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"I ask myself, as a Christian, what would European Christians say if a Bible was burned in front of them?" said Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the silence of European leaders and media on the recent Koran burning incidents in Sweden and Denmark.
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"I condemn these racist acts of hatred against Muslim nations," Maduro said in statements to Al Mayadeen television network. The president noted that "the silence of European leaders on the burning of copies of the Koran is surprising, which is tantamount to their complicity in the crime."
Maduro also criticized the media for not covering the issue, adding that he "strongly condemns" hate crimes against Muslims and the activities of "extreme right-wing and racist circles" in Europe.
Maduro said it is impossible to turn a blind eye to such provocations that humiliate Islam and its followers, noting that "the angry reaction of the Islamic world to the desecration of copies of the holy book is quite natural." "I ask myself, as a Christian, what would European Christians say if they burned a Bible in front of them?" said Maduro.
El presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro condenó enérgicamente el silencio de los líderes europeos ante la quema del noble Corán, el libro sagrado de los musulmanes.https://t.co/Y4r7WXW2Bb pic.twitter.com/cizsh7eFJ7
— Embajada de la Rep. Islámica de Irán - Managua (@IranManagua) August 7, 2023
The tweet reads, "The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro strongly condemned the silence of European leaders before the burning of the noble Koran, the holy book of Muslims."
Far-right groups burned copies of the Koran in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, on July 25, while a day earlier a similar action was carried out in front of the Iraqi embassy. These acts were organized by the far-right ultra-nationalist group Danish Patriots.
Similar acts took place in Sweden last month, sparking international outrage. Most Muslim countries have condemned the acts of desecration of the holy book, and some have summoned the Swedish and Danish ambassadors to send letters of protest.
The governments of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon have condemned the burnings and downgraded their ties with Stockholm.
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