Desecration of Quran contradicts global efforts to fight extremism

Insult to Quran, Muslims’ holy book, is not compatible with understandings about freedom of expression and respect for people’s rights and beliefs, the message said.

The act to burn a copy of the Holy Quran during anti-Islam demonstration in the city of Malmo in south of Sweden hurt the feelings of all freethinkers, Al-Mustafa University noted.

The University message added that insult to religious sanctities is seriously condemned by all religions and wise persons as well.

Impudence, which results from “blind terrorism”, to beliefs of over 1.5 billion Muslims is provocative and unforgivable, the message underlined.

The University further stressed that if such measure is not effectively responded by international communities, it will lead to internalizing aggression, creating rift among religious societies and shaking the basis of peaceful coexistence.

Al-Mustafa International University explicitly states that Islam is a religion of peace and friendship, the message said, adding that Islam follows respect for others’ rights.

At the end of the message, Al-Mustafa International University called on global communities to take due measure as soon as possible to prevent from repetition of such shameful moves.

On Thursday, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affair Saeed Khatibzadeh, too, strongly condemned the republication of a cartoon offensive to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Khatibzadeh said any irreverence to Prophet Mohammad or other prophets is totally unacceptable.

Charlie Hebdo is a French left-wing magazine with a history of publishing derogatory and anti-religious in content. It had published caricatures of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 2012 and 2015 that provoked Muslims to start demonstrations around the globe.