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Rabat – Far-right extremists have torn up a copy of the Quran in a new Islamophobic act in the Netherlands.
Reports said the far-right extremists carried out the heinous act in a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in the Hague.
The Dutch branch of the far-right group Pegida led the Islamophobic act on Friday under Edwin Wagensveld’s leadership. Only a few people accompanied the extremist leader.
The act took place under police protection, with security services intervening when counter-protesters tried to chase Wagensveld.
Many also threw stones at the extremist when he started tearing up pages from the Quran.
The Islamophobic act was accompanied by many counter-protesters who condemned it, TRT World reported.
Many states and organizations worldwide have also voiced condemnation of the act that comes amid an escalating wave of Islamophobia in Europe.
“Pakistan believes that freedom of expression comes with responsibilities,” the Pakistani Foreign Office said, responding to the protest.
“It is the responsibility of national governments and the international community at large to prevent racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic acts. That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to mark March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.”
A series of Islamophobic acts took place in several European countries recently, with authorities prefering to strengthen their border control instead of tackling the root issues of the situation.
Sweden and Denmark also witnessed Islamophobic acts, with far-right extremists either tearing up Quran pages or setting them alight under police protection.
The repeated acts come despite international community concern, stressing that similar actions could lead to dangerous consequences.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in July that the UN is committed to continue “countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”
He also condemned the acts, describing them as intolerant actions that could contribute to discrimination and radicalization.
