Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated on Tuesday that the desecration of the Quran amounts to incitement to religious hatred, as the UN Human Rights Council discussed a controversial proposal following the burning of a Quran in Sweden last month. Bhutto-Zardari spoke to the council via video link, saying, "We must see this clearly as incitement to religious hatred, discrimination, and attempts to incite violence," adding that "such acts have been committed with government approval and immunity from punishment." He continued, "It is important to recognize the harm caused by the public and deliberate desecration of the Quran to Muslims. This is an aggression against their religion."
The proposal, presented by Pakistan in response to the Quran burning incident in Sweden, seeks for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to issue a report on the incident and calls on countries to review their laws and address gaps that may hinder "the prevention of acts of religious hatred and the prosecution of those who commit them." The proposal highlights divisions in the council between the West and a Muslim bloc, with Western concerns about potential implications for freedom of expression and the longstanding challenges in protecting human rights practices.
