Sirajul Haq writes letter to Swedish PM while protesting in the strongest terms over despicable act of desecration of Holy Quran
LAHORE, Jan 24 (SABAH): Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Sirajul Haq has written a letter to Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson while protesting in the strongest terms over the despicable act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden few days ago.
The letter written by Emir JI Siraul Haq is given below:
Mr. Ulf Kristersson,
Prime Minister of Sweden.
Subject: Despicable act of desecration of copy of Holy Quran
Mr. Prime Minister,
I am writing to protest in the strongest terms over the despicable act of desecration of the Holy Quran, a provocative act that your government not only allowed but facilitated outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm a few days ago. Yet again, when the world needs an atmosphere of dialogue, understanding, and harmony more than ever, your country and very government has just indicated its insensitivity for other religions and impassivity in bringing its diverse population closer under greater harmony nurtured by reverence for each other’s beliefs.
We do not see this event as an isolated act by an individual. It instead appears to us as a tacit state-sponsored vile campaign of provocation against Muslims taking place under the guise of freedom of speech, especially in the Western world. Interestingly, this boundless version of ‘freedom of speech’ targeted only at inciting Muslim sentiments is contradicted by the same countries, including Sweden, where certain acts far less grave than desecrating a Holy Book have long been criminalised. These include the criminal laws on denial of the holocaust and punishments on desecrating flags of countries, to mention a few. Is it not hypocritical that the burning of national flag in Sweden is still punishable under your criminal code, while an individual purposely burning the Holy Quran read and followed by more than a quarter of the world’s population walks free?
The purposely chosen location for this shallow act has also raised questions over your sincerity to bridge gaps between faiths and mend tensions with the Islamic world. At a time when your country is at the brink of entering NATO, your inaction against this blasphemy has not only reflected disrespect for other faiths but also proves how this insensitivity leads you to take strategically myopic decisions for your own country.
Such acts do not only hurt the sentiments of the masses, but also add fuel to fire and provide an excuse to individuals and groups to respond in a violent manner. I therefore demand an apology from you to the Muslim world for being a facilitator in desecrating our Holy Book and expect a commitment for not being a tool in such vile acts in future. The more important the country is in the world’s geopolitical landscape, the heavier the responsibility to maintain peace and harmony in the world through responsible decisions.
Truly,
(Sirajul Haq)
President,
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.