KUALA LUMPUR: A senior Malaysian official has said that Islamophobia must be recognized as a criminal offense and demanded that Muslim countries should strongly respond to cases involving the desecration of the Holy Qur’an.
“Any action that is Islamophobic can actually be considered a crime. Therefore, much like anti-Semitism is a criminal offense in several other countries,” Abdul Razak Ahmad, a special representative of the foreign minister of Malaysia, told Anadolu in an interview.
Ahmad complimented Turkiye for its firm response to a recent wave of the Holy Qur’an desecrations in Europe that incited emotions and anger in Muslims worldwide. He called for declaring Islamophobia a criminal charge, particularly in Muslim countries.
Razak Ahmad cited one such attempt in Norway, where officials revoked a previous permit for burning the Holy Qur’an burning after receiving a warning from Turkiye, saying the incident proved the value of Turkish diplomacy.
Muslim nations need to counter Islamophobia
He said it demonstrates the effectiveness of Turkish soft power. He added that we should interact with these people, confront them, and inform them that we are disturbed and that their behaviour is improper and does not show an egalitarian society. “And they should stop these actions.”
According to Razak Ahmad, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and a select few other nations have demonstrated leadership in combating Islamophobia.
He said his main worry with regard to Islamophobia was how the religion has been misunderstood and how Islamophobia has given rise to hatred among those who have merely a passing familiarity with it.
He emphasized the importance of cooperation between Malaysia and Turkiye in tackling Islamophobia, which he described as an international problem affecting the Muslim community, reported the news outlet. – APP/Anadolu
