Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned on Monday an extremist group for tearing up copies of the holy Quran in front of various embassies in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated desecration of the Quran, saying such “provocative and reckless” acts are offensive to millions of Muslims and only stoke hatred.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Dutch government to take responsibility to stop these actions.
It emphasized the importance of monitoring hate speech that negatively impacts peace and security, read a statement carried by the UAE state news agency (WAM). Furthermore, the Ministry expressed its rejection of the use of freedom of expression as justification for such heinous acts.
It underscored the UAE's rejection of all practices aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles. It reaffirmed that hate speech and extremism contradict international efforts to spread the values of tolerance, coexistence and peace between peoples.
It underscored the need to respect religious symbols and avoid incitement and polarization at a time when the international community needs to work together to reiterate a commitment to upholding the universal principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The Ministry emphasized that these principles should be promoted and implemented to achieve stability and sustainable development.
The Ministry remarked that hate speech and extremism are closely linked to the spread and escalation of conflict.
Bahrain strongly condemned the tearing up of copies of the Quran.
A Foreign Affairs Ministry statement reiterated a call to stop such hateful provocative actions, viewing them as incitement to hostility and religious and racial hatred.
Such acts contradict international efforts aimed at promoting the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and mutual respect between peoples and cultures, it added.
Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Egypt expressed its “deep disappointment” in the tearing up of the Quran, saying it was the “latest in a series of crimes against Islam and its sanctities.”
In a statement, it added that such crimes “demonstrate that some western governments are not determined and not serious about consolidating values of world peace and peaceful coexistence that the al-Azhar has been trying to promote.”
It called on “all western governments and people, as well as the entire world, to deeply study Islam and understand its message in a way that reflects the modernity and civility that these countries claim to represent.”
Saudi Arabia had strongly denounced the tearing up of the Quran.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Kingdom’s total rejection of such hateful and repeated acts, saying that these cannot be accepted under any justifications.
“Such acts clearly incite hatred and racism, and directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, and moderation, apart from rejecting extremism, and undermining the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and countries,” the ministry said in a statement reported by SPA.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “heinous” tearing up of the Quran, reiterating its call on the international community to stand against such acts that “provoke Muslim sentiments and spread hatred under the excuse of freedom of expression.”
In a statement on the X platform, it underlined the importance of cooperation between all nations to confront such acts.
Oman echoed concerns that such acts incite violence and hatred.
