Quran Desecration Amounts to ‘Hate Speech’, Should be Legally Banned: Analyst
A Sweden-based Iraqi refugee desecrated the Muslim holy book, for the second time in less than a month, after he was given a go ahead from Swedish authorities. The desecration as well as Sweden's indifference to the beliefs and feelings of Muslims have been widely condemned by Muslim and non-Muslim states.
IQNA has reached out to Giorgio Cafiero, the chief executive officer of Washington-based Persian Gulf State Analytics, to shed light on the issue.
Pointing to the existing hate speech ban in the Scandinavian country, he said "it would be logical to legally ban burning and desecrating the Quran, as well as other religions' holy texts, because it is unquestionably a form of hate speech."
What follows is the full text of the interview:
IQNA: On Thursday, a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee desecrated the Quran during a demonstration outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm amid strict protection provided by the Swedish police. What is your take on this?
Cafiero: In Sweden, the police have previously tried to prohibit Quran burning events. Yet, the judiciary has prevented the police from doing so based on the country’s freedom of speech considerations. For Sweden, these episodes involving hateful Islamophobes burning and desecrating the Quran have created major problems for the country abroad. In Sweden, most people find this act to be extremely offensive and do not support people burning and desecrating Qurans. There is now a debate among Swedes as to whether laws should be changed so that this act will become illegal. Already Sweden has a ban on hate speech. Therefore, at least in my opinion, it would be logical to legally ban burning and desecrating the Quran, as well as other religions' holy texts, because it is unquestionably a form of hate speech.
IQNA: Desecration of the Quran has once again cast light on the West’s double standards vis-à-vis Quran desecration and Islamic values and allowed Islamophobia to prevail. What is behind this growing trend of Islamophobia?
Cafiero: Unfortunately, Islamophobia has been a major problem in Europe. Certain politicians on the far-right are fear mongers who capitalize on their citizens’ anti-Muslim bigotry. There is no denying that the huge wave of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and other war-torn Muslim-majority countries into Europe created some ugly tensions that such right-wing politicians exploit for their own purposes. In the United States, Islamophobia did not begin on September 11, 2001. But there’s no debating that the terrorist attacks that day created a climate in which Islamophobia spread like wildfire across America. The US government violated the civil liberties of many American citizens who practice Islam under the guise of protecting the homeland from terrorism. To this day, Muslim-Americans have experiences at airports which reflect a continuation of the post-9-11 environment almost 22 years after that horrendous day in 2001.
IQNA: What are the legal and human rights implications of this act of desecration, and how can they be addressed by the international community and the relevant organizations? What are the best strategies and practices to prevent and counter such acts of desecration and hate crimes?
Cafiero: Ultimately, Sweden is a sovereign country with the right to make its own laws, but it’s also the right of other countries to try to influence Sweden. I believe that international persuasion would be the best tactic for trying to convince Sweden to follow in Finland’s footsteps in terms of recognizing Quran-burning events as acts of hate that violate “religious peace” and aren’t protected by the right to freedom of speech.
Islamophobia and discrimination against other religious groups is a major problem in many countries worldwide. It is important for Muslim countries and communities all over the globe to raise awareness about Islamophobia and build bridges that are designed to bring diverse groups together in pursuit of a more peaceful and tolerant world.
