The burning of the Holy Quran by an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden last Wednesday in front of the central mosque of Stockholm has sent a wave of shock and indignation throughout the Muslim world, and rightly so.
People in several Muslim countries have held protest rallies condemning the incident in the harshest possible terms. Some countries have even called the Swedish ambassadors to lodge strong protests with the Swedish government. In the wake of this despicable incident, the OIC urged member states to take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran. The body’s secretary general, Hissein Brahim Taha, stressed the need to send a clear message that acts of desecration of the Holy Quran are not mere ordinary Islamophobic incidents. He said, “We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred. International law binds all states to prevent and prohibit any advocacy of ‘religious hatred’ that leads to the incitement of violence.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan also issued a strongly worded statement, saying, “Such willful incitement to discrimination, hatred, and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest. The right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and sabotage interfaith harmony.” The foreign ministry also urged the international community and national governments to undertake credible and concrete measures to prevent the rising incidents of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-Muslim hatred. Strong condemnations of the incident have also come from the Pope and the US.
In light of these developments, the Swedish government has condemned the incident, terming it an ‘Islamophobic’ act. A statement issued by its foreign ministry said, “The Swedish government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims. We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has decided to observe Yaum-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran on Friday, which will see countrywide protests against the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden. The government will also convene a joint session of the parliament on Thursday to formulate a national strategy on the issue and represent the nation’s sentiments and feelings through the parliamentary forum. The UN Human Rights Council, at the request of Pakistan, has also decided to hold an urgent session to address Islamophobia and religious hatred.
Different societies had accepted multifarious cultural coexistence as a way of life and a modern-day reality. However, 9/11 has most radically changed the global scenario. There has been a phenomenal rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Islam sentiment, also called Islamophobia, in Western societies. Islam has come to be identified with violence, provoking angry and catastrophic reactions by individuals and groups harboring anti-Islam feelings. This hostility is manifested through the desecration of the Holy Quran and the publication of blasphemous material against the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the name of freedom of expression, and regrettably, the governments there remain oblivious to the hurt it causes to 1.3 billion Muslims across the globe.
The dilemma is that some governments are even encouraging this phenomenon through anti-Islam state policies. The case in point is the publication of blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet in France during October 2020. It sent a wave of indignation throughout the entire Muslim world, and almost all Muslim countries demanded that the French government take preventive measures to stop the recurrence of such acts. However, French President Macron refused to heed the demands of the Muslim countries. He not only described Islam as a problematic religion that needed to be contained but also announced stricter oversight on schooling and better control over foreign funding of mosques.
The issue of blasphemy and Islamophobia is probably the biggest challenge confronting the Muslim world. It is not exclusive to Pakistan. The hate syndrome against Islam is not only causing upheaval in the countries where it has raised its ugly head but is also straining the relationship between the Muslim world and Western countries. The ugliest manifestation of this hate against Islam was the massacre of 50 Muslims in three mosques in New Zealand on 15 March 2019. However, one cannot but express appreciation for the way the New Zealand government dealt with the issue and expressed unqualified solidarity with the Muslim community.
The redeeming factor regarding this issue is that effective voices have already started emerging for interfaith harmony. The biggest proponent of it is Pope Francis, who is on record repeatedly saying, “It is not right to identify Islam with violence, as all religions have a small fundamentalist group. Faith is not the only cause of terrorism. Social injustice and the idolatry of money are the prime causes of terrorism. If I speak of Islamic violence, I have to speak of Catholic violence. Not all Muslims are violent.” The pope is right on the money in his analysis of the causes of terrorism and in dispelling the impression that all Muslims are violent. He has also tried to reach out to Muslims by visiting several countries in Asia and Africa, showing solidarity with Muslim communities affected by violence against them and preaching interfaith harmony. A supporting verdict has also recently come from the European Court of Human Rights, stating that insulting Islam’s prophet is not covered by freedom of expression. Defaming the prophet goes beyond the permissible limits of an objective debate and could stir up prejudice and put religious peace at risk.
Dealing with the issue of Islamophobia and blasphemy requires the OIC to keep lobbying EU countries and the UN to outlaw blasphemy and the desecration of the Holy Quran, as has been done in some European countries regarding the denial of the Holocaust and the propagation of Nazism. Only a collective and persistent effort by the Muslim Ummah can help in this regard.