Iran Urges Muslim Countries to Take Serious Stance against Desecration of Holy Quran

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf urged Muslim countries to take a “serious” stance against the recurring acts of desecration of the Holy Quran.

Qalibaf made the remark during a joint press conference with his visiting Algerian counterpart, Ibrahim Boughali, in the capital Tehran on Monday, following the recent sacrilegious moves by extremist elements in Sweden and Belgium.

“Muslim countries must take a serious position regarding the desecration of the Holy Quran,” the Iranian Parliament speaker said.

Qalibaf added that he and Boughali, as the president of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States [PUIC], agreed on holding a virtual meeting among the heads of parliaments to condemn the desecration of Islamic sanctities, including Quran-burning in Western countries, and find a suitable response to the issue.

He also pointed to the need for serious cooperation in the field of human rights and said, “We must have serious partners at the level of international relations, which is one of the discussions in the field of human rights.”

In parallel, Qalibaf underlined, “Today, with the support of Iran, Algeria has become a non-permanent member of the Security Council and a permanent member of the Human Rights Council, which is considered a capacity in such fields.”

The Iranian foreign minister further urged Sweden and Denmark to review their policies on the desecration of the Holy Quran before it is too late.

Boughali, for his part, censured the latest acts of desecration of the sacred Muslim book and called for mutual respect among the world’s religions.

“On the issue of insults to Islamic sanctities, we are trying to prevent any incident that provokes the feelings of Muslims through cooperation and coordination, and we believe that all faiths and religions should be revered,” the Algeria parliament speaker said.

Boughali, who visited Iran at the official invitation of Iranian authorities, also said Algeria has “common positions” with Iran and that his trip conveys a message of brotherhood to the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, the two top lawmakers discussed the activation of a joint economic commission between Iran and Algeria, calling for concerted efforts to expand bilateral relations and develop economic ties between their countries.