Türkiye and Pakistan called on the world to take necessary action to prevent anti-Muslim attacks, including desecration of the Quran, as the U.N. Human Rights Council convened to discuss measures to be taken in the aftermath of repeated incidents.
Addressing an urgent session on Acts of Religious Hatred at the U.N. Human Rights Council via a video message, Yasin Ekrem Serim, Türkiye's Deputy Foreign Minister, said, "We deeply condemn recent public burnings of the Holy Quran, which are clear manifestations of growing religious hatred."
He emphasized that any form of disrespect toward any holy book contradicts the principles of tolerance, social peace and respect for human dignity.
"Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of society, but it cannot be misused to spread hatred. It is unacceptable to allow these acts on the grounds of freedom of expression. We call on all authorities to take necessary action against perpetrators of these acts and to prevent recurrence of such incidents," he said.
Serim added, "Türkiye, with vast majority Muslim population and as a member and partner of all Western organizations like Council of Europe, NATO and also an EU candidate, will continue to support initiatives against anti-Islam sentiments."
Reaffirming Türkiye's commitment to combat hatred and discrimination, the Turkish official expressed Ankara's willingness to collaborate with all countries at bilateral and multilateral levels to address this issue.
"We call on all countries to support this resolution to give a clear united message against acts of hatred which threaten not only Muslims, but all humanity," he said.
Pakistan also urged the world to stand united against a rising tide of Islamophobia and religious hatred, including incidents like the burning of Islam's holy book, the Quran, in Sweden.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari virtually addressed the urgent debate held by the Human Rights Council on acts of religious hatred, where he called on the global community to "stand united against hatred, discrimination, intolerance, and promote mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance," state-run Pakistan Television reported.
Islamabad's top diplomat said that the deliberate desecration of the Quran has continued under the "government sanction and with the sense of impunity," an apparent reference to the Swedish government that allowed the burning of a copy of the Quran earlier this month.
"We must see this as incitement to hatred, discrimination, and attempts to provoke violence. We must join hands in condemning it; we must isolate those who stroke hatred," Zardari added.
"The Holy Quran is a spiritual anchor for 2 billion Muslims. It is important to understand the deep hurt that the public and premeditated act of Quran's desecration causes to Muslims," he said.
Dubbing the Sweden incident as an attack on the Muslim faith, Zardari said that hate and free speech must be segregated as free speech is "indispensable, but hate speech was indefensible."
He added that Muslim countries do not allow the desecration of the holy text of other religions, and such an act is unthinkable to any Muslim.
"It is forbidden by faith, by culture, and by law," he said.
Last month, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran under police protection in front of the Stockholm Mosque in Sweden.
His provocative act was timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
It elicited widespread condemnation from across the Islamic world, including Türkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Senegal, and Mauritania.
