The Norwegian Council for Tolerance condemned, in a statement issued today, the “disgraceful behavior” towards the Holy Qur’an on the part of some extremists in the Netherlands and Sweden, which the Council considered a blatant assault on freedom of belief and divine religions and a tool of discrimination and hatred.
The Council indicated in its statement that, while they call on the world for tolerance and peace and to reject hatred and violence, it is unfortunate that some regimes in those countries protect these actions under the pretext of freedom of opinion and expression and promote them under this name, while it is in accordance with international human rights standards. Such practices are considered a tool of discrimination and racism, while they have nothing to do with freedom of opinion and expression when these actions are exposed to freedom of religion and belief and disdain for divine religions that affect others.
While the President of the Norwegian Council for Tolerance called on the governments of those countries in which these extremist groups emerge to issue legislation criminalizing these shameful behaviors that fall under racism and prohibiting the practices of these extremist groups in accordance with international law, he called on the United Nations and the European Union to intervene.
Urgently issue an international and legal position on this matter.
