Erdoğan condemns Quran-burning acts in Europe as hate crimes

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has decried the recent Quran burning incidents in several European countries as hate crimes and acts of barbarism, expressing deep concerns over the "escalating Islamophobia in Western nations."

"As Muslims, we struggle with many problems from terrorism to hate crimes at the same time. Islamophobia, which is spreading day by day in the West, raises our concerns," Erdoğan stated during a meeting with U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) Secretary-General Oussama Jammal and his delegation in the capital Ankara on Sept. 6.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Akif Çağatay Kılıç, the chief adviser to the president for foreign policy and security; and Ali Erbaş, the head of Türkiye's top religious body Diyanet, also attended the gathering held at the Presidential Complex.

Erdoğan's remarks come in the wake of multiple Quran-burning incidents, including recent clashes in Sweden's third-largest city, Malmo, where anti-Islam activist Salwan Momika ignited a copy of the Quran. The incident prompted an angry mob's reaction and the detention of at least three individuals, according to local authorities.

Erdoğan called for preventive measures to combat such acts. "We express on every occasion that we do not accept the attacks against our holy book Quran in Europe, under the guise of freedom of expression. This is a clear hate crime and barbarism," he remarked.

The president also pointed out that the repeated attacks in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark were indicative of a "failure to establish democracy and human rights in these regions." Erdoğan further referenced the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, which consider acts of violence against holy books as violations of international law.

Erdoğan urged the USCMO to intensify their efforts in preventing the propagation of anti-Islamic sentiments and countering terrorism targeting Türkiye in the United States.

"Many of you play important roles in terms of accessing political circles in the United States... I expect you to effectively explain to all political circles, especially the U.S. Congress, that the attacks against Türkiye cannot be defended on the pretext of freedom of expression, that they target social peace and stability," he stated.

In the past months, Momika has desecrated copies of the Quran in a series of anti-Islam protests mostly in Stockholm. Swedish police have allowed his actions, citing freedom of speech, which has led to mounting public outrage and diplomatic tensions, including protests in several Muslim-majority nations.