KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar (pix) has urged the Swedish government to take firm action against extremist politicians for their provocative act of burning a copy of the Quran in Stockholm on Saturday (Jan 21).
He said the vile act by Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan should be opposed because he had abused the principle of freedom of speech by burning the holy book of Islam.
“The Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) also calls on the community to respect the sanctity Islam, cultivate dialogue and promote the values of universal respect in order to create a harmonious world,“ he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, he said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s strong condemnation of Paludan’s actions had proved Malaysia’s determination to oppose any form of violence and hatred, especially Islamophobia.
Yesterday, Anwar, while strongly condemning the act urged the Swedish government to take urgent measures against the perpetrators of the vile act as well as ensure drastic measures in the future to address the alarming rise of Islamophobia in the country.
Paludan, the leader of Danish far-right party ‘Stram Kurs’, was given permission to burn a copy of the Quran on Saturday outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, angering Muslims around the world. - Bernama
