Egypt welcomes Denmark’s law banning the desecration of religious texts following a series of Quran burnings in the country. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that this law would promote tolerance and moderation. It added that burning the Quran impedes efforts to enhance a culture of civilized dialogue between countries based on cultural diversity. Egypt reiterated its condemnation of any disrespect towards any belief or religion, emphasizing the necessity of preserving freedom of opinion. Egypt called on other European countries to follow Denmark’s example, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The Danish law criminalizes inappropriate treatment of writings of significant importance to recognized religious groups, according to media reports.
Egypt condemns Quran burning and calls for preventive measures
In July 2023, Egypt summoned the Danish ambassador following Quran burning incidents. This came after five anti-Islam activists set fire to a copy of the Quran in front of the Egyptian embassy in Copenhagen. At that time, Egypt urged Denmark and other countries that witnessed similar incidents to “take tangible actions to stop these unfortunate incidents once and for all”. In August 2023, Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, the Egyptian Minister of Awqaf, condemned the burning of the Quran in Denmark and neighboring Sweden. He called on both countries to take swift actions “to prevent these violations and amend any laws that support and encourage religious hatred and allow the disrespect of sacred religious matters for all religions”.
United States must strengthen action in Sudan after war crimes discovery
The United States must take “strong action” to stop human rights violations in Sudan after determining that both sides in the country’s civil war committed “horrific crimes,” according to Human Rights Watch. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on December 6 that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have committed war crimes during the eight-month-long conflict in Sudan. He added that “in a chilling echo of the genocide that began nearly 20 years ago in Darfur, we have seen an explosion of targeted violence against some communities that survived that genocide”. The organization confirmed that both sides in the conflict have also committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. The organization warned that both sides in the conflict in Sudan have committed “indiscriminate attacks on civilians, destroyed essential infrastructure, and obstructed access to aid”. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of at least 12,190 people and the displacement of 6.6 million people.
Jordanian soldier killed in clash with drug traffickers at Syrian border
A Jordanian soldier was killed and another injured during clashes with dozens of drug traffickers on the country’s northern border with Syria, according to a military source reported by the Petra news agency. The source in the Jordanian Armed Forces stated that the drug traffickers were trying to smuggle a large quantity of drugs from Syria, taking advantage of the fog and poor visibility. The source added: “During the exchange, officer Iyad Abdul Hamid Naimeh of the Border Guard Forces was killed”. Jordanian authorities have thwarted similar smuggling attempts in recent months, including some cases where drug traffickers used drones to transport drugs across the borders. The Captagon trade has become a major concern for Jordan, as well as for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, with hundreds of millions of pills smuggled over the years. The drug is used recreationally and by people working in jobs that require physical effort to maintain alertness. Captagon production has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry in war-torn Syria.
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