EU Defends Freedom of Expression While Slamming Quran Burning
“Burning the Quran or any other Holy Book is offensive, and disrespectful and a clear act of provocation,” European Union External Action said in a Saturday statement, days after a man burnt a copy of the Holy Quran in the Swedish capital of Stockholm after he was given the go-ahead by the EU-member’s police.
“Manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance have no place in Europe,” claimed the body.
Meanwhile, the EU also said it will continue to defend “freedom of expression, abroad and at home.”
This concept is what the extremists have clung to in the past years for insulting the Quran and Islamic sanctities, especially in some European countries.
The statement further claimed that “now is the time to stand together for mutual understanding and respect and to prevent any further escalation.”
The EU also condemned the storming of the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the statement said.
A 37-year-old Iraqi man desecrated the Quran by torching some of its pages outside Stockholm Central Mosque. The Swedish police allowed and guarded the act of disrespect to the Muslim holy book.
The incident, which happened during the Muslim Eid al-Adha and the conclusion of the annual hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was widely condemned by Muslims worldwide.
On Friday, for the second consecutive day, thousands of Iraqis rallied near the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to denounce the Quran burning. A day earlier, angry protestors briefly stormed the embassy.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for an urgent meeting of its executive committee to deal with the repercussions of the blasphemous act.
Source: Agencies
