The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an by an extremist in the Hague, the Netherlands, adding that this unacceptable act would inflame and provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world. The Secretary General affirmed the GCC's firm position on the importance of spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as well as rejecting hatred and extremism. Moreover, he urged the international community to assume responsibility to stop such acts. In Algiers, the Association of Sahel Scholars and Imams strongly condemned the act of an extremist who burned copies of the Holy Qur'an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. In a statement Tuesday, the association called for respect of Islam and Muslims in the West. In Khartoum, Sudan has condemned in the strongest words the incident of burning copies of the Holy Qur'an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, and condemned the Swedish authorities interpretation that the act falls within the freedom of expression. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Sudan's firm position underscoring the importance of rejecting hatred. In Tunis, Tunisia has condemned Swedish extremists daring to burn copies of the Holy Qur'an in a flagrant provocation of the feelings of Muslims all over the world. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that such an act is never related to the freedom of expression but a provocation of violence and hatred. In Tripoli, the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation condemned the Swedish government's permission to burn a copy of the Holy Qur'an in Stockholm. In a statement, the ministry denounced such an extremist act, calling it a blatant offense on Islam that fuels hatred and violence and provokes the feelings of Muslims. The Libyan Foreign Ministry called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to confront hatred against Islam. In Nouakchott, Mauritania has condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an by an extremist in Stockholm, Sweden. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the burning a heinous act and an unacceptable provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world. Mauritania affirmed its firm adherence to the principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence between cultures and peoples of the world in accordance with the tolerant principles on which Islam is based, reiterating its total rejection of everything that would fuel feelings of hatred and violence. — SPA
