Two weeks after a similarly heinous act in Sweden horrified the Muslim world, another incident involving the burning of the Holy Quran has been reported, this time in Russia.
The Russian government’s attitude, however, was very different. The man who committed the sacrilege has been detained, and a case has been filed against him.
According to Russian and Turkish media outlets, the main federal investigative body in the Russian Federation, the Investigative Committee, announced on Friday that it had filed a criminal complaint against a 28-year-old Egyptian national after he posted a video depicting the desecration of the Quran.
The act of profaning the holy book was caught on camera in Ulyanovsk, a city in western Russia.
The individual was held by the Investigative Committee’s Ulyanovsk branch on suspicion of hooliganism and insulting religious sentiments.
The investigative organization stated in a statement that the heinous conduct was carried out on July 1.
According to the investigative agency, “The suspect committed public acts to insult the religious feelings of believers” while on a pedestrian bridge over the Sviyaga River connecting the streets of Abluukov and Vorobyov G. Ulyanovsk.
The man made a video of his acts and later posted it online in the public domain, according to the statement.
To gather more evidence against the suspect, a search is being undertaken at his home.
According to Article 148 of the Russian Criminal Code, public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committing to insult the religious feelings of believers are illegal.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin has stated that everyone should hold the Holy Quran in high regard.
He emphasized that it was illegal in Russia to offend the Muslim sacred book.
