Hodeida: An angry protest rally was staged on Wednesday in Hodeida province condemning repeated U.S. incidents involving the desecration of the Holy Quran, most recently the burning of a copy of the Quran by an extremist in the United States. In the rally, participants described the US insults as a provocation to Muslims and a violation of their religious sanctities.
According to Yemen News Agency, participants, led by First Deputy Governor Ahmed Al-Bishri and other provincial officials, held copies of the Quran and raised slogans denouncing the provocative acts. They said attacks on the Quran and Islamic sanctities form part of ongoing hostility targeting Muslims and their religious symbols.
They said the repeated incidents reflected the moral and political bankruptcy of anti-Islam circles, while regional developments indicate a decline in U.S. influence in the face of resistance forces in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq.
The protesters also criticized international silence and Western governments' use of freedom of expression to justify such acts, saying the incidents strengthen Muslims' commitment to the Quran and their religious identity.
They called on Arab and Muslim peoples and others around the world to take serious action against repeated provocations targeting religious sanctities, including boycotting U.S. and Israeli occupation's goods and products.
They called for the criminalization of attacks on religious sanctities and symbols, accountability for those involved, and international action to prevent such incidents.
The rallies stressed that freedom of expression should not be used as a cover for targeting religions and beliefs or inciting hatred, and called for greater public awareness and economic boycotts of U.S. and Israeli products.