Lebanese scholar demands recall of envoys from Sweden over Quran burning

By Naim Berjawi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – A Lebanese scholar has called on Arab and Islamic countries to withdraw their ambassadors from Sweden amid anger over the desecration of the Quran, Islam’s holy book.

On Saturday, a Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist burned a copy of the Quran in a police-approved protest in the capital Stockholm.

And on Sunday, Edwin Wagensveld, a far-right Dutch politician, and leader of the Islamophobic group Pegida, tore out pages from the Quran in The Hague, the administrative capital of the Netherlands. Wagensveld's video on Twitter showed that he burned the torn-out pages of the holy book in a pan.

Speaking to Anadolu, Sheikh Hassan Merheb, Assistant Inspector General of Dar Al-Fatwa in Lebanon, termed reactions to the desecration of the Quran as “non-serious”.

"The Arab and Islamic countries were supposed to take measures to preserve our dignity and sanctities, criminalize assault on them, and withdraw their ambassadors from Sweden and the Netherlands," he said.

Merheb denounced the Western response to insults against Islamic sanctities, accusing the West of pursuing a “double-standard” policy.

"It is unfortunate to say that we live in a world that only sees with one eye,” he said.

“Acts by non-Muslims are neither considered extremism nor racism, but when a mistake is made by Muslims, even if it is by a small group of people, it turns into an unforgivable crime, terrorism, extremism, racism, and all the heinous descriptions that humanity knows.”

Merheb pointed out that complacency in dealing with such insulting behavior “has caused it to be repeated.”

"When we were complacent about the act in Sweden, it was repeated in the Netherlands. If no serious action is taken, I think things will get worse in the coming days," he warned.

Merheb warned that "these scenes serve nothing but sedition, racism and a resumption of wars between sects."

The Lebanese scholar expressed his hope to find "wise people in Europe and the West to criminalize and prohibit such acts.”

The desecration of the Quran has triggered a storm of condemnations from across the Islamic world, including Türkiye.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat