Every attempt to undermine the sanctity of the Holy Book of God preserved in the chests before the lines is shattered because God pledged to preserve it by saying: {Indeed, We have sent down the Remembrance, and We are His guardians} [الحجر: 9].

Despite all the miserable attempts to attack the Holy Qur’an, whether by burning a copy of it or tearing it up, it indicates people blinded by hatred and intolerance, driven by their psychological crises and sick minds, to spread hate speech without insight into the consequences of things.

Incidents of attacks on the Holy Qur’an in some countries of the world do not fall within the scope of freedom of expression, because international charters and human rights refuse to offend religious symbols, divine books, and divine religions, forgetting at the same time that the Holy Qur’an was and still calls for humanity, tolerance, acceptance of the other, and non-extremism and extremism.

Such abusive incidents constitute an assault on the rights of more than a billion Muslims, but rather a crime against the beliefs of Muslims whose religion criminalizes insulting religions or insulting prophets in general, and even expels anyone who offends religions or prophets from the religion of Islam, and those who carry out this criminal behavior are held accountable.

Jordan has expressed, popularly and officially, its rejection of any attack on the Holy Quran, as it is a reckless act that fuels hatred, and a manifestation of Islamophobia that incites violence and insult to religions.

In a statement issued previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called, in the wake of the attacks on the Holy Qur’an in some countries, to respect religious symbols, and to stop all acts and practices that fuel hatred and discrimination, noting that allowing these attacks is unacceptable, stirs discord and threatens peaceful coexistence, and does not constitute absolute freedom of expression, warning against continuing to allow such irresponsible behavior and actions.

The facilitator of the National Center for Human Rights, Dr. Reem Abu Dalbouh, told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the center condemns any practices or calls that incite hatred and undermine the religious feelings of individuals and groups, considering that the crime of burning the Holy Qur’an is a violation of international human rights standards.

She emphasized the importance of laws and legislation that prosecute those who commit acts that fuel hostility to Islam and religions, and hold accountable every act that would fuel hatred and disturb relations between followers of different religions and undermine global peace and security.

Lawyer Dr. Yazan Haddadin said that freedom of expression is a basic human right, and it is stipulated in many international covenants, the most important of which is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution No. (2017000).

And he added, “But the incidents of burning copies of the Holy Qur’an are a form of contempt for religions that have nothing to do with freedom of expression, and naturally cause religious hatred among people in general, and among members of the same society.”

And he indicated that the concept of freedom of expression revolves around embracing and expressing opinions without harassment of others, but without offending others, and thus freedom does not mean giving fanatics the right to insult and contempt, and national laws must set controls for these behaviors in light of the diversity of religious beliefs and affiliations worldwide, and support the concept of the rule of law.

In the context, he referred to the sixth discussion paper of His Majesty King Abdullah II, in which he stated, “When we look at our Arab societies, we find that they consist of a complex system of religious, sectarian, ethnic, and tribal affiliations, and this diversity can be a source of cultural and social prosperity and political pluralism, and a tributary to the economy, or a flame for sedition, racism, and conflicts. What separates these two realities is the presence or absence of the rule of law.”

Dr. Alia Al-Azm, a specialist in interpretation and the sciences of the Qur’an, said that the Holy Qur’an is preserved by God Almighty’s protection for it, and then by the efforts of Muslims from the era of the prophecy to the Day of Judgment.

And it showed that burning a copy of the Holy Qur’an will not affect its sanctity, nor its status among Muslims, and it will not undermine the religion of God, and the disgraceful act is nothing but moral harm to more than a billion Muslims, which makes their chests narrow, and their souls affected and grieved.

She stressed that confronting the incidents of attacks on the Holy Qur’an is by turning away from these people first, and then taking wise steps from peoples and governments to respond to them by introducing the truth of Islam and its tolerance and calling to God with wisdom and good preaching.

For his part, a faculty member, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Jordan, Dr. Firas Al-Habis, stated that religious fanaticism and intellectual extremism are among the motives leading to such a crime, and the infringement of the Qur’an as a symbol of the Islamic religion may be due to the desire for revenge resulting from wrong perceptions carried by a small group of people.

He added: The love of revenge may be generated by the perpetrator of the attack against a particular religion, society or group as a result of conflicts and internal repression in his childhood that led him to behavioral deviation and the commission of crimes that have no real basis, so he is limited to directing internal aggression towards a specific group.

-(Petra)