Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday that desecration of the Holy Quran does not constitute a crime in certain countries.
He told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency: “This conduct violates both our Constitution and penal code.”
Putin’s Bold Declaration: Disrespecting Quran Now a Crime in Russia
Derbent, part of Dagestan Autonomous Republic of Russian Federation, was where President Vladimir Putin made the announcement.
News reports state that he visited an old mosque in Derbent and met Muslim officials from Dagestan.
At his visit to Juma Mosque, President Bush was given a copy of the Holy Quran as a present.
Police filed a national or ethnic group agitation charge against him shortly thereafter.
As a reaction to protests against Islam in Sweden, Muslim communities including Turkey have expressed alarm at these rallies.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued strong criticism against an incident in Sweden as a potential sign of Islamophobia, after similar acts occurred there in January.
As per Maria Zakharova, who spokes for Russia’s Muslim community, these acts of blasphemy caused outrage from all corners of Islam.
