Desecration of Holy Quran only serves to hurt inter-faith relations: PM

Pakistan on Tuesday took strong objection to the desecration of the Holy Quran in front of an Iraqi Embassy in Denmark, with the country's top leadership calling for immediate and collective, action to counter Islamophobia.

"The recurring pattern of these abominable and Satanic incidents has a sinister design: to hurt inter-faith relations, damage peace and harmony and promote religious hatred and Islamophobia," tweeted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling on governments and faith leaders to "put an end to such abhorrent practices". 

"Let us not allow a handful of misguided and evil people to hurt the emotions of billions of people. Let them not dictate their nefarious agenda," wrote the premier.

The incident in Denmark is the third Islamophobic act in July with the first two occurring in Sweden. 

OIC commends Pakistan

Meanwhile, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha commended Pakistan's efforts to combat and counter Islamophobia.

Speaking to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over the telephone on Tuesday, he appreciated the leading role played by Pakistan in this regard at the United Nations.

The telephone call was made by Bilawal against the backdrop of recurring incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and other European countries.

Read ‘Sanctity of Quran Day’ on Friday

Condemning such despicable acts, the foreign minister briefed the OIC secretary-general about the resolution adopted by the Parliament of Pakistan in a joint sitting on the sixth of this month and observance of 'Youm-e-Taqaddus Quran' across Pakistan on the seventh of this month.

Bilawal appreciated the urgency with which OIC is responding to these reprehensible acts, under the stewardship of the secretary-general.

He commended the OIC for holding an Open-ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee on the second of this month, in Jeddah, and the issuance of a comprehensive communiqué after the meeting.

Bilawal also welcomed the OIC's decision to hold an Emergency Ministerial Meeting on this issue and briefed the secretary-general about his telephone calls with the foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in this regard.

The foreign minister also assured the secretary-general that Pakistan stands ready to actively participate in all OIC initiatives to arrest the reprehensible tide of Islamophobia.