The UAE has strongly condemned the planned burning of copies of the holy Quran by extremists in Sweden.
Three members of the public and more than a dozen police officers were injured when riots broke out in Sweden over plans by Danish anti-Islam group Stram Kurs to burn copies of the Quran in towns and cities.
The far-right party was eventually forced to abandon its rallies over security concerns, after hundreds of protesters threw stones and set cars on fire at the events.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said the UAE rejected all practices aimed at destabilising security and breaching moral values, news agency Wam reported.
It said religious symbols must be respected and religions must not be insulted. The ministry called for values of tolerance and coexistence to be upheld.
Al Azhar Mosque and University in Egypt's capital Cairo, considered the world's leading institution on Sunni Islam, also condemned the planned burning of copies of the Quran.
It called for the enactment of international legislation to prevent the desecration of religious sanctities.
“The noble Quran will remain in its lofty place as a guide for humanity. Its sanctity will not be compromised by the grudges of the young, nor the actions of those who stir up sedition and endorse hate,” Al Azhar said on Monday.
It called the encroachment on religious sanctities a “barbaric apostasy” that disregards human values and fosters violence and hatred.
Al Azhar called such acts a flagrant violation of all international laws that stipulate the need to respect the sanctities of people and their religions.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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