DHAKA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has strongly condemned the ripping of a copy of the Quran in the Netherlands, calling it a senseless and provocative Islamophobic act.
In a statement on Thursday, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the act hurts the religious sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe.
"Bangladesh strongly condemns the recent act of desecrating the Holy Quran by a far-right activist in The Hague," the statement said.
Bangladesh expresses grave concern over such a heinous incident and rejects any act of insulting the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims, the statement said.
Bangladesh urges all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations and Islamophobia for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence, the statement added.
Edwin Wagensveld, leader of the Pegida movement in the Netherlands, tore up a copy of the Quran in front of the Dutch parliament in the Hague on Sunday. The action has prompted criticism from some Islamic countries and a number of Muslim communities in Europe. ■