Religious scholars condemn desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden

LAHORE: Religious scholars strongly condemned the burning of a copy of Holy Quran by a Swedish-Danish extremist party under state permission and police protection, demanding immediate collective response from the Muslim world and severing ties with the Stockholm till the culprits were punished.

They warned that if swift action was not taken against the Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the extremist Stram Kurs Party, who set ablaze Holy Quran outside Turkish embassy under the protection of police and with permission from the government, the consequences for world peace would be worse.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq slammed the logic of European extremists who practice blasphemy and provocation against Islam under the grab of so-called freedom of expression, saying it is highly provocative for more than 1.5 billion Muslims across the world.

He demanded Muslim rulers and the OIC take strict action against the incident, warning that Islamophobia had reached unprecedented peak in Europe and Western world, and may explode to disastrous consequences. He said the OIC and the UNO should develop a mechanism to stop hatred against Islam, Muslims and Islamic culture.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Ameer Hafiz Saad Rizvi, strongly condemning the burning of Holy Quran in Sweden, warned that the incidents of desecration of Holy Quran and blasphemy against Islamic holy figures are exceeding the limits of tolerance. Terming such provocations as heinous act and a crime against world peace, he demanded the Muslim rulers, OIC, and UNO stop such acts of Islamophobia that jeopardise world peace.

Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) president and Jamiat Ahle Hadith leader Allama Zubair Ahmad Zaheer said unless the Muslims get united by completely eliminating sectarianism, the infidels and enemies will continue such provocations and blasphemies.

He said it is the responsibility of Muslim rulers to take effective commercial and diplomatic measures against the governments allowing such acts of religious terrorism and severe diplomatic and trade ties with them.

Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam naib ameer Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema said if the blasphemy of Quran and Prophethood is not universally declared a heinous crime, the world peace will never be established. He said just after Qadiyanis burnt the Holy Quran and blatantly tampered the Holy book, the Christian extremists in Sweden also did the same. He added the Qadiyanis and the European extremists both belong to the same anti-Islam gang, and deserved to be treated with immediate, collective response by Muslim rulers.

JUP President Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair and Supreme Council Chairman Qari Zawwar Bahadur emphasised that the world can never witness the durable peace unless the ongoing Islamophobia is effectively countered.

They said the fright and animosity of tyrannical forces of disbelief against Islam have crossed all limits, demanding the UN and OIC to treat the growing Islamophobia with swift effective measures to establish world peace.

They warned that Muslims around the world are deeply angered by the blatant desecrating of Holy Book and any reaction would also provide the hostile media a much-awaited opportunity to brand Muslims as extremists. They lamented that all over the world, the lives and properties of Muslims are being trampled and their religious freedom is being curtailed. They also demanded severing of diplomatic relations with Sweden till the responsible persons are arrested and brought to justice.

Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Nasir Abbas Jafri strongly condemned the burning of the Holy Quran by a far-right extremist in Stockholm, terming it heinous and deviant act against entire Muslim world.

He warned that such provocative and explosive acts cannot be allowed on the pretext of freedom of expression, saying the growing Western Islamophobia would stoke more hate among the followers of different faiths.