Russian lawmakers call on European parliaments to publicly condemn Quran burning

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Head of the Russian upper chamber of parliament called on members of European parliaments on Saturday to publicly condemn Quran burning.

In a post on Telegram, Valentina Matvienko said Russian lawmakers voiced strong protest due to recent Islamophobic actions in Sweden and the Netherlands.

"Fully support colleagues and consider desecration of Quran, performed by radicals, an act of barbarism and xenophobia," Matvienko said.

She added that Russia is a "unique country in which people of various nationalities and faiths have been living peacefully and with respect for each other for centuries."

"The abuse of Quran shocks not only Muslims, but also representatives of all faiths in Russia," she stressed.

The lack of reactions on behalf of governments and parliaments of the European states provokes particular outrage, negligence by law enforcement agencies, and local authorities, she said.

"We consider what happened to be incitement of inter-religious strife. It is unacceptable to justify blasphemous anti-Islamic provocations with cynical references to freedom of expression and freedom of speech.

"Russian senators call on European parliamentarians to publicly condemn the actions of radical extremists as a manifestation of religious intolerance and take measures to protect the right of Muslims and representatives of other religions to freedom of religion, as well as to bring those responsible for provocations to justice," she stressed.