AhlulBayt News Agency: These incidents (of Qur'an desecration) are not only an affront to Muslims but also a challenge to the values of peaceful coexistence, freedom of religion, and social harmony.
The recent repetition of Qur’an desecration, with two incidents occurring within the span of a week, has raised serious concerns among Muslim communities and scholars alike.
The latest of such attacks was in the
Swedish capital where a copy of Quran, bearing six bullet holes, was found chained to railings of stairs in Stockholm Mosque.
In a similar move in the United States, a Republican candidate for the US Senate, attempted to burn a copy of the Quran during an anti-Islam march in the Muslim-American hub of Dearborn, Michigan.
Dr. Mohamad Anton Athoillah, a senior Indonesian academic and expert in Islamic studies, argues that these acts should not be perceived as isolated or merely spontaneous.
He noted that while individual perpetrators may be responsible,
the underlying motivation often appears ideological, aimed at provoking fear, anger, or societal tension.
He warned that even when these actions are not linked to organized networks, they frequently resonate with broader extremist or xenophobic ideologies, making their impact much wider than individual behavior.
Addressing the question of whether such acts could be justified as freedom of expression, Dr. Anton was unequivocal.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it is not absolute. It does not extend to actions that deliberately demean religious symbols, incite hatred, or instill fear among communities,” he said.
He further explained that desecrating sacred texts, particularly near places of worship, crosses the line defined by most democratic legal systems, which carefully distinguish between legitimate criticism and hate-motivated actions.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Dr. Anton highlighted that these incidents are not only an affront to Muslims but also a challenge to the values of peaceful coexistence, freedom of religion, and social harmony.
“It is essential that such acts be addressed firmly through legal and social measures. Silence or indifference risks encouraging further intolerance,” he warned, stressing
that protecting human dignity and social cohesion is paramount.
Dr. Anton also underscored the danger of normalizing hostility between people of different faiths saying,” Repeated acts of desecration, if left unchecked or framed as mere opinion, can gradually erode trust, deepen social polarization, and increase the risk of conflict.”
He concluded that safeguarding religious respect and actively condemning hate-driven actions is crucial not only for minority communities but for the stability and health of society as a whole.
Professor Mohamad Anton Athoillah, MM is a senior Indonesian
academic, researcher, and practitioner in Hadith studies and Islamic economics with more than three decades of dedication to higher education, currently serving as a Professor at the Faculty of Sharia and Law, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. He was awarded the Satyalencana Karya Satya XXX (thirty years of loyal service to the Republic of Indonesia) by the President of the Republic of Indonesia in 2024, as one of Indonesia’s leading scholars contributing significantly to the advancement of Hadith studies and Islamic economics at both national and global levels.
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