Turkey condemns 'vile' Sweden Quran-burning protest

[Cpt. Rishwat]

They aren’t doing that in the name of Jesus, but to deter Putin from further imperialist expansion.

They are still Christian nations whether they are doing it in the name of Jesus or not. Putin and the western nations are all locked in a battle for territory and influence. We can call them expansionist, I am sure Putin would describe us in similar terms. I would say we are encroaching their region more than they are encroaching ours. Whe I say ours, I am speaking from a UK/USA viewpoint. Obviously if you are Ukraine or Poland you might view it differently. But we aren't either.

 

[Robert]

They are still Christian nations whether they are doing it in the name of Jesus or not. Putin and the western nations are all locked in a battle for territory and influence. We can call them expansionist, I am sure Putin would describe us in similar terms. I would say we are encroaching their region more than they are encroaching ours. Whe I say ours, I am speaking from a UK/USA viewpoint. Obviously if you are Ukraine or Poland you might view it differently. But we aren't either.

NATO has not invaded old USSR territories - they chose to join the EU for prosperity and NATO for protection from Moscow.

 

[Technics 1210]

They are still Christian nations whether they are doing it in the name of Jesus or not. Putin and the western nations are all locked in a battle for territory and influence. We can call them expansionist, I am sure Putin would describe us in similar terms. I would say we are encroaching their region more than they are encroaching ours. Whe I say ours, I am speaking from a UK/USA viewpoint. Obviously if you are Ukraine or Poland you might view it differently. But we aren't either.

Bush invaded Iraq because 'God told him to'

George Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa

When Western leaders (and NATO) fight for God, they are saviours, when others do it, they are terrorists.

 

[MenInG]

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed, in the strongest terms, the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Denmark's Copenhagen by an extremist group outside the Turkish embassy.

The Kingdom stressed the need to consolidate the values of dialogue, tolerance and respect, and rejecting all that would spread hatred and extremism.

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/othe...tp&cvid=65712d5a5dfe455aa28eafe3dc597a7a&ei=7

 

[daytrader]

Arab nations warn against rising Islamophobia following Qur’an burning in Denmark

Extremists protested outside the Turkish embassy also in January

Arab nations call on international community to hold hate crime offenders to account
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has condemned Friday’s burning of the Qur’an and Turkish flag by Islamophobic extremists in Denmark.

The Kingdom was joined by Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar that spoke out against the acts by the extremists, saying the actions provoked hatred against Muslims – especially during Ramadan.

Far-right anti-Muslim group Patrioterne Gar Live broadcast footage on Facebook of supporters carrying banners with Islamophobic messages as they burned a copy of the Qur’an and the Turkish flag in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the incident as a “hate crime” adding that it would never accept such “vile actions being allowed under the guise of freedom of expression,” Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported.

And the ministry called on the Danish authorities to take action against those responsible and to ensure further incidents did not happen “that threaten social harmony and peaceful coexistence,” the report added.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates spokesperson Sinan Majali, said the act incited hatred and racism.

“Burning the Holy Qur’an is a serious act of hate and a manifestation of Islamophobia that incites violence and insults to religions and cannot be considered a form of freedom of expression at all,” Majali said in a statement.

The statement went on to urge the Danish authorities to prevent a repeat of such actions that “fuel violence and hatred and threaten peaceful coexistence.”

Meanwhile in a statement on the Kuwait Foreign Ministry warned that the burning of the Qur’an risked provoking an angry backlash from Muslims around the globe.

The ministry called for the perpetrators to held accountable, making sure that “freedom of expression is not used to offend Islam or any other religion.”

And Qatar condemned in the “strongest terms” the burning of a copy of the Qur’an, warning that the latest incident represented a “dangerous escalation” of incidents targeting Muslims.

 

[daytrader]

Pakistan slams desecration of Quran at Geneva moot
Ambassador says absence of preventive legal deterrence encourages incitement to hatred, violence

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has termed the recent acts of desecration of the Holy Quran not just a provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world, but a step to sabotage interfaith harmony and peace.

