Muslim Leaders Condemn Quran Burnings at UN, Erdogan Criticizes the West

Muslim leaders from Turkey, Iran, and Qatar used the UN General Assembly to condemn Europe for "vile" desecrations of the Quran, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denouncing the "intolerable" attacks against Islam in European countries. The rise of Islamophobia in Europe, linked to far-right nationalism, was highlighted in a report by the Collective for Countering Islamophobia in Europe. Denmark has proposed a bill to ban Quran burnings, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi criticized the US and the West, holding up a copy of the Quran and accusing Western countries of Islamophobia and cultural apartheid. Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani stated that the Quran was too sacred to be desecrated.