July 12, 2023
Western states oppose the UN resolution against Quran burning
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Major western countries - France, Germany, the UK, and the US – on Wednesday voted against a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council condemning the recent burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
The draft resolution was presented by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The resolution, which calls for condemnation of attacks targeting the Quran and described them as "acts of religious hatred," was put to vote by the 47-member council.
The resolution was adopted with 28 countries voting in favor, 12 countries voting against it, and 7 countries abstaining at the 53rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Countries that voted in favor of the resolution included Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Those voted against included Belgium, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Romania, the UK, and the US.
The resolution condemns all manifestations of religious hatred, including "public and premeditated acts of desecration of the Holy Quran" and underscores the need to hold those responsible to account.
It urges states to adopt laws to "address, prevent and prosecute acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence."
It also wants the U.N. rights chief Volker Turk to identify gaps in countries' laws in light of the resolution.
Last month, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran under police protection in front of the Stockholm Mosque in Sweden.
His provocative act was timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
Islamophobia on the rise: China
"Islamophobia is on the rise. Incidents involving desecrating the holy Koran have happened again and again in some countries," China's ambassador Chen Xu said.
"These countries have done nothing to implement their professed respect for the protection of freedom of religious belief."
Türkiye called on the world to take necessary action to prevent anti-Muslim attacks, including desecration of the Quran, as the U.N. Human Rights Council convened to discuss measures to be taken in the aftermath of repeated incidents.
Addressing an urgent session on Acts of Religious Hatred at the U.N. Human Rights Council via a video message, Yasin Ekrem Serim, Türkiye's Deputy Foreign Minister, said, "We deeply condemn recent public burnings of the Holy Quran, which are clear manifestations of growing religious hatred."
He emphasized that any form of disrespect toward any holy book contradicts the principles of tolerance, social peace and respect for human dignity.
"Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of society, but it cannot be misused to spread hatred. It is unacceptable to allow these acts on the grounds of freedom of expression. We call on all authorities to take necessary action against perpetrators of these acts and to prevent recurrence of such incidents," he said.
Serim added, "Türkiye, with vast majority Muslim population and as a member and partner of all Western organizations like Council of Europe, NATO and also an EU candidate, will continue to support initiatives against anti-Islam sentiments."
Reaffirming Türkiye's commitment to combat hatred and discrimination, the Turkish official expressed Ankara's willingness to collaborate with all countries at bilateral and multilateral levels to address this issue.
"We call on all countries to support this resolution to give a clear united message against acts of hatred which threaten not only Muslims, but all humanity," he said.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Editor -in-Chief of the Journal of America. Email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
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The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
