Quran desecration: Difference between revisions

Following the printing of the 1924 "royal" edition (''amīriyya'')"<ref>Michael W. Albin, "Printing of the Quran" [[Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an]], Vol. 4, [[Brill Publishers|Brill]]</ref> a large number of pre-[[1924 Quran]]s were destroyed by dumping them in the river [[Nile]].<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Reynolds |author-first=Gabriel Said |author-link=Gabriel Said Reynolds |year=2008 |editor-last=Reynolds |editor-first=Gabriel Said |title=The Quran in its Historical Context |url=https://archive.org/details/quranitshistoric00reyn |url-access=limited |location=[[Abingdon-on-Thames|Abingdon, Oxfordshire]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |chapter=Introduction: Qur'anic Studies and its Controversies |pages=[https://archive.org/details/quranitshistoric00reyn/page/n17 1–26] |doi=10.4324/9780203939604 |isbn=978-0-415-42899-6 |ref=GSRQSaIC2008 |s2cid=160637821 |access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref>

In mid-2005, allegations of deliberate desecration of the Quran<ref name=Reut/> in front of Muslim prisoners at the [[United States]] military [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]] in Cuba fueled widespread controversy and led to ensuing Muslim riots. A U.S. military investigation confirmed four instances of Quran desecration by US personnel (two of which were described as "unintentional"), and fifteen instances of desecration by Muslim prisoners.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pentagon Details Abuse Of Koran |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005093324/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/03/AR2005060301654.html |archive-date=2020-10-05 |url-status=live |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/03/AR2005060301654.html}}</ref> According to CBC News, "The statement did not provide any explanation about why the detainees might have abused their own Holy books."<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-admits-abuses-to-qur-an-in-guantanamo-1.537573 U.S. admits abuses to Quran in Guantanamo].</ref> In May 2005, a report in ''[[Newsweek]]'', claiming that it was U.S. interrogators who desecrated the Quran at the Guantanamo Bay base, further sparking Muslim unrest.<ref name=Reut/>

In 2010, Christian pastor [[Terry Jones (pastor)|Terry Jones]] of the [[Dove World Outreach Center]], a church in Gainesville, Florida, provoked condemnation from Muslims after announcing [[2010 Quran-burning controversy|plans to burn a Quran]] on the anniversary of the Islamic terrorist [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indonesian Muslims Protest Plans to Burn Quran on September 11|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Indonesian-Muslims-Protest-Plans-to-Burn-Koran-on-September-11-102250384.html|access-date=9 September 2010|newspaper=Voice of America news|date=5 September 2010}}</ref> He later cancelled the plans;<ref>{{cite news|title=US pastor Terry Jones cancels Koran burning|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11255366|access-date=10 September 2010|newspaper=BBC News|date=9 September 2010}}</ref> however, on March 20, 2011, he oversaw the burning of a Quran. In response, Muslims in Afghanistan rioted and 12 people were killed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Terry Jones (Pastor) |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/terry_jones_pastor/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404182026/http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/terry_jones_pastor/index.html |archive-date=2011-04-04}}</ref>

The legality of burning religious scriptures in Denmark was disputed for a long time, since the act might have been punishable under the country's blasphemy law (which, though on the books, was considered to may have lapsed; for instance, it hadn't been used to prosecute a televised Bible burning in 1997). But the blasphemy law was officially abolished in 2017, after which it became legal to desecrate Qurans and other religious scriptures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/quran-burner-denmark-facebook-blasphemy-laws-repeal-a7771041.html|title=Quran-burner trial dropped after Danish parliament revokes centuries-old blasphemy law|date=3 June 2017|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=L 170 Forslag til lov om ændring af straffeloven. |url=https://www.ft.dk/samling/20161/lovforslag/l170/index.htm |website=[[Folketing]]}}</ref> Burnings of the Quran, sometimes wrapped in bacon,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/islamkritiker-rasmus-paludan-brente-koran-surret-inn-i-bacon/s/12-95-3423679174|title=Islamkritiker Rasmus Paludan brente Koran surret inn i bacon |date=2 May 2019|work=Nettavisen|language=no}}</ref> and other forms of desecration such as throwingripping the book toapart, throwing it in the grounddustbin waswere a regular occurrence at rallies of the party [[Stram Kurs]] and party leader [[Rasmus Paludan]] as well as similar extremist groups.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/25/denmark-s-quran-burning-politician-gathering-support-for-election-candidacy|title= Denmark's Quran-burning politician gathering support for election candidacy Access to the comments|date=25 April 2019|work=Euronews}}</ref> Paludan called on his supporters to urinatepee on the Quran,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/verden/i/jdLvez/hoeyreradikal-provokatoer-og-koranbrenner-kan-bli-valgt-inn-i-folketinget|title=Høyreradikal provokatør og koranbrenner kan bli valgt inn i Folketinget|date=4 May 2019|work=Aftenposten|language=no}}</ref> call it a "shit book", and the Prophet [[Muhammad]] a pedophile murderer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/politik/valg19/paludans-far-ubehageligt-at-laese-om-rasmus/7655728|title=Paludans far: Ubehageligt at læse om Rasmus|date=1 June 2019|work=Ekstrabladet|language=Danish}}</ref>

