Arnhem Mayor Calls For National Ban on Quran Desecration
He made the statement on Wednesday during a city council debate, following a failed Quran desecration event by anti-Islam group Pegida in Arnhem on January 13.
Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld attempted to burn a Quran in Arnhem, but was met with resistance from counter-protesters, mostly Muslims. The clash resulted in several injuries and arrests.
Marcouch said he was concerned about the "toxic polarization" caused by such actions, and appealed for more respect for different opinions and beliefs, NL Times reported on Thursday.
He also said that burning holy books could endanger national security, as it could trigger strong reactions from abroad. He said he had been in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before and after the incident in Arnhem.
"I wish the law would allow us to never see this Pegida man as a Quran burner in Arnhem again," he said.
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The city council debate was initiated by the local Denk faction, who questioned why Marcouch did not ban the Quran burning beforehand, and whether he considered it a failure.
Marcouch said he would not prevent Pegida and others from staging similar protests in the future, as long as the law does not change.
Meanwhile, Pegida announced on Wednesday that it plans to organize another Quran burning in Arnhem at the end of March. The city council condemned the desecration and burning of religious books and objects, and said it was an attack on social cohesion.
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Wagensveld has a history of Quran burning incidents in the past two years. He burned or tore the Quran in front of the temporary Dutch parliament building in The Hague and in a solo demonstration in Utrecht in 2022 and 2023. He was also arrested in Rotterdam and The Hague for trying to burn the Quran without complying with the demonstration rules. In both cases, Muslim groups held counter-protests to oppose Pegida's actions. Last year, Wagensveld also tore the Quran in front of Turkey's Embassy in The Hague.
Source: Agencies
