Al-Azhar condemns Quran tearing by US far-right extremist in New York - Foreign Affairs

Egypt's Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the world's leading Sunni Muslim institution, condemned on Tuesday the tearing of a copy of the Quran by a US far-right extremist inside a church in New York City. In a statement, Al-Azhar described the act as extremism, terrorism and a deliberate provocation of Muslims in the United States and around the world. It said the act could not be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression, which it said was invoked selectively when it came to Muslim religious symbols. On Saturday, Jake Lang tore up a copy of the Quran inside Atlah Church in Harlem and livestreamed the incident on his social media accounts while making anti-Muslim remarks. The footage drew widespread condemnation, including from human rights organizations, which described the incident as hate speech and a deliberate attempt to provoke Muslims and fuel Islamophobia and religious division. "There can be no freedom to violate the sanctities of others or insult their beliefs and religious symbols," Al-Azhar said. Al-Azhar said the Quran's sanctity could not be diminished by "petty grudges, acts of hatred and bigotry" or by individuals it accused of having a history of spreading chaos and hatred and undermining the security and stability of societies. It said the incident demonstrated the growing prevalence of Islamophobia, anti-Muslim sentiment, white nationalist tendencies and white supremacist rhetoric promoted by far-right movements, as well as incitement to hatred and violence against Muslims. Al-Azhar stressed that terrorism and extremism were not linked to any particular religion or race, saying efforts to confront extremism required condemning all forms of it without selectivity or double standards. It also denounced the use of places of worship for such acts, saying houses of worship should remain places of peace, worship, coexistence and acceptance rather than venues for insulting religious beliefs or inciting hatred. Al-Azhar called for an urgent investigation and said those responsible for the incident, as well as anyone who participated in, incited or facilitated it, should be held accountable and face the law without leniency. It said tolerating hate crimes encouraged their recurrence and that respecting religious sanctities and protecting their followers from incitement and hatred was a shared responsibility. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: