Following a protest at The Hague on Sunday at which a Koran was torn apart, Turkey summoned the Dutch ambassador to Ankara.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “cowardly attack on our holy book”. According to Turks, it became clear once again that “Islamophobia, discrimination and xenophobia know no borders in Europe”.
Protest allowed
Edwin Wagensveld, head of the anti-Islamic organization Pegida, destroyed the holy book of Islam during the protest announced in front of the House of Representatives. He wanted to do this several times last fall, but the police stopped him.
This time the officers did not intervene. From a letter from Mayor Van Zanen, which Wagensveld posted on his Facebook page, it can be concluded that the municipality knew that it wanted to use the Qur’an and allowed it, provided the book was not burned. “Partly taking into account your previous remarks, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in principle the burning of objects is not permitted, as it may pose a danger, perhaps unnecessarily,” the municipality of The Hague said. He could not be reached for comment this morning.
“This is just about freedom of expression. I think it should be possible in the Netherlands,” said Wagensveld, tearing up the pages of a Koran.
Ankara called for action
Ankara wants the Netherlands to take a step against Wagensveld so that such incidents are not repeated in the future. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not immediately available for comment.
For the second time in a few days, Turkey is reacting violently to an action by anti-Islamic activists in Europe. Last weekend, a far-right Swedish politician burned the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. President Erdogan later said that if Sweden does not respect Turkey and Muslims, it may forget its support for Turkey’s NATO membership.
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
