Pakistan condemns burning of Quran in Denmark

Pakistan on Saturday condemned the burning of the Quran by a far-right politician near a mosque in Denmark on Friday.

“It condemns in the strongest terms the senseless and deeply offensive act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark, by the same Islamophobe who committed a similar act in Sweden a few days ago,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

This repetition of the vile act leaves little doubt in the minds of Muslims around the world that freedom of expression is being blatantly abused to spread religious hatred and incitement to violence, the statement said.

It also calls into question the legal framework behind which the Islamophobes hide and spread hatred with impunity, the ministry said. At a time when there is an increasing need for inter-faith harmony and mutual respect for peaceful coexistence, the international community cannot turn a blind eye to these hate mongers, it added.

Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to the authorities in Denmark and urged “them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world and take steps to prevent such hateful and Islamophobic acts,” according to the statement.

Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, burned the Quran in front of a mosque in Copenhagen on Friday.

A 42-year-old Paludan who burned a Quran and posted a video of it on Facebook has been charged with blasphemy in Denmark, a striking decision by prosecutors in a country that is largely secular but has grappled with the role of Islam in public life.