Burning of the Quran in Sweden an extreme action - Idris

KOTA BHARU: The burning of the Quran by a political party leader in Sweden is an extreme act that should not be done by a person of influence, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad.

He said Islam should be respected by other religions.

"The act (burning the Quran) should not happen. Even as Muslims, we are not allowed to burn the holy books of other religions, what more to insult their religion.

"People from other faiths or religions should respect Islam, there should be no provocation as Muslims are sensitive over this," he told a press conference after a state-level Multaqa Murabbi Ummah programme which was opened by the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) president Tengku Tan Sri Mohamad Rizam Tengku Abdul Aziz here last night.

Malaysia strongly condemned the provocative action by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Stram Kurs, for burning a copy of the Holy Quran in Linkoping, Sweden.

The Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) in a statement last Sunday (April 17) said the action had gone beyond moral limits and norms of the right to freedom of speech and expression.

-- BERNAMA