At UN, Muslim leaders criticize Europe’s ‘unbearable Islamophobia’

It was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was the first at the UN to condemn the “intolerant” attacks in Europe on Islam. He, as well as other leaders of Muslim countries (Iran, Qatar) used the rostrum of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to attack European countries, in particular Sweden, where meetings were held with the “dishonorable” desecration and burning of copies of the Koran. .

Iraqi refugee in Sweden Salwan Momika sparked international outrage in June when he burned and trampled a Koran in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque on the first day of Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world.

Iraq requested his extradition from Sweden last week. The latter condemned the desecration of the Koran, while emphasizing the prevalence of freedom of expression and assembly in his land. At the end of August, the government of neighboring Denmark introduced a bill banning the burning of Islam’s holy book.

For his part, President Erdogan has been pressuring Sweden for months to take action against these desecrations, in the context of high tensions between the two countries: Ankara ended in July, after 14 months of blockade, by lifting its veto on Sweden’s entry into the EU. to NATO. Turkey has criticized Stockholm for its perceived leniency towards Kurdish activists who have taken refuge on its soil.

“Intolerant” Islamophobia

During his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, the Turkish head of state assessed that “racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia” in European countries, which he did not name, had reached “unbearable” thresholds.

Accusing “populist politicians in many countries of continuing to play with fire,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan further opined that “the vile attacks on the Koran in Europe (…) darken the future” of the Old Continent.

In a speech that was also very harsh against the American enemy and the West in general, Iran’s conservative President Ebrahim Raissi assured that “the fire of disrespect will not destroy divine truth.”

Koran kissed

The leader of the Shia Islamic Republic held a copy of the Koran, which he kissed on the lips several times before placing it on the table.

“Islamophobia and cultural apartheid, which we can see in Western countries, from the desecration of the holy books of the Koran to the ban on wearing the hijab in schools and other numerous deplorable manifestations of discrimination, are not issues of human dignity,” criticized Ebrahim Raissi, without mentioning either Sweden or France.

For his part, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose wealthy Gulf state is a Western ally, said “the Koran is too sacred to be desecrated by an idiot.”