UN adopts resolution condemning the burning of the Quran

On Wednesday, July 12, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning the burning of the Quran and sacred texts as an act that provokes the promotion of hatred, incitement to violence, and enmity worldwide.

28 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 12 opposed it, and 7 abstained. In particular, the United States, the United Kingdom, and EU countries voted against the resolution.

Delegations from the countries that voted against the draft resolution stated that the document did not pay enough attention to guarantees of freedom of expression.

The UN Human Rights Council called on states to adopt laws that curb and prevent acts and the promotion of religious hatred through legal means. The Council also decided to organize an “interactive group discussion of experts” on the root causes of the desecration of sacred texts, places of worship, and religious symbols.

The draft resolution was proposed by Pakistan. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also submitted a draft resolution to the UN Human Rights Council and called for a special session to discuss repeated cases of desecration and burning of the Quran and sacred texts, as well as the promotion of religious hatred.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the recent burning of the Quran in Sweden on Tuesday, stating that such actions were fabricated to provoke anger and discord.

Earlier, on June 28, the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday, 37-year-old Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran in a square near the main mosque in Stockholm.

His actions sparked a wave of protests in Muslim countries. Authorities in several Muslim countries urged the Swedish government to prevent such provocative actions, as they do not represent a recognition of freedom of speech and expression.

Following this, thousands of Muslims held protests in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, Palestine, Senegal, and other countries in condemnation of the burning of the Quran.

The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, also condemned the act of burning the sacred book of Muslims—the Quran—in Stockholm.