Desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden: Govt announces countrywide protests on Friday

ISLAMABAD: The government has announced to observe Yaum-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran on Friday, which will see countrywide protests against the desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Tuesday to discuss the issue of desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden. It was decided that protest rallies would be taken out across the country on Friday to condemn the act.

The prime minister appealed to the nation, including all the political parties, to participate in the protest to convey a united message to mischievous minds.

Besides, the government would also convene a joint session of the parliament on Thursday to formulate a national strategy on the issue and represent the nation’s sentiments and feelings through the parliamentary forum.

The joint session, which previously was to be held on Monday evening (July 10), would also adopt a resolution to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran.

The prime minister, also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, instructed the party to participate in the Yaum-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran and hold countrywide rallies. He told the meeting that the sanctity of the Holy Quran was part of the Muslims’ faith for which all of them were united.

Shehbaz said that nations and leadership believing in peace and co-existence should contain the violent forces infested by the Islamophobia and religious biases. He believed that the violent mindset targeting the religion, sacred personalities, beliefs and ideologies were in fact enemies of the world peace.

Earlier on Tuesday, amid worldwide protests and outrage over the desecration of the Holy Quran, the United Nations Human Rights Council announced to hold its urgent session to address Islamophobia and religious hatred following Pakistan’s request.

Addressing a press briefing, a spokesperson for the Geneva-based UN Council said that the session will discuss the rising religious hatred in the world. The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, which is meeting in session until July 14, will change its agenda to stage an urgent debate, following a request from Pakistan.

“The UN Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate to discuss the alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, as manifested by the current desecration of the Holy Quran in some European and other countries,” council spokesman Pascal Sim told reporters, citing the wording of the request.