Insults to Islam Cannot Be Justified under Freedom of Expression: Vienna Archbishop
The freedom of expression is innocent of insults to Islam, Christoph Schonbrunn told Asharq Al-Awsat. He noted that caricature insult to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the burning of a copy of the Noble Quran are not classified as freedom of expression, rejecting the recent actions of some.
He expressed his belief that personal freedom requires respect for others and not offending him in any way.
He made the remarks during his trip to Riyadh that was made upon the invitation of Muhammad Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League.
He said that he “clearly sensed” during his meeting with Sheikh Al-Issa “full and complete interest” in efforts to separate Islam from the two crucibles of terrorism and isolation “in which it was wrongly placed.” He added, “There is a clear interest from the Muslim World League to clarify the true idea of the Islamic religion.”
The remarks come weeks after a new wave of desecration of the Quran in some European countries.
Rasmus Paludan, an extremist Danish-Swedish politician and the leader of the far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Jan. 21 with both police protection and permission from Swedish authorities.
The following week, he burned a copy of Islam's holy book in front of a mosque in Denmark and said he would repeat the act every Friday until Sweden is included in NATO.
Meanwhile, far-right Dutch politician Edwin Wagensveld, leader of the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA), tore apart a Quran before setting it on fire at an anti-Islam demonstration in Enschede, the Netherlands in late January.
The desecrations were strongly condemned by Muslim states across the world that demanded European governments immediately prevent similar insults.
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