Caucasus Muslims’ Board condemns Quran burning in Sweden as ‘moral crime’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Caucasus Muslims’ Board on Tuesday strongly condemned the burning of a copy of Islam’s holy book Quran in Sweden’s capital Stockholm on Saturday.

“Under the official permission and patronage of the Swedish state, the head of the ultra-right Hard Line (Stram Kurs) party, as well as the leader of the Pegia group in the Netherlands, attacked the Islamic religion under the slogan of democracy and freedom of expression in Stockholm,” said a statement by the organization.

The act of burning the Quran is “unambiguously a call to hatred, a moral crime committed against people’s beliefs and dignity,” it further said.

Increasing manifestations of Islamophobia and the targeting of Islam and Muslims came at a time when “efforts are being made to build just and peaceful societies based on human rights, dignity, and mutual respect between nations and religions,” it pointed out.

“It is very sad that such situations are taking place in some European countries that describe themselves as the harbingers of democracy and the cradle of ‘freedom of speech,’ and moreover, the conditions are created directly with the permission of state institutions,” read the statement.

The board also strongly condemned the act, saying it aims to “encourage extremism and terrorism on an international scale.”

“Such a call that encourages conflict on religious grounds, acts that incite aggression and violence are becoming a human danger. Cases of misuse of religion for political purposes, as well as manifestations of xenophobia, serve to disrupt the internal stability of societies and states, and create conflict and discord,” the statement added.

Rasmus Paludan, the leader of far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday under police protection and with permission from the Swedish government, resulting in a wave of condemnations from across the Arab and Islamic worlds.