Pak Sahafat – The wave of insults to the sanctities of religions in Western countries is justified by the use of “freedom of expression”, which according to international law documents, such actions are not only an example of “freedom of expression” but also to hurt the religious feelings of millions.
Rasmussen Paluden, leader of a Swedish-backed extremist party in Denmark, set fire to the Quran in a pre-planned operation with Swedish police in the predominantly Muslim town of Linkoping on Thursday.
Paluden, known for his anti-Islamic activities and obtained permission from police to gather his supporters, repeated the same action in Rinkby on Friday. This deliberate and provocative action provoked a wave of protests and global condemnation.
Paluden has done similar things in Denmark in recent years and tried to burn the Koran in other European countries, such as Germany and France, but was prevented from doing so by Swedish police in support of the far-right.
Meanwhile, the Swedish police and government have been criticized by many prominent officials and personalities for not taking this action seriously, which is a clear violation of human rights and a violation of the freedoms of others.
In the Swedish Constitution, in the list of rights and freedoms, the first six freedoms are related to freedom of thought: Freedom of expression, freedom of information, freedom of association, freedom of demonstration, freedom of organization and freedom of religion. In the meantime, only freedom of religion is unconditional, while other freedoms are restricted by current laws.
What follows from the definitions of freedom of expression in the above international instruments is in no way a justification for insulting or ridiculing other opinions. Freedom of expression applies to the extent that it does not conflict with other rights. Hurting the feelings and beliefs of more than one billion Muslims in the world under the pretext of freedom of expression is not only unacceptable by any logic and reasoning, but also contrary to the same documents, conventions and treaties that have declared freedom of expression as a human right.
Reactions to the burning of the Qur’an in Sweden
Michael Sebastian Abbasi, director of the Center for Muslim Relations in Denmark, accused Rasmussen of inciting unrest against Muslims. He also criticized the police, saying that the police should not have given him such permission, and many blame the police for this.
A spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that the deliberate repetition of insults in Sweden during the holy month of Ramadan has hurt the feelings of Muslims in Sweden and around the world, said: We are waiting for the immediate, strong and clear reaction of this country in dealing with the perpetrators of this insulting act.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Third Western Europe Office condemned the insulting act during the holy month of Ramadan and noted the Swedish government’s responsibility in this regard. He called insulting the sanctities of more than two billion Muslims around the world and hurting their feelings the worst possible abuse of freedom of expression, and said the unfortunate incident, which took place under the protection of Swedish police, tarnished Sweden’s image among Muslims around the world.
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Other Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Iraq, etc., also strongly condemned this provocative act and desecration of the Holy Quran.
Western duality on freedom of expression
 Western countries resort to “freedom of expression” to justify such anti-Islamic actions, while the definition of freedom of expression and its restrictions, based on international law, does not in any way insult the beliefs of other religions and ethnicities. This shows the West’s disregard for the rights enshrined in international instruments, which it has often insisted on ratifying.
The dual approach of Western countries to the issue of freedom of action is as if there is freedom for indigenous citizens but not for immigrants.
On the other hand, according to Dr. Hassan Nafeh, a prominent professor at Cairo University, officials in countries where anti-Islamism is prevalent claim that their country enjoys freedom of expression in justifying its lack of criticism and serious treatment of these extremist behaviors, for this reason, they shirk the responsibility of issuing decisions or rulings in such cases. However, one should ask why there is no mention of this freedom in the case of the Holocaust and the issues related to Israel?
Regarding the West’s dual approach to insulting religious taboos, this professor of political science believes that the West has pursued a dual policy in dealing with those who insult religion because it prevents attempts to criticize the Holocaust and at the same time allows Islam and its sanctities are insulted.
In this regard, the words of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran as a questioner of this series of bitter anti-Islamic events can be mentioned; Why blasphemy and divine prophets mean freedom of expression; But they do not allow scientific research on the Holocaust, a clever point that reveals the contradictory nature of the views and actions of Western governments.
As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, emphasized earlier in his insult to Charlie Hebdo, “the pretext for freedom of expression for not condemning this great crime … is utterly rejected, wrong, and demagogic.”
The need for legal action and the official reaction of Islamic countries
The author of the article, Anatoly, argues that the continuation of this series of anti-Islamic actions by the far right is due to the weakness of Muslims, who only react in the event of such events, and that is why they play on the reactions and feelings of Muslims.
At the same time, it is necessary to find a way to cooperate with the just legal sectors in Europe and the West, so that such insulting cases as a crime can be prosecuted by the relevant institutions, especially the European Court of Human Rights.
In this regard, Anatoly referred to an example of the ruling of the Human Rights Court on October 25, 2018 It unanimously declared that insulting the Prophet (pbuh), the Qur’an and Islam was beyond the bounds of “freedom of expression” and that this could be a turning point in the normal course of events for possible claims in similar attacks on holy sites, including the Holy Prophet.
However, the continuation of such blatant insults, including the burning of the Qur’an in Sweden, the tearing of the Qur’an in Norway, and the publication of insulting cartoons, suggest that Europe and the West are increasingly becoming suffocating prisoners for Muslims.