The Speaker of the Arab Parliament Adel Bin Abdulrahman Al-Asoumi has expressed his strong condemnation of the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an by an extremist in Denmark capital, Copenhagen. He also warned against such provocative acts that fuel hate, call for violence and threaten the security and stability of societies. In a statement Sunday, Al-Asoumi said: "The burning of the Holy Qur'an is an act of barbarism, which is condemned by all international laws and conventions. It is also contrary to human and moral values and principles." He highlighted the importance of promoting tolerance, peaceful coexistence, acceptance of others, and avoiding abuse of religions and their symbols. The speaker stressed that extremists will not achieve their despicable purposes, adding that Islam will remain strong in facing these systematic campaigns that will never undermine it, and calling on the international community to vigorously address such acts and prevent abuse of all religions. Also, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi too strongly condemned and denounced the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. The secretary-general called the incident a heinous act of incitement that would provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world, especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan. He affirmed the GCC's firm stance in spreading the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence between religions, respecting symbols and sanctities, and rejecting hatred and extremism. Furthermore, he urged the international community and the governments of the concerned countries to take responsibility for intervention and swift action to stop such repeated and unacceptable abuses of the symbols of Islam and Muslims. In Jeddah, the Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also strongly condemned the provocative burning of copies of the Holy Qur'an, which took place in two different locations in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Friday. The OIC Secretariat General considers these provocations, carried out by extremist right-wing individuals and groups under the pretext of freedom of expression, spread hatred and intolerance and are directed against Islam and Muslims. The OIC called on the Danish authorities to take the necessary measures against the perpetrators of these hate crimes and prevent such provocations. The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an by an extremist group in Denmark in front of the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen. The Ministry, in Manama, called for stopping those provocative actions that incite discrimination, enmity, religious hatred, and racism. The Ministry urged taking action to spread the values of acceptance, peaceful coexistence, and respect for religious and cultural diversity. In Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an in Denmark. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) reiterated the UAE's permanent rejection of all practices aimed at destabilizing security in contravention of human and moral values and principles. The Ministry stressed the need to respect religious symbols and to avoid incitement and polarization at a time when the world must work together to spread the values of tolerance and coexistence and reject hatred and extremism. — SPA
