Extremists in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have desecrated the Holy Quran in the past few weeks as governments claim they cannot stop the Islamophobic provocations due to their so-called freedom of expression laws. 

The attacks have been strongly condemned by Muslim countries as well as international organizations who have urged the EU states to not allow such events. 

To further discuss the issue, IQNA has reached out to Dr. Amir Hussain, Chair and Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he teaches courses on religion.

“I think it leads to even more distancing, which leads to more fear and hatred. And it affects the Muslims that live in these countries,” he said. 

Hussain’s particular specialty is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. He is also Vice President of the American Academy of Religion.

Here is the full text of the interview:

IQNA: What do you think is the reality of the continuation of this trend of Quran burning and attacks on Islam?

Hussain: We have moved into the area that Prof. John Esposito at Georgetown University refers to as “the normalization of Islamophobia”. So you had the desecration of the Qur’an at Guantanamo Bay, the burning of the Qur’an by a Florida pastor, and now this. People feel empowered to do these things.

IQNA: To what extent do you think political issues have played roles in Quran burnings? At first, Quran burning was done in front of the Turkish embassy and experts linked it with Sweden’s NATO bid but why the act is being repeated in other places?

Hussain: The political is always woven in with this, as the burning in Sweden was started by an Iraqi atheist. In Denmark, it was a far-right political party, so the burning in Denmark was explicitly political.

IQNA: What should Muslims do in response to the burning of the Quran and what is the best response expected from Islamic governments?

Hussain: There was a great Muslim leader in Los Angeles, Dr. Maher Hathout, who founded the Islamic Center of Southern California. He said this about the Florida Qur’an burning from a dozen years ago, and I think it is relevant now:

“The Qur’an is not burnable because it is dhikr– a thing to be mentioned. It is a sacred tablet in the custody of God. What they are burning is merely ink and paper. Hence we look to these malicious and hateful acts with discord. We should not honor it with any strong reaction. Rather, we should invite people for dialogue to inform them about the Quran and inform them that individuals burning the Quran are in fact, burning the story of Moses and the story of Jesus, and the honor of Mary, and the whole saga of great prophets within the three Abrahamic religions.” I love that line.

What is being burnt is paper and ink. The Qur’an resides with and is protected by God. Among Islamic governments, I love the response of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, who distributed 100,000 translated copies of the Qur’an in Sweden. This is what we should do, not react with violence or hate, but counter this with the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet.

IQNA: How likely is a coordinated response from the Islamic governments considering the improvement of relations between Islamic countries (such as Iran and Saudi Arabia) in the last few months?

Hussain: I would hope that they could unite, but I’m not holding out hope. I think they are too caught up in the issues that divide them, to think about working together.

IQNA: What are the consequences of the continuation of these insults to Islamic values in Western countries?

Hussain: I think it leads to even more distancing, which leads to more fear and hatred. And it affects the Muslims that live in these countries. I’m an American Muslim, as American as I am Muslim. I think the best thing for people like me to do is to live out our lives, and not give in to hate or anger, or despair. We answer as the Qur’an tells us, with that which is better.

Interview by Mohammad Hassan Goodarzi

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the view of International Quran News Agency.