Pakistan welcomes Denmark’s proposal to outlaw Qur'an desecration

Pakistan has welcomed a proposal by the Danish government to adopt legislation that would outlaw the desecration of the holy Qur'an and other divine books.

“This, we believe, is a step in the right direction,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Saturday.

“Pakistan has always maintained that desecration and burning of holy scriptures constitute a serious act of religious hatred, which must not be permitted under the guise of freedom of expression, opinion and protest.”

“We hope the step taken by Denmark today would culminate in effective legislation to curb the desecration of the holy Qur'an and other divine books.”

It said such abhorrent acts intend to create friction among communities and harm inter-faith harmony and mutual respect.

The foreign ministry also stated that it is the responsibility of governments to take necessary measures to prevent acts of religious hatred, xenophobia and Islamophobia.

“We also hope that other countries will emulate and undertake similar steps to outlaw such hateful acts,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

On Friday, Denmark’s justice minister told reporters the government would present a bill that will “prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community.”

Peter Hummelgaard said the legislation especially targets the disrespectful desecrations carried out by a few individuals at public places in the Scandinavian country, which have upset Muslims.

ME