Pope Francis Slams Authorizations for Quran Burning
Speaking to al-Ittihad newspaper of UAE, Francis stressed that permitting the burning of the Quran is rejected and condemned.
The pope also expressed strong anger at acts such as Quran burning.
A 37-year-old Iraqi man desecrated the Quran by torching some of its pages outside Stockholm Central Mosque on Wednesday. The Swedish police allowed and guarded the act of disrespect to the Muslim holy book.
The incident, which happened during the Muslim Eid al-Adha and the conclusion of the annual hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was widely condemned by Muslims worldwide.
On Friday, for the second consecutive day, thousands of Iraqis rallied near the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to denounce the Quran burning. A day earlier, angry protestors briefly stormed the embassy.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an extraordinary meeting on Sunday, stressing that international law should be used to stop religious hatred. “We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred,” OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said.
Source: Agencies
