Islamic World Outraged over Quran Burning in Copenhagen

Muslim worshippers perform the "Taraweeh" prayer inside a mosque in Algiers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on March 25, 2023. (AFP)
Muslim worshippers perform the "Taraweeh" prayer inside a mosque in Algiers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on March 25, 2023. (AFP)
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Islamic World Outraged over Quran Burning in Copenhagen

Muslim worshippers perform the "Taraweeh" prayer inside a mosque in Algiers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on March 25, 2023. (AFP)
Muslim worshippers perform the "Taraweeh" prayer inside a mosque in Algiers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on March 25, 2023. (AFP)

Arab countries and Islamic organizations condemned the burning of the holy Quran by an extremist group outside the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the move, underlining the need to consolidate the values of dialogue, tolerance and respect and reject everything that stokes extremism.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation slammed the repeated provocations by extremist right-wing groups under the pretext of freedom of expression.

It condemned the burning as an act of intolerance that fuels hatred that is directed against Muslims and Islam.

The Muslim World League denounced the “heinous” burning of the Quran, saying it was provocative to Muslims.

MWL Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed al-Issa said the insistence of extremists to commit such acts under the excuse of freedom of expression actually harms freedoms and their humanitarian values.

He warned that such acts only stoke hatred, provoke religious sentiments and serve extremist agendas. They also drown out moderate voices and efforts to boost dialogue and harmony between religions.

He urged governments to realize the danger of such “barbaric and reckless” practices and to take “immediate measures to confront them.”

The Arab Parliament warned that the repetition of such acts fuels hatred and violence and threatens the security and stability of societies.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned the burning of the Quran, saying it was another provocative act that would incite Muslim sentiments around the world, most notably during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

It demanded that the international community and concerned governments take immediate action to shun hatred and extremism and work on putting a stop to such repeated offensives to Muslim holy symbols and sanctities.

It also demanded that the perpetrators be held to account.

The United Arab Emirates strongly condemned the burning, saying it rejects all acts that destabilize societies and violate humanitarian and ethical principles.

Oman denounced the burning, urging collective international efforts that would promote tolerance, respect and coexistence and criminalize all acts that encourage extremist thought and harm religions and beliefs.

Qatar strongly condemned the burning, warning that the “heinous act was a dangerous provocation of the sentiments of over a billion Muslims around the world, especially during the month of Ramadan.”

It noted that the repeated burning of the Quran, under the pretext of freedom of expression, “fuels hatred and violence, threatens peaceful coexistence and reveals despicable double standards.”

Bahrain also condemned the burning, saying such acts stoke hostility, religious hatred and discrimination.

It underlined the need to take necessary measures to bolster understanding, tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect for religious and cultural diversity.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the “racist and provocative” burning of the Quran, saying it was offensive to Muslims, especially during Ramadan.

It said it was a “dangerous act of hatred and a sign of Islamophobia that incites violence and insults religions.”

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry slammed the “heinous” burning, saying it provoked the sentiments of Muslims around the world.

It called on Danish authorities to firmly apply the law to confront such reckless acts of incitement and prevent them from happening again under any excuse.



France Holds Rare Defense Cabinet Meeting over Iran as Tensions with US Mount

Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
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France Holds Rare Defense Cabinet Meeting over Iran as Tensions with US Mount

Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo

French President Emmanuel Macron was convening key ministers and experts on Wednesday to discuss Iran, including its nuclear program, amid growing tensions between Tehran and US President Donald Trump, three diplomatic sources said, Reuters reported.

Such a cabinet meeting dedicated to a specific subject is rare and highlights mounting concern among Washington's European allies that the United States and Israel could launch airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities unless there is a quick negotiated deal on its nuclear program.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced US military capability in the Middle East with more warplanes, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, amid a US bombing campaign against the Houthis who control much of Yemen and are supported by Iran.

A senior European official said European strategists were asking themselves whether the campaign could be a precursor to a US strike on Iran in the coming months.

Trump, who has urged Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to engage immediately in negotiations, threatened Iran on Sunday with bombing and secondary tariffs if it did not come to an agreement over its nuclear program, which Western countries say amounts to weapons development.

The foreign minister of Iran's direct adversary Israel will be in Paris on Thursday. Diplomatic sources said ministers from France, Britain and Germany were hoping to discuss the Iran dossier with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio when they convene in Brussels for a NATO ministerial meeting this week.

Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.

Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal's limits on uranium enrichment, producing stocks at a high level of fissile purity, well above what Western powers say is justifiable for a civilian energy program and close to that required for nuclear warheads. Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.

France, Britain and Germany have sought in recent months to raise pressure on Iran in a bid to coax it back into discussions over its nuclear program.

They have held several rounds of talks with Iran including at technical level last week, to try to lay the groundwork for some form of agreement.

But the Trump administration has focused initially on a campaign of "maximum pressure", and the Europeans have found coordination complicated, diplomats say.

The European powers had hoped to convince Iran to begin negotiating new restrictions on its nuclear activities with a view to having a deal by August at the latest.

That would give enough time to set new limits for Iran's program and lift sanctions before the 2015 accord expires in October 2025.