Russian President Vladimir
Putin has criticized Western countries that allow the burning of the Quran
on grounds of free speech, saying such acts are criminalized by Russia.
Putin made the remarks during a meeting with Muslims at the Juma Mosque
in Dagestan's Derbent on Wednesday, where he was given a copy of the Quran
as a gift. He expressed criticism towards Western nations that do not
consider Quran burning a crime, emphasizing that Russia penalizes such actions.
"The Quran is sacred for Muslims and should be sacred for others,"
Putin was quoted by the Turkish Anadolu
Agency as saying. He expressed gratitude for the gift and
stated: "I will always abide by these rules."
Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers condemned, on
Thursday, burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, Anadolu Agency reported.
The State Duma, lower chamber of the Russian Parliament, adopted a statement, denouncing the Sweden authorities' authorization for such actions.
The Members of Parliament particularly emphasized that
the religious feelings of Muslim people were hurt on the first day of one of
the two main Muslim holidays - Eid Al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice.
"The deputies of the State Duma strongly condemn another vandalism action approved by the Swedish authorities and urge the officials to take measures to prevent violations of the rights and insults to the religious feelings of Muslims," the statement said.
The OIC denounces Quran Desecration
The 57-member states Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Sunday denounced the June 28 incident of Quran burning in Sweden and called for collective measures to prevent acts of desecration to the Quran and international law should be used to stop religious hatred.
The statement by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, was issued after an extraordinary meeting in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah called to discuss Wednesday's incident.
The Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said "unfortunately, on the first day of that auspicious occasion, when all Muslims around the world were celebrating the Eid, a despicable act of desecration of a copy of Holy Qur'an was committed outside the central mosque in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden".
The OIC Secretary-General also stressed the need to send a clear message that acts of desecration of copies of the Holy Qur'an and insults against our honored Prophet Muhammad were not mere ordinary Islamophobia incidents. "We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred."
Emphasizing adherence to the UN Charter, the OIC highlighted the importance of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms on a global scale.
Outrage in the Muslim countries
The burning of a Quran outside the main mosque in Sweden on the Eid al-Adha sparked outrage Thursday in several Muslim countries with widespread condemnations of Sweden.
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