Danish, Western governments urged to check perpetrators of religious hate crimes

Director of the Media and Communication Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Sultan al-Hashmi has expressed Qatar's condemnation of the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an in Denmark, warning that allowing the repeated infringement against the Holy Qur'an under the pretext of freedom of expression fuels hatred and violence, and threatens the values of peaceful coexistence, and reveals abhorrent double standards.
He also urged the Danish government and Western governments to take the necessary measures to combat Islamophobic rhetoric, deter perpetrators of religious hate crimes and to benefit from historical and contemporary international models in the field of tolerance and coexistence, outside the framework of Western centralism.
During the weekly media briefing organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he expressed his surprise regarding the aim of values if it does not elevate people and nations to broaden horizons rather than hatred and intolerance, and fuels right-wing and left-wing extremism.
Al-Hashmi also expressed Qatar's condemnation, in the strongest terms, on the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by dozens of settlers, in addition to the so-called Temple Group's alleged agreement with the Israeli occupation police to extend the hours for storming Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He warned against introducing any changes to the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Occupied Jerusalem and its sanctities, and held the occupation authorities alone responsible for the cycle of violence that will result from this systematic policy against the rights of the Palestinian people. He also urged the international community to take urgent action to stop these measures.
Al-Hashmi emphasised the status of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the hearts of millions of Muslims around the world, as it is the first of the two Qiblas (destinations) and the third after the two Holy Mosques, which will not be changed by a thousand intrusions.
He stressed Qatar's firm position regarding the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people. Al-Hashmi also pointed out to the visit of HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohamed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi to Lebanon where he held several meetings with officials. He said HE al-Khulaifi affirmed Qatar's firm position on supporting Lebanon and its brotherly people to overcome its crises.