Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the despicable act of desecration of the Holy Qur’an in The Hague, Netherlands on Tuesday.
“No doubt, it is a provocative Islamophobic hate crime committed under the guise of freedom of expression. Such unacceptable acts deeply hurt the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and can create disharmony among the international community,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan had always stressed that freedom of expression came with responsibilities.
“We also believe that it is the responsibility of the international community and national governments to prevent such vile acts, which are perpetrated with the ulterior motive to provoke and incite religious hatred and violence.
The Holy Book of Qur’an
“The spokesperson said that the global community should raise its collective voice against Islamophobia and religious hatred and work together to promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence across the world. That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2022 to mark March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the spokesperson added.
As Pakistan’s concerns were being conveyed to the authorities in the Netherlands, the spokesperson urged them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and the Muslims around the world and take steps to prevent such hateful and Islamophobic acts.
