RIYADH: The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said that there can be no justification for burning the Qur’an. He said that this act fuels extremism and racism, and contradicts the values of tolerance. He added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the burning of the Qur’an. The country rejects everything that spreads hatred and extremism.
On Tuesday, the foreign minister spoke during an emergency discussion session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva about the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden on June 28. The minister said that the burning contradicted Sweden’s claim to reject extremism.
Prince Faisal said that the Saudi government condemns the burning of copies of the Holy Quran by extremists. These reprehensible acts are unacceptable and incite hatred, exclusion, and racism. They directly contradict international efforts to promote tolerance, moderation, and the rejection of extremism.
He further added, “The government affirms the necessity of consolidating the values of dialogue, tolerance, and respect. It rejects everything that would spread hatred and extremism. The government calls on all people to work together to build a more peaceful and tolerant world”.
The burning, the foreign minister said, could not be justified since it went against the principles of humanity.
Prince Faisal said that these crimes were been universally denounced. The rejection was proof that governments and other international organizations needed to take action to avoid them from happening.
Saudi Arabia is looking forward to the adopt a resolution on “Combating religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” unanimously adopted, according to Prince Faisal.
The Czech Republic’s ambassador was also congratulated by the Saudi foreign minister on being chosen to lead the UN Human Rights Council for the coming year and wished luck in his new responsibilities.
Prince Faisal emphasized the need to spread the moral values of tolerance and moderation. He focused on the notion to reject all manifestations of hatred, violence, and extremism at the conclusion of his speech. He emphasized the significance of freedom of expression as a moral value that fosters respect and coexistence among peoples rather than as a means of promoting hatred and cultural and civilizational clashes.
