies every now and then commit blasphemous acts. Desecration of the Holy Quran elsewhere in the world is not acceptable. It is not a joke. It’s a very serious matter. It has serious implications. Muslims all over the world believe in love, mutual respect and harmony. Muslims respect religious sentiments of believers of different religions and beliefs from any part of the world. This is why Muslims don’t hurt sentiments of any believers. So much so no body has right to disrespect non- believers the atheists. Respect to other religions and beliefs is part of teachings of Islam. Muslims never retaliate acts of any such person in the same way. But it does not mean that Muslims are weak and unable to retaliate. Muslims live peacefully all over the world. They are in minority in Scandinavia but it doesn’t mean that any person stand up and commit blasphemous crime.
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
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