Reaction to China’s Quran burning actions

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the burning of the Holy Quran by far-right politician Rasmus Paludan in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm and similar actions that followed showed “the hypocrisy of some Western politicians about freedom of belief”.

Speaking at a daily press conference in Beijing, spokesman Mao said: “Respect for freedom of religious belief is widely accepted by the international community. “The faith and religious sentiments of Muslims must be respected,” he said.

Noting that some politicians in Europe are watching the news about burning copies of the Quran, Mao said: “These cases show the hypocrisy of some Western politicians who claim to respect freedom of religious belief.”

Mao stressed that China advocates dialogue among civilizations and will continue to work with Islamic countries to protect the freedom of belief of Muslims and other religious groups. (AA)