The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III today condemned the crime of burning a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
Theophilus said in an official statement issued by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem that “these crimes reinforce hatred and distance us from societal peace and human morality.”
The laws that grant the right to attack the beliefs of others under the pretext of freedom of expression must be dealt with by the legislative authorities, and those who attack the belief of another must be held accountable by the judicial authorities whose duty is to protect people’s feelings and work to strengthen societal peace and fraternal spirit between people of the one society and not to provide legal cover for those who allow themselves to infringe on the beliefs of others, he said.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem stressed that any person has the right to believe whatever he wants, but no one has the right to insult the beliefs of another, harass him, prevent him from freely practicing his religious rites, or limit his freedom of access to holy places. These rights must be at the heart of the constitution of any country before the “freedom of expression” clause, he said.
Source: Palestine News & Info Agency