{{main|2023 Quran desecrationburnings in Sweden}}

On June 28, 2023, [[Salwan Momika]], an Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden, burned a copy of the Quran and played football with the copy, outside [[Stockholm Mosque|Stockholm's central mosque]]. The Swedish police had granted a permit for the demonstration, after a Swedish court ruling that allowed it on the grounds of freedom of expression. The incident led to [[Protests against Quran desecration in Sweden|international protests]].<ref>{{cite news |author1=Marie Mannes |author2=Louise Rasmussen |title=Protester burns Koran at Stockholm mosque on Eid holiday |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/swedish-police-approve-small-anti-koran-demonstration-mosque-2023-06-28/ |access-date=1 July 2023 |work=Reuters |date=June 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Lindsay Isaac |title=Turkey condemns Quran burning protest in Stockholm as a 'heinous act' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/28/europe/sweden-quran-protest-intl/index.html |access-date=1 July 2023 |agency=CNN |date=June 28, 2023}}</ref>

However, Swedish police did file preliminary hate crime charges against a man who burned the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm in June, 2023 and Swedish state prosecutors will decide whether to formally indict him or not. If they do indict him, it will be up to a Swedish judge to decide on whether or not his actions constituted incitement under the current law.<ref>AP,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-21 |title=Why Does Sweden Allow Quran Burnings? It Has No Blasphemy Laws |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/why-does-sweden-allow-quran-burnings-it-has-no-blasphemy-laws-/7190103.html |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Voice of America |language=en}} </ref>

In March 2013, the al Qaeda English-language magazine Inspire published a poster stating "Wanted dead or alive for crimes against Islam" with a prominent image of [[Terry Jones (pastor)|Terry Jones]], known for public Quran burning events.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Qaeda Mag Publishes 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' List |url=https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/al-qaeda-mag-publishes-wanted-dead-or-alive-list_704904.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302061917/https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/al-qaeda-mag-publishes-wanted-dead-or-alive-list_704904.html |archive-date=2013-03-02}}</ref> Iran's news agency, IRIB, reported on April 8, 2013, that Terry Jones planned another Quran burning event on September 11, 2013. On April 11, IRIB published statements from an Iranian MP who said the West must stop the event and warned that "the blasphemous move will spark an uncontrollable wave of outrage among over 1.6 billion people across the globe who follow Islam." In Pakistan, protesters set the American flag and effigy of the US pastor Terry Jones on fire, condemning the 9/11 plan, according to an April 14, 2013 article in ''The Nation''.<ref>{{cite web |url=httphttps://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/14-Apr-2013/protest-against-planning-to-burn-holy-quran-copies |title=Protest against planning to burn Holy Quran copies |access-date=2015-07-14 |url-status=deadlive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131201044901/http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/14-Apr-2013/protest-against-planning-to-burn-holy-quran-copies |archive-date=2013-12-01 }}</ref>

[[Turkey]] summoned the Dutch ambassador in [[Ankara]] following "a vile attack" on the Quran in the Hague in January 2023. Ambassadorby Dutch [[JoepPegida]] Wijnandsleader [[Edwin Wagensveld]]. Ambassador Joep Wijnands was told by the Foreign Ministry that Turkey condemned "the heinous and despicable act" and demanded the Netherlands not to allow such "provocative acts".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Türkiye strongly condemns 'despicable act' on Quran in Netherlands |url=https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/türkiye-strongly-condemns-despicable-act-on-quran-in-netherlands-64809 |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Türkiye strongly condemns 'despicable act' on Quran in Netherlands |language=en}}</ref>