Daily Times

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned yet another “abhorrent” act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark, calling it the manifestation of growing hatred and Islamophobia.

“The recurrence of such willful and vile acts is a troubling manifestation of growing hatred, racism and phobia against Muslims and their faith,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.

She said the repeated occurrence of such premeditated acts called into question the efficacy of legal framework behind which Islamophobes hide and incite hatred with impunity.

She said the exercise of the right to freedom of expression could not be used as a smokescreen to deliberately denigrate the Holy Scriptures or personalities of any religion.

The spokesperson called on all states to develop legal deterrence with a view to preventing and prosecuting such acts, in line with the responsibilities and duties enshrined in international human rights law.

“We also call upon the international human rights machinery to speak out against such intentional actions that constitute incitement to hate, discrimination and violence against Muslims solely because of their faith,” the spokesperson remarked.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned a raid by the Israeli forces on Al Aqsa Mosque on the third day of holy month of Ramadan, expelling the worshippers and violating the sanctity of the Mosque – one of the holiest sites of Muslims.

Pakistan called upon the international community to take urgent action to put an end to the Israeli transgressions that have been particularly ascendant since the beginning of this year, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.

The indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces against defenseless Palestinians defied all humanitarian and human rights norms and laws.

Such reprehensible attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation forces, during the holy month of Ramadan, have become a regular feature in recent years.

By carrying out the illegal raids, the spokesperson said Israel backed out on its own recent commitment to respect the sanctity of Ramadan.

“These acts not only constitute grave violation of fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief of the Palestinian people but also an affront to the religious sentiments of over 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,” the spokesperson said.

Pakistan reaffirmed its unstinted support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, and renewed its call for a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, being the only just, comprehensive and lasting solution of the Palestinian question, in accordance with the relevant United Nations and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Resolutions.