Egypt’s FM voices great concern over recurrence of Quran's burning crimes

CAIRO – 11 July 2023: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry voiced great concern over the recurrence of crimes of burning copies of the Holy Quran at the hands of extremists, the latest of which was the crime that occurred while millions of Muslims were celebrating Eid Al-Adha Islamic holiday.

The top Egyptian diplomat called for facing those crimes and holding their perpetrators accountable.

Shoukry's remarks came in Egypt's statement that he delivered Tuesday at an urgent session held by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), at the request of some Muslim countries to tackle the recent incidents of burning the Holy Quran copies, said Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid.

In his speech, Shoukry strongly condemned the crimes that target the Holy Quran, Muslims and their religious symbols.

The foreign minister called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to give due attention to the phenomenon of Islamophobia.

Shoukry asserted that states should respect their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and adopt legislation prohibiting incitement to religious hatred, in addition to developing strategies to promote peaceful coexistence and spread the culture of tolerance and the acceptance of others.