New Delhi:  The Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Prof Salim Engineer has condemned the burning of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Sweden by a far-right activist. In a statement to the media, the JIH Vice-President said, “We unequivocally condemn the act of the burning of the Quran in Sweden. It was a racist and provocative act and a hate crime. The person who indulged in this heinous act should be immediately arrested and prosecuted. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind believes that all religious books and personalities deserve proper respect and cannot be subject to any denigration and acts of slander or disparagement. There should not be any discrimination and we cannot be selective in the condemnation of such acts. Such desperate acts that seek to create a rift within communities should not be condoned by any civilized society. We feel that even those harboring malice against the Quran should read it once and try to understand its message. It is the only religious book that rises above blind faith and dogma and appeals to intellect and reason. The Quran presents a very rational narrative about the metaphysical world that is both logical and convincing. We must unite in condemning these acts of insulting holy books and personalities. It is symptomatic of moral decadence and blind aggression against other faiths. We should avoid provocations and urge all to exercise utmost restraint. The protest or condemnation should be within the ambit of the law and in a civilized and peaceful manner. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands that the government of India should condemn this act and convey its displeasure to the Swedish embassy in India.”