January 27, 2023

The Senate on Friday held candid discussion on recent despicable acts of desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Participating in the debate, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar strongly condemned the desecration of Holy Quran in the two European countries.

He said Islam preaches the message of peace, tolerance and brotherhood and the Holy Quran is a complete code of life. 

The Minister said Islamophobic incidents in European countries are a matter of great concern.

Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government will take up the matter seriously at appropriate forums including the United Nations, OIC and the European Union and we will register our protest in a responsible manner.

In his remarks, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said protests are taking place in different parts of the world over the heinous crime committed in the two European countries.  He said the acts in European countries have hurt the sentiments of Muslim Ummah.

Taking the floor, Mushtaq Ahmad said the desecration of Holy Quran is an immoral, provocative and terrorist attack against Muslims. He called for lodging strong protest with the envoys of Sweden and the Netherlands to convey the sentiments of the Muslims on the shameful acts.

Taking the floor, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif urged the western countries to stop Islamophobic incidents saying their double standards on human rights and freedom of expression pose a threat to world peace.

He said the Muslim countries should collectively express their resentment over the desecration acts.

The Defence Minister said Islamophobia in the Western countries is the main cause of extremism in Muslim countries. He said if they respect our religion, the extremist tendencies can also be checked.

Khawaja Asif strongly condemned Indian and Israeli state sponsored terrorism against the Muslim population. 

He said Israel killed about forty Palestinians this month while the narrative of BJP-led government in India is based on Islam enmity. 

He said the Indian Prime Minister is the biggest terrorist as he was involved in the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.

Participating in the debate, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar asked the people of different faiths to ponder over the Holy Quran which is a divine communication.

He said the central theme of this Holy Book is human-being and understanding it would cleanse not only the human soul but also the whole environment of the planet.

In his remarks, Faiz Muhammad said since Islam is spreading in European countries, therefore, propaganda has been unleashed by certain elements against the religion to stop this process. 

He said Islamophobic acts in Europe are a conspiracy against our religion.

Participating in the discussion, Irfan Siddiqui said the Islamophobic acts in European countries are not freedom of expression but it is an expression of their hate and bigotry towards Islam and Muslims.

Taj Haider emphasized for effectively spreading the message of Islam and Holy Quran in the world.  He said the world should be informed that the Holy Book is not only for the Muslims but the whole of humanity.

In his remarks, Faisal Javed said contempt of religion cannot be allowed under the garb of freedom of expression. He said such provocative steps should be declared illegal at the international level.

Kaman Michael said those involved in Islamophobic acts have nothing to do with any religion.

Other Senators also strongly denounced the desecration acts in European countries.