F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani has penned down a letter to Sweden’s Parliament Speaker over the desecration of the Holy Quran, urging the country to highlight the significance of interfaith harmony and dispel misconceptions about Islam.
“I believe that in such a modern era where we are all interconnected in this global village, there should be no more room or excuse for abuse and desecration of holy personalities, scriptures and religious sentiments of any community,” the acting president wrote in the letter.
He also expressed gratitude for the “swift denouncement” of the incident by the Swedish government, making it “unequivocally clear that such actions are not reflective of Swedish state policies and are rightly condemned as Islamophobic”. However, he regretted, the countries seem to be far from goals of ensuring world peace, tolerance and interfaith harmony.
“I represent a nation deeply committed to these principles, and I strongly believe that there is much that we as parliamentarians and world leaders can do to prevent such actions which can disturb world peace,” he added.
He pointed out that Islam strictly teaches to never disrespect other religions, prophets, or holy books. “In fact, a person is not considered a Muslim until they believe in all the preceding prophets of the existing Abrahamic religions and their holy books,” he noted. “This is the respect and stature of other religions in Islam, yet frequent Islamophobic incidents prevail and are often swept under the rug in the guise of freedom of expression.
“The disrespect towards Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Holy Quran inflict immeasurable pain upon Muslims. It is crucial that this reality is understood and acknowledged, and steps are taken to prevent such acts from occurring through our national and global efforts,” he added, He stressed the need to grasp the true meaning and message of Islam, as well as the deep reverence and love we hold for our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Holy Quran.
Sanjrani further said that the recent desecration of the Holy Quran, like other similar incidents in the past, is rooted in a lack of understanding, and misconceptions about religion that must be dispelled. “It is incumbent upon all of us to educate ourselves and others, promoting understanding, tolerance, and interfaith harmony,” he added.
He urged the Sweden’s Parliament Speaker to not only appreciate the Kingdom of Sweden for condemning the burning of a Quran, but to also urge the Riksdag – the country’s supreme body – to highlight the significance of interfaith harmony and dispel misconceptions about Islam. “It is incumbent upon us, as representatives of our people, to guide and educate our people, fostering an environment that encourages tolerance, respect, and empathy among different faiths, religions and communities,” he added.