“This year we have witnessed at least five incidents of public desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands – as the latest manifestation of racial hatred and xenophobia,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Khalil Hashmi while speaking on behalf of the OIC told the 47-member Human Rights Council meeting on Friday.

“The OIC Group echoes the outrage of nearly two billion human beings whose faith is anchored in the message of Quran,” Ambassador Hashmi told the delegates, citing a verse from the holy book that read: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.”

The Pakistani envoy said an unequivocal condemnation should have been the starting point of the international community’s response to these acts.

He said, “Sadly, some chose to hide behind the self-serving interpretation of human rights.”

“Absence of preventive legal deterrence, inaction, and shying away from speaking out encourages further incitement to hatred and violence,” Hashmi said, noting that more incidents had followed, which was not surprising at all.

“If those responsible for prevention were not complicit earlier; they are now,” he said. “They are in violation of their obligations under international human rights laws.”

The Pakistani envoy said he was appalled at the human rights machinery’s general apathy towards these incidents.

“We particularly note with disappointment the choice made by special rapporteurs on freedom of religion and belief, and freedom of expression to not call out these deliberate acts of hatred,” he said.

“We reject selective academic interpretations of human rights law,” the envoy said. “It has shaken our faith in their work.”

He said, “Finally, we have a message for those enjoying impunity in desecrating our Holy book! When you hold the next copy, try reading it.”

...
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2409516/pakistan-slams-desecration-of-quran-at-geneva-moot

 

[MenInG]

Sweden has indefinitely closed its embassy in the capital citing the security situation as the reason.

“Due to the current security situation in Islamabad, the Embassy of Sweden is closed for visitors. The Migration Section is not, at the moment, able to handle requests of any kind. Also, we cannot send any documents to our consulates, Gerry´s, or to your home address. We understand that this will cause inconvenience however, the safety of our applicants and staff members are of highest priority,” a notice placed on the embassy’s website reads.

It also stated that any questions about re-opening cannot be answered at the moment.

If you have questions regarding your case, please contact the Migration Agency. Closure of the embassy has upset a number of students aspiring to study in Sweden, who have already invested time and money in the process to meet the academic requirements and prepare applications for Swedish universities.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran outside a Stockholm mosque on the occasion of Eidul Azha, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“Such willful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest,” the statement read.

The statement added that under international law, states are duty-bound to prohibit any advocacy of religious hatred, leading to the incitement of violence.

“The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents during the last few months in the West calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions,” it added.

The statement also said that “we reiterate that the right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and sabotage inter-faith harmony.”

Read more: Protesters attempt burning copies of Holy Quran on French island

In the statement, the FO also urged the international community and the national governments to undertake “credible and concrete measures to prevent the rising incidents of xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred”.

A day earlier, a man tore up and burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque, an event that risks angering Turkey as Sweden bids to join NATO, after Swedish police granted permission for the protest to take place.

Around 200 onlookers witnessed the incident. Some of those present shouted 'God is great' in Arabic to protest against the desecration, and one man was detained by police after he attempted to throw a rock.

Police charged the man who set fire to the Holy Quran with agitation against an ethnic or national group and with a violation of a ban on fires that has been in place in Stockholm since mid-June.

While Swedish police have rejected several recent applications for anti-Holy Quran demonstrations, courts have overruled those decisions, saying they infringed on freedom of speech.

DAWN

 

[MenInG]

Several Muslim-majority countries have condemned the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden at a protest.

Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of the Muslim text in front of Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday.

Middle Eastern nations including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt strongly criticised the burning.

And Turkey, a Nato member with a say over whether Sweden gains membership, called it a "despicable act".

Turkey - which was also angered by a Quran burning protest earlier this year - said it was "unacceptable" to allow such "anti-Islamic actions" to take place "under the pretext of freedom of expression".

Muslims consider the Quran the sacred word of God and view any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it as deeply offensive.

