Russia: respect for religious opinions is not an option but a necessity

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova reacted to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s statements about the burning of the Holy Quran and the protests in Sweden.

Stating that the international community is responsible for resisting intolerance and discrimination, Zaharova said:

“The right to freedom of expression in international documents does not include the use of critical and derogatory statements about any religion or religious practice, especially the burning of the Holy Quran, which is sacred to Muslims. Respect for religious opinions is a necessity, not an option. Why doesn’t Stoltenberg know this? Because the West is sending uneducated people to key places in Europe. Managing them is easy. Many Europeans are being manipulated. If Anglo-controlled countries force everyone to recognize non-existent genders, they must respect what millions hold sacred.”

STOLTENBERG DECLARATION

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said in a statement today: “The burning of the Holy Quran in the Swedish capital and other incidents, the Swedish government immediately reacted strongly and condemned. But freedom of expression is a precious value in Sweden and all other NATO member countries. So such inappropriate acts are not automatically illegal.” he had used the words. (AA)