Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that desecration of the Holy Quran is not considered a crime in some countries.
He told Turkey’s wire service Anadolu Agency: “This is a crime both under our Constitution and penal code.”
While visiting Derbent in the Dagestan Autonomous Republic of the Russian Federation, the Russian president made the statement.
The agency reports that he visited the historical mosque of Derbent and met Muslim representatives from Dagestan.
While visiting the Juma Mosque, the president received a copy of the Holy Quran as a gift.
He thanked the representatives for their gift, saying, “The Quran should be sacred for everyone.” We would adhere to these rules in the future.
As reported by Reuters, Putin’s statement followed the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque.
An ethnic or national group agitation charge was later laid against the man by police.
In response to a series of anti-Islam protests in Sweden, the Muslim world, including Turkey, has expressed concern over the demonstrations.
The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized a similar incident in Sweden as an act of Islamophobia when a similar incident occurred in January.
According to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Muslim community, these blasphemous acts provoked a harsh reaction in the Islamic world.