The Quran burning on Wednesday took place as Muslims around the world celebrated the first day of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.

Swedish police had given Mr Momika a permit for the protest, in accordance with free-speech laws. But later police said the incident was being investigated for incitement of hatred.

The protest sparked anger among other nations too.

Morocco and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors to Stockholm, and Morocco has also summoned Sweden's charge d'affaires in Rabat.

Iraq said the incident was "a reflection of a hateful aggressive spirit that has nothing to do with freedom of expression."

Iran echoed Iraq's criticism, calling the act of burning the Quran "provocative" and "unacceptable", while Egypt described it as a "shameful" act which was especially provocative as Muslims mark Eid al-Adha.

Saudi Arabia - the destination of around 1.8m worshippers on the annual Hajj pilgrimage this week - said "these hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justification."

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the Quran burning was "legal but not appropriate".

Plans to burn copies of the Quran have sparked riots in Sweden in recent months.

Police had rejected similar protest applications recently, but courts then ruled that they should be allowed on freedom of expression grounds.

BBC

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Doesn't Sweden have any incitement to hatred laws?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Disgusted and appalled by the incident of public burning of the Holy Quran in front of a mosque in Sweden. Such vile, despicable and heinous Islamophobic acts brazenly violate international law. I have no words to adequately condemn this anti-Islam act, which is clearly meant to…</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1674436697587580930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Strongly condemn the hate-filled Islamophobic crime of burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden - a loathsome act sanctioned by the Swedish police. <br><br>Such a hate-filled act serves no purpose beyond causing anger and deep hurt to Muslims across the world.<br> <br>Swedish govt should recall… <a href="https://t.co/188Pzl40kW">pic.twitter.com/188Pzl40kW</a></p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1674667334257213440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[SalimBhai]

The guy who burned the Quran was Iraqi

 

[MenInG]

Iraqi protesters breached Sweden's embassy in Baghdad on Thursday, angered by a Koran burning outside a Stockholm mosque that sparked condemnation across the Muslim world.

A crowd of supporters of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr stayed inside the compound for about 15 minutes, then left as security forces deployed, an AFP photographer said.

"Our constitution is the Koran," read a message on leaflets carried by the protesters, and a message sprayed on the compound's gate said "Yes, yes to the Koran".

The protest came a day after an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, stomped on the Islamic holy book and set several pages alight in front of the capital's largest mosque.

Swedish police had granted him a permit in line with free-speech protections, but authorities later said they had opened an investigation over "agitation".

"Within 10 days I will burn the Iraqi flag and the Koran in front of Iraq's embassy in Stockholm," Momika told a Swedish newspaper late Thursday.

AFP

 

[MenInG]

The guy who burned the Quran was Iraqi

He was given permission to do so by local authorities. That's the key point.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

He was given permission to do so by local authorities. That's the key point.

Correct. This was an endorsement of his actions, which let's face it were reprehensible by anyone's standards. To bleat "he was Iraqi" is such a weak response it would have been better to just stay quiet.

 

[SalimBhai]

He was given permission to do so by local authorities. That's the key point.

We have discussed it another thread. But I will repeat. I don’t understand why you would burn a book. They are looking for a reaction and every time. And they get. However the response is getting weaker and weaker, which is good. Soon they will stop doing this as not worth the effort. I believe in freedom of expression but this is just baiting . However he should be allowed to burn whatever he wants.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

This is what we call mad dog strategy
====
Hamas condemns Israeli soldiers burning Quran in Gaza

Hamas has condemned Israeli soldiers’ burning of copies of the holy Muslim book during a raid of the Bani Saleh Mosque in the northern Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reports.

The Palestinian group said in a statement that the move, which was captured in body camera footage of a soldier, shows the “extremist nature” of Israel and its soldiers, “who are filled with hatred and criminality”.

It said the fact that soldiers regularly document their attacks in Gaza and share it on social media “clearly indicates a systematic criminal policy” managed by the Israeli government.

Source: Al Jazeera