The action of tearing the Koran is happening again in Europe, now in the Netherland. Pegida leader, Edwin Wagensveld, damaged the Koran in front of the Turkish Embassy. A Dutch right-wing activist trampled and tore up the Koran in front of the Turkish Embassy in The Hague on Friday 18/8/2023. The Dutch government condemns this despicable act, but has no legal force to prevent it. Al Arabiya reported that the leader of the Dutch branch of the right wing Pegida group, Edwin Wagensveld, damaged the Koran in front of the Turkish Embassy. He committed the despicable act along with two other people. The police have closed access to the road around the Turkish Embassy. About 50 demonstrators were present at the location. Some of them started pelting Wagensveld with stones when he tore up a sheet of the Koran.
About 20 policemen equipped with shields and batons intervened when some of the crowd tried to chase Wagensveld as he left the scene.
Turkish-born Dutch Minister of Justice, Dilan Yesilgoz described the blasphemy against the Koran as quite primitive and sad. But state law allows for such demonstrations said Yesilgoz. In January Wagensveld faced trial for his comments during similar demonstrations. At that time he tore up the Koran outside parliament while equating the Muslim holy book with the book Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. The T-shirt he wore in Fridays reprehensible stunt makes similar claims. The leader of another right-wing PVV party Geert Wilders posted messages on social media supporting Friday’s demonstration by Pegida. Similar attacks on the Koran have occurred in other European countries recently. In late July two men burned a Koran in front of the Swedish parliament, and a similar incident occurred in Denmark this year.
Such demonstrations have sparked anger and unrest in several Muslim countries. On Thursday 17/8/2023 Swedens intelligence agency raised its security alert level to level four out of five on a scale. The move was in response to the angry reaction in the Muslim world to the burning of the Koran.