AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The action of a political activist in Italy in burning and tearing a copy of the Holy Quran during a live broadcast sparked a wave of anger and protest among the Muslim community, the Moroccan-origin minority, and civil society activists in the country.
Following the incident, civil activists and the Islamic community, emphasizing the need for a responsible response, called for avoiding reactive behavior and not falling into the trap of deliberate provocations.
In this regard, an open letter addressed to the media and public opinion was published, stating that desecration of religious sanctities cannot be a legitimate pretext for fueling hatred or deepening social divisions. The letter, emphasizing the necessity of distinguishing between "freedom of expression" and hate speech, condemned the deliberate insult to religious beliefs.
The signatories of the letter called on political and social institutions to fulfill their responsibility in confronting hate speech and to avoid political or media exploitation of religious issues. The media were also asked to adopt a professional and responsible approach in covering such incidents to prevent the escalation of tensions and the reproduction of divisive narratives.
The organizers of this call, emphasizing the continuation of civil efforts to expand intercultural and interfaith dialogue and strengthen the values of citizenship and mutual respect, reminded that the response to such actions must be entirely peaceful, civilized, and within the framework of the law.
At the conclusion of these demands, it was emphasized that maintaining peaceful coexistence and social peace requires an aware and responsible confrontation with divisiveness and hate speech, rather than falling into the trap of further tension and division.
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