The Muslim Council of Britain has written to the to Swedish Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Ms Mikaela Kumlin Granit, relaying the deep concerns raised within our affiliate networks and requesting constructive dialogue, following the recent Qur’an-burning in Stockholm, Sweden.
Click to view a PDF version of the letter.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Ambassador,
I write to you on behalf of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the largest and most diverse umbrella body for Muslim-led organisations in the UK, with over 500 affiliated local national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
I would like to relay the deep concern of many of our affiliate organisations over the recent public burning of the Quran in Sweden. We understand that freedom of expression is a fundamental right, however, the burning of any religious text remains extraordinarily offensive to those who hold that text sacred.
As Muslims, the Quran is not just a book to us, but the word of God, and burning it is considered a grave insult to our faith. This kind of behavior is rooted in Islamophobia. It only serves to incite hatred and division among different religious groups and further discord within societies. We believe that it is important to respect the beliefs and practices of all religions and that such deliberate acts of hate should not be tolerated.
I hope the Swedish Government will take appropriate action to address this issue, ensuring the rights and sentiments of minority religious groups are respected. I would greatly appreciate if you could bring our concerns to the attention of the appropriate authorities as a matter of priority, and would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss the matter in greater detail.
Please do accept my sincere thanks for your consideration in the matter. I very much look forward to the prospect of constructive dialogue on the issue.
Yours sincerely,
Zara Mohammed,
Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain