Muslim leaders at UN criticise West over Quran burnings

Turkey's Erdogan says Islamophobia 'has reached intolerable levels' after desecrations in Sweden and Demark

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi holds a Quran as he addresses the UN General Assembly in New York on September 19. AP

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Muslim leaders addressing the UN on Tuesday berated the West over burnings of copies of the Quran, denouncing as discriminatory the acts that are protected as free speech.

Sweden has had a series of burnings of the Islamic holy book, with the government voicing condemnation but saying it cannot stop acts protected under laws on freedom of expression.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who has put pressure for months on Sweden over its welcome to Kurdish activists Ankara regards as terrorists – said that western countries were facing “a plague” of discrimination, including Islamophobia.

“It has reached intolerable levels,” he told the UN General Assembly.

“Unfortunately, populist politicians in many countries continue to play with fire by encouraging such dangerous trends."

“The mentality that encourages the hideous attacks against the holy Quran in Europe, by allowing them under the guise of freedom of expression, is essentially darkening [Europe's] own future through its own hands."

Protests in Sweden that have involved Quran burnings have been organised by refugee Salwan Momika, sparking outrage in the Middle East, including his native Iraq.

Mr Erdogan in July said he would lift a blockade on Sweden's bid to join Nato but the Turkish Parliament has not yet ratified the country's membership.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held up a Quran at the UN rostrum.

“The fires of disrespect will not overcome the divine truth,” Mr Raisi said, accusing the West of seeking to “divert attention with the tool of freedom of speech".

“Islamophobia and cultural apartheid witnessed in western countries – evident in actions ranging from the desecration of the holy Quran to the ban on the hijab in schools and numerous other deplorable discriminations – are not worthy of human dignity."

He was alluding to France, which has controversially banned Muslim girls from wearing hijabs in schools.

One year ago, Iran cracked down violently on women-led protests started by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, a Kurdish woman detained by morality police for wearing the hijab "improperly".

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim, in his speech to the UN General Assembly said that “compromising the sanctity of others deliberately” should not be seen as freedom of expression.

“I would say to my Muslim brethren that it is implausible for us to get distracted by an idiot or a biased person whenever it occurs to him to provoke us by burning the holy Quran or by other forms of triviality,” Sheikh Tamim said.

“The Quran is too holy to be desecrated by a witless person.”