Arab countries denounce Islamophobia in Denmark
Arab countries strongly denounced growing Islamophobia in western countries. Friday’s burning of the Qur’an by Islamophobic extremists in Denmark has further enraged Muslim countries.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar condemned the extremism, saying the actions provoked hatred against Muslims – especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
In Denmark, an anti-Muslim group Patrioterne Gar Live shared footage on Facebook of supporters carrying banners with Islamophobic messages. They also burned a copy of the Qur’an and the Turkish flag in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen.
Sinan Majali, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates spokesperson said, “the act incited hatred and racism.”
“Burning the Holy Qur’an is a serious act of hate and a manifestation of Islamophobia. It incites violence and insults to religions, he said, adding it cannot be considered a freedom of expression at all.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the incident of Islamophobia. The ministry termed it a “hate crime” adding that it would never accept such “vile actions being allowed under the guise of freedom of expression.”
The Arab countries have asked the Danish authorities to take action against those who are spreading hate in the name of an expression of freedom.
The statement urged the Danish authorities to prevent a repeat of such actions that “fuel violence and hatred and threaten peaceful coexistence.”
Moreover, the Kuwait Foreign Ministry said, “burning of the Qur’an risked provoking an angry backlash from Muslims around the globe.”
The ministry called for the perpetrators to be held accountable. It said that “freedom of expression must not be used to offend Islam or any other religion.”
Also, Qatar denounced in the “strongest terms” the burning of a copy of the Qur’an in Denkar. Qatar said that the latest incident represented a “dangerous escalation” of incidents targeting Muslims.
