- “Latest incident of desecration of Holy Quran […] has left Muslims all over the world deeply anguished,” he says
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday blasted “evil people” for burning a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark — which followed similar incidents in Sweden.
“The latest incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in front of an Iraqi Embassy in Denmark has left Muslims all over the world deeply anguished,” PM Shehbaz said in a tweet.
Two anti-Islam protesters of the extreme-right group Danske Patrioter set fire to a copy of Islam’s holy book in front of the Iraqi embassy in the Danish capital on Monday.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he condemned the Koran burning. “These provocative and shameful acts do not represent the views of the Danish government.
The extreme-right group Danske Patrioter in Copenhagen had Monday posted a video in which a man is seen desecrating and burning the holy book and trampling an Iraqi flag.
The latest video follows a similar event on Friday and others in recent weeks in Sweden’s capital of Stockholm.
It was the second time in just a few days protesters from an ultranationalist group called Danish Patriots burned the Quran, following similar acts by different groups neighbouring Sweden.
The acts have set off public protests in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan and elsewhere.
Swedish and Danish officials have condemned the desecration of the Quran but allowed such actions to go forward under the countries’ freedom of expression and right to protest laws.
On Monday, the Iraqi government called on European countries to “reconsider” those laws.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistanis are in deep pain and distress.
“The recurring pattern of these abominable and Satanic incidents has a sinister design: to hurt inter-faith relations, damage peace and harmony and promote religious hatred and Islamophobia.”
The prime minister called upon the governments and faith leaders, in particular, to put an end to such abhorrent practices.
“Let us not allow a handful of misguided and evil people to hurt the emotions of billions of people. Let them not dictate their nefarious agenda,” he said.
Iraq, in front of whose embassy the Quran was burnt, “strongly condemns, again, the repetition of the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran”.
Iraq’s foreign ministry said such acts allow “the virus of extremism and hate” to pose “a real threat to the peaceful coexistence of societies”.
Thousands have protested across Muslim nations against the desecration of the Holy Quran, with violent protests taking place in Iraq.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he condemned the Koran burning.
“These provocative and shameful acts do not represent the views of the Danish government. Appeal to all to deescalate – violence must never be the response,” Rasmussen said in a tweet.
