By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for nationwide protests on Friday to denounce the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by a man in Sweden and said he would summon a joint session of parliament to condemn the incident.
Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam’s holy book outside Stockholm’s central mosque last week, sparking outrage in several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq and Iran.
The European Union also criticised the act as an affront to religious freedom and tolerance.
Swedish police had given Momika a permit for the protest, in accordance with free-speech laws. But later police said the incident was being investigated for incitement of hatred.
Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said in a statement on Twitter that the prime minister decided to observe July 7 as Yaum-i-Taqaddus Quran (day to uphold the Holy Quran’s sanctity) and hold nationwide protests against the Sweden incident.
The Prime Minister appealed to all political parties and the nation to join the protests to send a united message to the miscreants, the statement said.
He also directed his party to take out rallies across the country and participate fully in the protests.
Sharif said he would convene a joint session of parliament on Thursday to express the nation’s sentiments and feelings and pass a joint resolution on the issue.
“Honouring the Holy Quran is part of our faith, [and] we are all united for it,” Sharif was quoted as saying in the statement.
He said Islamophobic forces were following a nefarious agenda and urged peace-loving nations and leaders to block their path and promote interfaith harmony.
Sharif’s call for protests came a day after Pakistan demanded immediate action against the perpetrator of the incident in Sweden and asked the Swedish government to take notice of the hateful narrative against Muslims in their country.
Separately, opposition leader Imran Khan also called for peaceful protests on Friday, saying the desecration had hurt the sentiments of Muslims and the nation should send a message in this regard.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
