The leader of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia, Mufti of Moscow Albir Krganov, conveyed his belief to TASS that global Muslim organizations are not exerting sufficient efforts to curb the proliferation of Quran burnings.
During this summer, a series of Quran burning rallies took place in Sweden and Denmark, with these events receiving authorization from law enforcement bodies. The initiator of these anti-Islamic activities in Sweden is a 37-year-old immigrant from Iraq named Salvan Momika, while in Denmark, the right-wing radical group "Danish Patriots" was responsible. Following a provocation on July 20 near the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, protesters targeted the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Similar attempts to assault the Swedish diplomatic mission occurred in Lebanon and various other countries. In response, on July 31, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an emergency meeting at the foreign ministers' level to devise measures aimed at countering instances of Islamophobia in Western nations.
"The Organization of Islamic Cooperation should take a proactive stance and not remain silent due to political or regional concerns. In my view, the OIC's response has been insufficient. While employing diplomatic language is commendable, it should not be merely superficial. The OIC has the potential to convene a significant interfaith conference, inviting representatives from Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist communities to address this matter," he emphasized.
Krganov pointed out that the response from other Muslim organizations is likewise inadequate. For instance, he mentioned the presence of the Eurasian Islamic Council in Turkey, along with councils in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia that bring together the global community of Muslim scholars.
"[The act of Quran burning] is a geopolitical and strategic maneuver orchestrated by influential entities that are conducting rather malicious assessments of how Muslims might respond to such provocations. It's an evident act of incitement. Similarly, other faiths recognize that if Muslims are subjected to this today, it could be their own faith tomorrow," he remarked.
The mufti also offered his perspective on the Danish government's move to introduce legislation prohibiting the burning of religious scriptures in public spaces. "Given that individuals, driven by their own beliefs, may not voluntarily cease such actions, it implies that the legal framework must be activated, and it should be enforced rigorously," Krganov remarked. As previously disclosed, the Danish Cabinet is putting forth a bill that could lead to penalties of up to two years of imprisonment for contravening this new law. For recurrent transgressions, the penalties could become more stringent.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: SAMR official website
Based on materials from TASS