'Civilised world' must condemn desecration of Holy Quran: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday drew the world's attention towards the urgency to achieve "global unity" in the fight against Islamophobia, in his condemnation of the third incident of the desecration of Holy Quran in a while.

Notorious anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish dual national, burnt a copy of Holy Quran near a mosque in the Danish capital and a second copy outside the Turkish embassy a day earlier.

Taking to Twitter, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed his displeasure saying that "the highly offensive desecration of the Holy Quran by a Danish politician is the third such incident in a row that should be strongly condemned by the civilised world."

The prime minister urged the international community to come together and fight the rampant Islamophobia, saying "the need for global unity to fight Islamophobia couldn't be more urgent than it is now. We are deeply hurt."

A day earlier, the Foreign Office also strongly condemned the senseless and deeply offensive act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark, by the same Islamophobe who committed a similar act in Sweden a few days ago.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “This repetition of the vile act leaves little doubt in the minds of Muslims around the world that freedom of expression is being blatantly abused to spread religious hatred and incitement to violence.”

The spokesperson mentioned that Pakistan’s concerns were being conveyed to the authorities in Denmark.

Protests

Several thousand people rallied across the country after Friday prayers to voice outrage over targeting the Holy Quran in Sweden and the Netherlands.

At least 5,000 people marched through the second-largest city of Lahore chanting "Quran is printed in our hearts" and "I am a protector of the Quran" in a rally organised by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held a protest demonstration against the desecration of the Holy Quran in Karachi. Swedish flags were torn up in both cities.

Protests were also held in several cities in neighbouring Afghanistan, where men, some carrying Taliban flags, were allowed to take part in rare and brief street demonstrations sanctioned by the authorities.

Around 1,000 men gathered in the eastern city of Jalalabad chanting: "Death to infidels, Death to Sweden, Death to America."

Demonstrations also broke out in Iraq, while Indonesia summoned Sweden's envoy and Egypt called for a boycott of Swedish and Dutch products.