Pakistan condemns in strongest terms latest act of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Hague, the Netherlands
OIC condemned in the strongest terms the recent “provocative act” of desecrating a copy of the Holy Quran
ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
Pakistan has condemned in the strongest terms the latest senseless and deeply offensive act of desecration of the Holy Quran that took place in The Hague, the Netherlands in front of some embassies of OIC member countries including Pakistan.
According to a statement issued by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Monday, it is a deliberately provocative and Islamophobic act that has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world. Such acts cannot be condoned under the guise of freedom of expression, opinion and protest.
She said that Pakistan believes that freedom of expression comes with responsibilities. National governments should actively prevent racist and Islamophobic acts, which incite religious hatred.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that it is important for the international community to raise its voice against Islamophobia and work in concert to promote interfaith harmony. That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to mark 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
She said that Pakistan’s concerns have been conveyed to the Dutch authorities. We urge them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world and take active steps to prevent such hateful and Islamophobic acts, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.
Riyadh: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned in the strongest terms the recent “provocative act” of desecrating a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the embassies of some of OIC’s member states in The Hague, Netherlands.
The General Secretariat reaffirmed the organization’s position as stated in the resolution adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC at its 18th special session held on July 31, 2023, dedicated to the incidents of repeated desecration of copies of the Holy Quran, as the Council condemned in its decision all attempts aimed at undermining the sanctity of the Holy Quran and other holy books and the values and symbols of Islam and other religions under the guise of freedom of expression, which contradicts the spirit of Articles (19) and (20) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The General Secretariat of the OIC called on the Dutch authorities to take the necessary measures against these provocative acts, which constitute acts of religious hatred, in violation of international law, and to work to prevent their recurrence.
