The King of Morocco calls for vigilance and firmness in confronting the burning of copies of the Qur’an

Gambia – King Mohammed VI of Morocco called for vigilance, firmness and coordination to confront some individuals’ attempts to burn and desecrate copies of the Qur’an, amid leniency and negativity from the authorities in some countries where these incidents occur.

In his speech on the occasion of the 15th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which began on Saturday in the Gambian capital, Banjul, under the slogan “Strengthening unity and solidarity through dialogue for sustainable development,” the King stressed that “it is no secret to you that manifestations of intolerance, discrimination, extremist tendencies, isolationism, and rejection of… The other has become widespread in circles that reject everything related to heavenly religions, especially the message of our Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. We are deeply concerned about the escalation of hate speech and the rise in the number of victims of this scourge, which fuels the cycle of violence and instability and constitutes a serious threat to peace and security in many regions.

The royal speech, which was read by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Al-Tawfiq, explained: “With strong condemnation, we recall here what has been witnessed in recent years of some individuals burning and desecrating copies of the Holy Qur’an, amid leniency and negativity from the official authorities in some of the countries where these events occur. “Despite the violation of the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslims.”

The king added, wondering: “When did freedom of expression mean insulting others and harming them in their beliefs and feelings, and how can some countries be proud of the absolute protection of freedoms at a time when those freedoms are being used to fan the flames of strife, destroy bridges of communication and understanding, and undermine the foundations of coexistence? This is not disdain for Muslims.” Is ignorance of the ideal values ​​of Islam the best ally for the miserable personal tendencies and exclusionary political agendas that establish the phenomenon of Islamophobia?

Mohammed VI called for vigilance, firmness and coordination to confront these offensive transgressions, with the same strength of adherence to the principles of dialogue and tolerance between religions and cultures, openness and respect for others, adding that “what we have witnessed with great regret in the manifestations of hostility to the Islamic religion and its exploitation in electoral bidding in some societies is nothing but a struggle of ignorance before “It will be a clash of civilizations.”

In his speech, the King stated that he hopes that the UN resolution unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on July 25, 2023 regarding “Promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in the face of hate speech,” which was presented by the Kingdom of Morocco, will achieve a qualitative leap in the efforts aimed at reducing the phenomenon of extremism and speech. The hatred.

Source: Moroccan News Agency