The ministry of foreign affairs condemned the incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Netherlands, calling it a provocative and deeply offensive act.

“This deliberate Islamophobic act deeply hurts the feelings of 2 billion Muslims around the world, and threatens peaceful coexistence and inter-religious harmony,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

A Dutch far-right activist carried out the act of desecrating the Holy Quran outside the Turkish embassy in The Hague on August 18, infuriating dozens of counter-protesters.

Read: United Nations to debate Quran desecration stunt on Pakistan’s request

The foreign office said that such offensive acts cannot be covered under legitimate freedom of expression, opinion and protest.

“International law obliges States to prevent and prohibit deliberate incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence on the basis of religion or belief,” it added.

“Pakistan believes that freedom of expression comes with responsibilities. It is the responsibility of national governments and the international community at large to prevent racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic acts. That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to mark 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia,” the ministry stated.

The foreign office urged the Dutch government to be mindful of the sentiments of Muslims around the world and take steps to prevent such hateful and Islamophobic acts.

It also called on the international community to raise its voice against Islamophobic and work collectively to promote interfaith harmony.