Today, the Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights,accompanied by 38 other NGOs from different countries around the world, sent a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressing deep concern about the pathetic cases of Quran burning, the holy book of all Muslims, by some people in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
These shameful acts are reminiscent of practices from the Middle Ages when books were burned in public places, along with their authors. The Center emphasized that our world today, which suffers enough conflicts and crises, needs to strengthen the culture of tolerance, coexistence, and respect for cultural and religious diversity in all its forms.
The Center expressed its deep concern about the spread of radical and discriminatory ideologies, which manifest themselves in various forms and under various titles. However, such shameful abuses of freedom of expression cannot in any way allow the exclusion and/or humiliation of others.
The Center, along with other NGOs, expressed that rampant Islamophobia can lead to extreme practices and reactions and can severely test social peace and global security. Therefore, the Center urged the UN to take concrete and urgent measures to combat such Islamophobic practices, which seriously threaten the rights of Muslim minorities in European countries and can lead to massive human rights violations.
Finally, the Center called on the United Nations Secretary-General to condemn such racist acts clearly and to lead the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in raising public awareness of the dangers of the phenomenon of Islamophobia on the respect for human rights. For more information, please refer to the document addressed to the UN.
