ISLAMABAD, Jul 21 (NNI): Pakistan on Friday condemned in the “strongest possible terms” yet another Islamophobic act of public desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden.
“Permission to carry out premeditated and provocative acts of religious hatred cannot be justified under the guise of freedom of expression, opinion and protest,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that international law categorically obliged states to prevent and prohibit deliberate incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence on the basis of religion or belief.
She reiterated Pakistan’s call on the international community to unequivocally condemn these Islamophobic acts.
“We expect the Swedish authorities to take all measures necessary to stop such acts of hatred and incitement. Pakistan’s concerns about the latest incident are being conveyed to the Swedish authorities,” the FO spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden and vowed to launch a campaign to seek a reversal of the decision of allowing the sacrilege of holy books.
The prime minister, in a statement, said that from the platform of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the government would help create a common strategy to get rid of evil.
He said the OIC has to play a historic role in representing the sentiments of the Muslim Ummah and to do away with this evil.
He said the permission to desecrate the holy books, persons and rituals was not the freedom of expression but rather a way to constantly torment the world.
“The whole world of Islam and Christianity must collectively stop this conspiracy. Satan’s followers are blaspheming the holy book which gave human beings dignity, rights and guidance,” he remarked.
The prime minister said that the decision to allow the desecration of the Torah and the Gospel encouraged desecrators.
This is the promotion of hatred which is not allowed under international law.
He said such attitudes of religious incitement, provocation to terrorism and violence were fatal to world peace.
These behaviours are highly abhorrent and condemnable both legally and morally, the prime minister remarked. NNI
