UN blasts desecration of Quran in Sweden as 'vile'
The High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Miguel Moratinos expresses “unequivocal condemnation” of burning pages of the Muslim Holy Quran in Sweden, terming the act as "vile".
"Such a vile act is disrespectful to Muslims who are celebrating the holy occasion of Eid Al-Adha," Moratinos said in a statement released on Thursday (June 29).
The high representative reiterated that desecration of the sacred books and places as well as religious symbols is “unacceptable”, and can lead to “incitement of violence.”
At the statement, the UN official stressed the “importance of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right.”
As he noted, “mutual respect is essential for building and promoting just, inclusive and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and dignity for all.”
According to the IRNA report, a Swedish extremist burned pages of holy Quran in front of the eyes of about two hundred Muslims in Stockholm.
Such a desecration which was made under the support of the Swedish officials and the country’s police is faced with huge wave of condemnation from the world, from the World of Islam in particular.
In a related development, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted on Friday that "The Muslim world categorically condemns insult to holy scriptures & Quran. Allowing sacrilege & insult to Quran under any justification by Sweden is unacceptable."