Daily Times

Recent episodes of desecrating holy symbols in Nordic countries serve as a stark reminder of how deep we have taken a plunge. Repeated Quran burnings, humiliation and attempts to do so by Islamophobic figures or groups have simply reduced to secularistic values of the West to scraping the barrel. In the aftermath of an uproar from the Muslim world on top of yet another deplorable act by an Iranian-born Danish woman, Denmark’s prime minister has noted that banning such acts would not be tantamount to restricting freedom of expression. While the Danish government appears to explore possibilities of intervening in similar situations to prevent negative consequences for society’s security, most of their policies intend to fight fires. Instead of focusing on the bouts of revenge by beefing up borders and intensifying security checks, it would have been more beneficial to take action against hate-spewing organisations. From sacrilegious cartoons to Burkini bans to cancelling any representation of Islam in the name of preserving modern, progressive and democratic values, these countries have always turned the other way when it comes to attacking Muslims, their faith and their livelihoods. Their silence has encouraged many others to transgress the line even further. If today, the bigoted groups are disrespecting holy books to send their message across the table, tomorrow they would be after Muslims’ lives. There’s no telling where this frenzy will stop. Although an alarming concern shown by the UN Security Council should be appreciated, Muslim countries would have to take up the issue on an individual basis. Just like Saudi Arabia summoned the respective diplomat, other states should also make their grievances known. No human should be forced to choose which aspect of his identity he cherishes more: his nationality or his religion. *