ASTANA – Kazakhstan has co-sponsored a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning the desecration of religious symbols along with 47 other UN member states, the Foreign Ministry’s press service reported on July 26.
The resolution, adopted on July 25, condemns all acts of violence against holy books as a violation of international law.
The Moroccan resolution, titled Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech, was approved in the 193-member Assembly.
In addition to all acts of violence against persons based on their religion or belief, the resolution strongly condemns “any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural centers or places of worship, as well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law.”
The decision to include the amendments related to religious symbols and holy books in the UN resolution was made after multiple acts of Quran burning in several European countries.
Earlier this week, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev condemned the acts of Quran desecration as unacceptable provocations, saying they run counter to the universally accepted norms of peaceful coexistence of countries and religions.
Source : Astana Times
