Pakistan’s foreign minister urges global unity against desecration of Holy Qur’an

Islamabad: Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday urged the world to unite against hatred, discrimination and intolerance, calling upon the international community to join hands in condemning the desecration of the Holy Qur’an while seeking to isolate those who trying to stoke hatred by committing such acts.

Bhutto-Zardari virtually addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council to participate in a global conversation on incidents of religious hatred, with specific focus on the recent Qur’an burning in Stockholm.

An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Islamic scripture outside a mosque in the European state last month, leading to protests across the Muslim world.

In a draft resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the group described the incident as “offensive, disrespectful and a clear act of provocation.”

“Let’s unite against hatred, discrimination, intolerance and forge pathways for mutual respect, understanding and tolerance,” said the Pakistani minister in his virtual address.

“We must join hands in condemning [such incidents], must isolate those who stoke hatred as the Holy Qur’an is a spiritual anchor for two billion Muslims,” he added.

Bhutto-Zardari maintained it was unfortunate that such deliberate acts of desecration of the Holy Qur’an had continued under “government sanction and with a sense of impunity” in Europe.

“Increasingly, these acts are designed to maximize provocation,” he said, adding the world must see such incidents clearly as incitement to religious hatred, discrimination and attempts to provoke violence.

“It is in the same spirit I resolutely stand alongside those who are calling for prevention, legal deterrence and accountability of actions that constitute incitement to hostility against people of faith,” he continued.

The Pakistani minister noted the world had observed the first international day to combat Islamophobia only three months ago, pointing out that everyone had spoken with a single voice in condemnation of such hatred back then.

He maintained it was important to understand the emotional injury that a public and premeditated act of the Qur’an’s desecration caused Muslims.

“It is an attack on their faith,” he said, adding the draft text before the council called for the prevention of such incidents and accountability of those guilty of perpetrating it.

“In making this call, I am not losing sight of the fundamental right of free speech, it is as indispensable as hate speech should be indefensible,” the minister continued.

However, he emphasized that the vigor to protect free speech must not make the world lose sight of the imperative to reject hate speech.

“There is not a single Muslim country on the planet that allows for the desecration of the holy texts of other religions as such an act is unthinkable to any Muslim and is forbidden by faith, by culture and by law,” he added.