The Maldives has strongly condemned the tearing of copies of the Holy Quran in front of several embassies in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a press release, the Maldives stated that the repeated and public acts of the desecration of the Holy Quran cannot be justified under the guise of freedom of speech and expression. It added that countries need to adopt national laws, policies and law enforcement frameworks that address, prevent and prosecute acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination or violence.
Additionally, the Maldives expressed concern over the increasing number of incidents of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, hatred, and violence against Muslims. It reiterated its call to end such abhorrent acts against Islam and highlighted the need for concerted global action to combat the rise of Islamophobia and hate speech.