Islamic Sanctities Under Attack in Europe Lead to Diplomatic and Economic Boycotts
In an escalating trend of hostility towards Islamic sanctities, acts of desecration continue to take place across Europe, particularly in Denmark and Sweden. This pattern has drawn support from certain European governments, leading to an increase in calls from the Islamic world for severe countermeasures.
In Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, extremists torched a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy. This desecration occurred only days after similar incidents in both Denmark and Sweden. These acts have led to significant backlash, with many in the Islamic world pushing for punitive measures against both countries, perceiving these incidents as part of a wider assault on Islam.
According to Reuters, the group responsible for these recent acts of desecration in Copenhagen, self-identified as the ‘Danish Nationalists’, had previously committed similar offenses.
Under the banner of “freedom of expression,” Swedish and Danish authorities permitted the burning of Quran copies, triggering widespread anger in the Muslim community. Iraq severed diplomatic ties with Sweden and imposed an economic boycott in response to these acts. Protests in Baghdad led to the arson of the Swedish embassy, while the Swedish ambassador was forced to depart from Lebanon due to similar protests.
The capital of Yemen, Sanaa, took a prominent stance against these desecrations, led by revolution leader, Sayyid Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi. He announced a diplomatic boycott of Sweden and declared future consultations impossible to be held in Sweden again. This action coincided with a comprehensive economic boycott of Swedish products and commercial agencies by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
As the frequency of these offenses against Islamic sanctities has increased, so too has the breadth of the reaction. Iran has stated it will not accept the new Swedish ambassador to Tehran and will not appoint a representative in Stockholm. Several Arab and Islamic countries have summoned Swedish ambassadors to express their protest.
Despite some Muslim countries’ outraged protests, these acts of desecration persist and have even spread to Denmark, which has previously shown hostility towards Islamic sanctities. These recurring offenses, in spite of vehement reactions from the Islamic world, suggest a calculated and systematic assault on Islamic sanctities under the guise of “freedom of expression”, a principle often exposed as a sham when it comes to issues such as criticizing Zionism.
Sayyid Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, the revolution leader, suggested the desecration of Islamic sanctities is facilitated by the Zionist lobby’s influence over Western governments. The ongoing offenses imply that the governments of Sweden and Denmark value the desecration of the Quran more than averting potential economic and diplomatic repercussions. This suggests a targeted assault on Islam.
In Yemen, the people have been instrumental in responding to the Quran desecration incidents in Sweden. While condemning statements from some governments have been made, tangible actions are still anticipated. The people of Yemen continue to lead in the Islamic world, calling for a unified stance against these offenses.
In Sanaa, a large public gathering took place on Monday, urging Islamic world governments to take practical, punitive measures against countries supporting these offenses, primarily Sweden and Denmark. The crowd sought justice and punishment for those responsible.
The persistent public outrage in Yemen, provoked by these perceived Western offenses against Islam, may inspire similar reactions in other Islamic countries, spurring their governments to take more decisive action.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Ministry in the National Salvation Government called on Arab and Islamic countries to impose economic sanctions on Swedish and Danish products in response to the continued acts of Quran desecration.
In light of these recent incidents, the Secretary General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, pointed out that if these acts are orchestrated by the Zionist Mossad, they are likely to persist unless met with strong resistance.
Given the acceleration and intensification of Quran desecration incidents, the call for a unified Islamic response gains urgency. While some countries may not move beyond statements of condemnation, the potential for larger-scale protests increases, posing a challenge even to the governments of those countries.
The necessity of a unified Islamic front is increasingly apparent in the face of this perceived Western onslaught against Islam. Failing to adopt this position may lead to significant negative implications, both in terms of the conflict with the perceived Western hostility and the internal stability within the Islamic world.