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Freedom of religion vs freedom of expression: Where the road splits
Since the mid-2000s, interfaith dialogues have become one of Indonesia’s flagship diplomatic initiatives.
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Faces of fury: Muslims shout anti-Sweden slogans during a procession on the 10th day of Ashura in the Islamic month of Muharram, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on July 29, 2023, as they protest against the burning of the Quran that took place outside a Stockholm mosque. (AFP/Farooq Naeem )
A
late-night text from my colleague in Stockholm, Ambassador Kama Pradipta, sent chills down my spine. The message said a group of people planned to again burn the Quran, a sacred scripture for billions of Muslims all over the world.
The spats of desecration of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark shocked the Muslim world and yet, such flagrant behavior is allowed under so-called freedom of speech and expression.
Ironically, this absolutism of free speech creates a space in which individuals can abuse and offend people of faith.
Indonesia and many other countries, particularly members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, have denounced these senseless acts.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, when speaking with her counterpart from Denmark about the incident, categorically highlighted the fallacies of hiding behind freedom of expression to offend others.
Pope Francis also expressed abhorrence regarding the desecration of the Quran, as this act detracts from efforts to promote tolerance and harmony between different groups.
Desecration like this hurts Muslims all over the world, sowing seeds of anger and animosity.
