The largest and most authoritative university in the world Al-Azhar highly praised the attitude of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the holy book for Muslims - the Quran - and his principled position against the recent action with a public burning of a copy of the Quran in Stockholm. Al-Youm Al-Sabia reported this on Thursday.
Al-Azhar University welcomed "the courageous position taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who honors the Quran and protects Muslim shrines, expressing his respect for Islam," the report said.
Cairo University also sent a greeting to "the Kingdom of Morocco, the monarch and the people." The kingdom responded to the action in Stockholm by recalling its ambassador from Sweden. "Al-Azhar called on all countries to 'take the same noble stand' to express their 'rejection of the repeated violations and constant provocations [against] Muslims throughout the world.'".
The day before, Putin visited the Juma mosque in Derbent, where he was presented with a Quran. The president stressed that Russia deeply respects the Quran and the religious feelings of Muslims and that it is a crime in Russia to disrespect this holy book. At the same time, the president noted that such practices are not common in all countries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS