In appeal to European parliaments, Russia to seek condemnation for Quran burning

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The Russian lawmakers will appeal to European parliaments to condemn the burning of the Quran, Islam's holy book, the head of Russia's upper chamber of parliament said on Wednesday.

"Let's send on behalf of the Council of Federation appeals to the European parliaments for a serious condemnation of such manifestations and a proposal to take all measures to prevent such blasphemous actions," Valentina Matvienko, chairwoman of the Council of Federation, said at a plenary session in Moscow.

She instructed the parliamentary committees of foreign affairs and legislation to prepare the relevant statement and send it on behalf of Russia's Council of Federation. Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs

"This is blasphemy, this is a crime, this is inciting national hatred. People encroach on what is sacred to Muslim believers," she stressed.

"All sane forces in the world unanimously not only condemned but demanded an end to such actions."

Matvienko also condemned the burning of the Quran in front of the Russian Embassy in Denmark and threats to the head of Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov.

She said ambassadors of the countries that allow such actions should to be summoned and lodged a protest.

Belan Khamchiev, another lawmaker representing the Ingushetia region, echoed Matvienko, saying: "They call the abuse of the holy scriptures 'freedom of speech'."

Last week, Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan and Edwin Wagensveld, a far-right Dutch politician and leader of the Islamophobic group Pegida, separately burned copies of the Quran, Islam's holy book, in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.