Bangladesh strongly condemns the recent abhorrent act of desecrating a copy of the Holy Quran yet again in the Netherlands by a far-right activist.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that Bangladesh expresses grave concern over repetition of such heinous act in the Netherlands within a month’s time in the name of ‘right to protest’, ‘freedom of expression’ or ‘human rights’.
“Bangladesh once again urges all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations and to respect the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims - for that matter of all religions - for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence,” read the statement.
Earlier, a group of Muslims staged a protest in the Hague on Sunday against recent desecrations of the Quran and Islamophobia, according to Turkish Anadolu news agency.
Hundreds of Muslims marched towards Koekamp square as part of the “stop anti-Muslim hatred” protest organized by the Federation of Islamic Organizations (FIO) and the Haaglanden Region Islamic Organizations Association (SIORH).
Gathering in the square, they chanted slogans against the desecration of the Muslim holy book, condemning such Islamophobic acts. They also performed a prayer and recited verses from the Quran.
Speaking at the demonstration, Tahsin Cetinkaya, the head of the Turkish Islamic Culture Foundation, said Islamophobia has risen to "a new level" in the Netherlands.
"Muslims, mosques and other Islamic institutions have faced various Islamophobic acts over the years, including the sending of threatening letters to mosques, the hanging pigs’ heads on mosque doors and arson," he said.
