French Proposal on Quran ‘Manifesto of Ignorance’: Turkey

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A French proposal demanding the removal of some verses in the Quran is "a manifesto of ignorance", the Turkish prime minister said Tuesday.

"No one can dare to touch even a single letter of the Quran. It is under God's protection," Binali Yildirim said, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Bestepe Culture and Convention Center, Anadolu Agency reported. 

On April 21, 300 prominent French figures, including former President Nicolas Sarkozy and former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, signed an open manifesto demanding that some parts of the Quran, which they claimed contain violence and anti-Semitic references, be removed. 

Yildirim condemned the move calling it a "hate crime".