According to the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Nasir Abdul Mohsen Abdullah, who was speaking at the specialized meeting on the “Roots and Implications of Anti-Islamism in the West” which was organized by the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, emphasized the need to investigate the causes of attacks on Islamic sanctities and ways to combat them, adding: From Ahl al-Bayt A.S. (the family of Prophet Mohammad), we have learned to move according to their manner. The Prophet (PBUH) said, no prophet has been persecuted like me. Also, his family members were persecuted, but with their wise behavior and patience, they were able to attract enemies towards them.

He added: that Islamophobia has started since the time of the Prophet. The Prophet used to invite people to Islam, but the Quraish created fear about it. It should be asked how many Muslims look at the Holy Quran like other books, how many look at it as a heavenly book revealed by Almighty God, and how many Muslims recite it. Are there Holy Qurans in all Muslim homes?

Recalling that the person who burned the Holy Quran was an Iraqi Christian who was present with the armed forces in exercises against ISIS and worked as a reporter for Arab channels, Abdul Mohsen Abdullah added: He was not mentally impaired. Those who claimed he burned the Holy Quran to seek asylum should also remember that there are other ways to seek asylum. Therefore, there are plans behind burning the Holy Quran.

Saying that many nations had taken a stance against burning the Holy Quran, which is an important issue, he said: Many mosques and religious places in Iraq were set on fire by ISIS, which was full of the Holy Quran. When the West sees that Muslims themselves burn the Holy Quran, what importance does it give to non-Muslims’ burning of the Holy Quran? We should note that Western countries see that half of the Muslims are below the poverty line, while the Holy Quran is the herald of anti-poverty religion. Therefore, we have to start with ourselves. We should begin the dialogues among religions before the dialogues among civilizations.

Iraq’s ambassador to Iran emphasized that we must make the world’s countries see us as Muslim, not Shiite or Sunni. We have suffered a lot in this regard. Therefore, we must examine the issues from all political, economic, and scientific aspects. Many things have changed after Coronavirus. European countries have witnessed economic challenges due to Coronavirus and the war in Ukraine. Europeans were concerned and considerate about Islam but not afraid of it. After September 11 and the developments related to it, we are witnessing Islamophobia.

Saying that studies show that in 2050, the number of Muslims in Europe will be more than other religions and reach 60 percent, he referred to the concern of European countries. He said: The extreme right in Europe and new Western parties are entering the parliaments and have their opinions and votes and have had some impact.

Abdul Mohsen Abdullah emphasized: We must also work on calming the conditions and the atmosphere governing the relations between Islamic countries because when the Western countries look at the conflicts in our countries, they would say, first correct yourselves and then demand from us.