Following the act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden, Muslims in New Zealand and other parts of the world started demanding action against the culprits.
One of the New Zealanders, Syed Mujeeb, who is the New Zealand Correspondent of Siasat Daily, wrote a letter to the Honorary Consul for Sweden in Auckland, expressing deep concern over the incident of Quran burning in Sweden.
In the letter, he said, “The Muslim community in New Zealand, including myself, urges the Swedish authorities to take decisive action against those responsible for such acts. We believe that swift and clear actions against individuals who commit such acts of religious provocation are essential to uphold international efforts in promoting tolerance, moderation, and the denouncement of extremism.”
He also wrote, “This incident is not an isolated event, as similar incidents have occurred in the past. The burning of the Quran by Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm and later in front of a mosque in Copenhagen, further underscores the need for firm action against such behavior.”
He further mentioned, “I kindly request your assistance in conveying our concerns to the appropriate authorities in Sweden. We trust that the Embassy of Sweden will play an instrumental role in ensuring that this matter is addressed appropriately and that measures are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
In response to the letter, the Swedish Embassy in Auckland sent an email informing him that his email has been forwarded to the Swedish Embassy in Canberra as it has the main responsibility for consular services in Auckland.
UNHRC passes resolution against desecration of Quran
The incident of Quran burning in Sweden has triggered a massive reaction from across the world.
Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution strongly rejecting and condemning recent acts of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden.
It is noteworthy that India and many other countries voted in favor of the resolution adopted by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The draft resolution was brought by Pakistan on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as well as by the State of Palestine.
Burning of Quran in Sweden sparks anger, condemnation
The act of burning the Quran by an Iraqi Christian immigrant in Stockholm, Sweden, during the festival of Eid al-Adha last month, has sparked widespread anger and condemnation across the Islamic world.
Turkey denounced the act as heinous. The incident has come at a time when Sweden is still seeking Turkey’s backing to join the NATO. The bid has still been blocked by the Turkish government, which accuses Sweden of supporting anti-Ankara groups.
Last month, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish Ambassador in Amman in protest of the incident in Stockholm.
Protests are also held in Sweden. Recently, thousands of protestors gathered in central Stockholm to protest against the incident. The gathering took place on a square near a mosque where an individual set a copy of the Quran ablaze on June 28.
